A night off with Onions and Chocolate

This week Jeff and I had the pleasure of going to Liz and Woody’s for dinner. This is there house. It is all Mexican Hacienda on the outside. Don’t you want to live here?

First, and undocumented, Liz and I had to wrangle all the black widow spiders that had been creeping on her grill. Don’t worry — we got them all. Then, Liz had to start the coals up.

Cleo had to stay in dog jail, because she kept on running into the front yard. Confined to the porch she was…

And now the hot coals are moved to the grill.

This little guy got away from us in the beginning, during the first spider massacre.

Pre-marinaded meat from TJ’s? Yes, please. Liz’s TJ’s has some, ours doesn’t.

Cleo sits nicely with Jeff.

My beer cozy for the night.

Anaheim peppers, to be stuffed. We used Poblanos as well.

Back outside, to check the fire.

Woody arrives home to see our progress.

The coals are to be moved to the grate below, and Woody and Liz accomplish this, in white shirts, nonetheless!

Jeff and Cleo, fixing the Internet.

For stuffing the peppers: rice, queso fresco, taco seasoning, salt, fresh oregano.

Checking the meat…

Stuffing the peppers!

Delicious.

Onto the grill they go.

Mmmm, meaty.

With roasted tortillas? Perfection. I got a little fancy with mine.

Jeff’s more traditional carne asada. With cilantro. Which I stayed away from.

Getting back in the swing…

So yesterday Corelyn and I went to yoga, restarting our engines in the work out realm. Over the next few weeks, I plan to take up swimming (and if I’m brave enough, it might be before work) and potentially figuring out how to incorporate outdoor activities into our regular schedules. We’re into tennis, long walks, and kicking the soccer ball around (and sometimes throwing the football.) LA is finally starting to warm up, and with that comes the desire to be outside all of the time.

Meanwhile, tonight I plan on going to the gym straight after work, determined to still get home by 5:30, work out under my belt, 4 and a half hours of evening to do what I please, which tonight includes uploading pictures from PW challenge to Garlic, My Soul, with Corelyn, going to Target for some July 4 necessities, and making a delicious dinner.

I love summer.

That's the sound of sunshine comin' down…

Guys. It’s Friday. Almost the weekend! Summer hours! Things on my plate include:

A fabulous day tomorrow of either sightseeing or getting my house’s act together. An equally fabulous Sunday that involving the beach and a bonfire, complete with a cast of friends that I haven’t seen in too long. A return to a summer-abundant farmer’s market. Returning to my kitchen, and loving it like I haven’t in weeks. Produce in my fridge. Maybe, just maybe, reintroducing coffee into my diet this weekend (slowly, for my stomach does not like volatile things messing with it.) A magazine or two, a crossword or two, some pages of some books, and maybe purchasing a new one (because I owe the library SO BAD and I need to finish this book. Silly library – why aren’t you more like Netflix?)

Summer projects:

Finally staining that table.
Cleaning and reorganizing my closet.
Reorganizing my bookshelves.
Signing away some books to paperback librarian.
Getting rid of old clothes — getting new grown up clothes to prepare for fall.
In the meantime, building a summer wardrobe, both work and life appropriate.
Dusting the corners. Dusting the floor. Dusting everything.
Cleaning out my drawers.
Finish filing. It needs to be done.
Reorganize my kitchen.
Use my flours.

Any summer projects in the works for y’all?

This weekend will be:

This weekend will be:

Fast. Full of travel. Full of planes: four. Two layovers. Airport food, and lots of coffee. coffee, coffee, coffee. It will be beautiful, and full of tears. It will include good food, friends, and family. Include lots of photos, makeup, bobby pins. Include new friends, old friends, new concepts, old concepts. It will be eye liner (over, and over), heels, three shades of silver, and waterproof mascara (for the tears, of course.) It will be sunshiny, hot, summery. It will be everything B and B hoped it would be. And more.

It will be perfect.

Happy Wedding, B and B. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. I am so excited.