Bunny Sunday: The Holiday Gift Edition

First of all, peeps, THANK YOU for the comments. I <3 you all. Secondly, here's what I have decided to do, for now, going forward: A dedicated post on Sunday (Bunny Sunday!) and possibly, if the mood strikes, other posts here and there. So, for today, I start with my first Bunny Sunday post: The Holiday Gift Edition.

I think I have been more than clear on BGR that 1) I totally am a foodie (but not in a foodie snobby way!), 2) I totally love to cook, and 3) I totally obsess over love Williams Sonoma (and they should name me their spokesperson). As you may remember, last year I did a lovely post, an ode to Chuck Williams and the WS Holiday Book. In similar fashion, I now present my list of favorites from the 2010 WS holiday collection:

LOVES these poinsetta dishes. LOVES. Like I need me one. more. damn. dish. in my house. Seriously. Someday, I am going to do a post on my dish fetish. It's simply awful. Just awful. So bad it's good.

I STILL have not gots my All-Clad skillet, which you remember I was coveting last Christmas. This version is the copper core 4-quart. It costs about as much as my monthly mortgage. No shit.

Three little words: Devil's Food Cake. Because it is sinfully good. And I would eat it gluttonously.

Did you know I love anything in tartan plaid??? Anything. In fact, I would like a shirt, pajamas and a skirt made out of this material. Must be my Scottish heritage. The damn nutcracker dishes are pretty freakin' cute too.

Bite-size gingerbread men with a cold glass of milk. What could be better as a before-bed snack??

 I NEED THIS!! An individual pie maker. No shit. Ingenious. That Chuck.

 

I have been craving red meat recently. The only thing better than a good cut of red meat is a good cut of red meat wrapped in bread. Individual Beef Wellingtons. Word.

In lieu of the single beefy wells, I would gladly receive this smoked pepper beef tenderloin. Give me a big glass of cab, and I am ready to go.

Tiramisu. Be still my heart. Which actually would be still (from a massive coronary) if I ate all this.

Dudes, you knows I love the antipasto, and this pairing has it all--artisan cheese, Italian salami, crispy bread. Just add wine.

I have always wanted to cook one of these, but would GLADLY accept a pre-cooked variety. Crown roast of pork. With a price tag that exceeds my monthly grocery bill. Well, almost.
 

And no foodie gift list of Bunny would be complete without CHEESE. WS has MANY U.S. regional cheese groupings. This selection is from North Carolina’s Looking Glass Creamery. Hell, maybe I should just jump my happy ass in the car and drive there.

 

 And, just for fun, I thought these were darling. Little chef snowmen. Or baker snowmen. Anyway...darling. And, as long as I am dreaming, if money grew on trees at Casa Bunny, I wouldn't be sad to find these items in my stocking on Christmas morning:  

The Tiffany Etoile band ring. And in yellow gold, believe it or not. Sets off the diamonds better. Yes. HAHA.

 I am in DESPERATE need of a new watch. I think I really like this Michael Kors rose gold tine chronograph. I sorta have a jones on for rose gold...it's different. I just wonder if this would turn. For the price, the only thing green better be all my friends with envy.

So, that's all for now. It was a good Thanksgiving here at Casa Bunny, but I won't backtrack...only move forward. For now, I must go break up K.K. and Charlie. She is kicking his ass. Stupid puppy. Be good and I'll be back (at the latest) next Sunday. Hugs, B.

Pondering the Future

Hi, peeps. Yes, I know it has been a while. I have been a very bad blogger of late. I have been trying to answer the question "WHY, OH, WHY AM I NOT BLOGGING?" and, in truth, I just have lost my passion for it.

When I started blogging, it was something fun, something different, a creative outlet. I never meant for it to be big (and it isn't!) and I never tried to become something I wasn't (for example, Pioneer Woman). BGR was always meant to be a way to keep in touch with my close friends and family while giving me a means of expression.

And I have met some GREAT people through blogging (i.e. Little Miss Sunshine State, Jen on the Edge) for which I am happy and grateful.

All that said, I also feel that if I did away with BGR, I would still talk to most of the people who read my blog, on some level. That's not to say I am shutting it down, but lately, blogging has been more like work that fun. I make myself feel guilty for not blogging which is stupid. And when I do blog, I feel I am "phoning it in" with uninspired posts.

Now, all THAT said, I think I am just going to take a hiatus and see what happens. No guilt. No posting (unless an urge strikes). I will see what happens. Maybe I will just commit to posting once a week (Bunny Sundays?) or maybe I will change the theme of the blog (only cooking?) or maybe I will, in the end, decide just to become a reader and not a poster.

Thank you all who have supported my effort, and please bear with me as I ponder BGR's future. If you have any comments or suggestions to share, please feel free to do so. Love and Sunshine Wishes, B.

Friday Night Free For All

It's been....well....a weird week here at Casa Bunny. We've been Christmas decorating. And it's been hotter than it should be for November. So it's been a bit hard to feel Christmas-y.

And I have been a little blue the past few days. I have been thinking about Savannah quite a bit. I think the holiday decorating is doing it. I just miss her so much some days. This Christmas is our first without her. Call me the crazy dog lady, but it hurts just as bad as a person would. Anyhoodle, here are a few things from the past few days.

Wednesday night was the CMA awards. Which I only caught about five minutes of when I turned on the tube to watch Modern Family (loves!). I turned on in time to see Sugarland perform this song....which I immediately downloaded and have had on "repeat" for the past two days.



Now, I have discussed my (somewhat) former love of country music in passing, however, I haven't really listened to it in the past decade recent years. But I don't live under a rock and I do know who the prominent artists are. So I know who Sugarland are. And that they are hot-hot. And now I know why.

Thursday night is grocery night at Casa Bunny, and this week I decided to step outside of our regular apres-shopping Publix sub dinner and fix us up a plate of antipasta:

MMMMMM. Soft yet crusty bread, salami and pepperoni, herbed mozzarella, and Tuscan cheddar. To make it even better, hubs said he loved it. I almost fell off my chair. And not because I was enjoying this:

I bought this old vine zinfandel (a red zin) at Cost Plus World Market. It was really nice....a bit on the sweet side but good. It had an excellent rating, which was why I chose it. Here's the website descrip: "Twisted Zin is truly an unrivaled experience! Does an explosion of blackberry jam, chocolate covered cherries, spicy nutmeg, and luscious ripe plum sound appealing? We thought so." I think so too.

In other news, Charlie turned 10 months old Thursday. Someone please tell me when this sweet, adorable puppy (photo taken second day Charlie was at the shelter when he was still known as "puppy") turned into.....

 

This sweet, adorable 35ish pound big boy?

Lord help us, we love him something terrible! He has such personality and he has def helped take some of the sting out of Savannah's passing. In fact, we often remark that he is "channeling" Savannah because some of his mannerisms and habits are so her.

Tonight for dinner, I regressed to summer (because the temps sure have!) and made Big Plate of Nachos with salsa verde chicken, roasted corn and black beans. Yum. I used this salsa for the verde:

Which I purchased at....guess....wait for it....Cost Plus World Market! It was very tasty. And I drank this beer (finally!):

Lagunitas' Lucky 13. Wow. This one was good, but tasted too close to Brown Shugga'. They both are red ales and both have high boozy levels. Lucky 13 was the brewery's 13th Anniversary Beer, and it was such a hit, they continue to make it each year as a seasonal summer offering. So there you go.

Well, there you go....all caught up. Now I am off to be because, guess what??? Wait for it. I have to WORK tomorrow. Whee. Later taters. B.

Things I Love

I seem to have taken quite a few photos lately, but they don't add up to a cohesive mix for a blog. Then, I realized that they were things I loved, so I thought "Hey, a 'Things I Love' post!" So here it is.

 

Confession: I bought this necklace at WalMart. For $7. On sale. And it's awesome. I love me some  turquoise, esp. in the warmer months. So I will keep this one until next year.

I bought these earrings, as you can see, at Pier 1. They are lovely, artsy glass.  

Sadly, I sorta forgot I had these until I saw this photo!

  I had been looking for a new purse for a long time....I found this bag at a local dept. store

ON SALE for half off+. I bought it in black AND brown and got both bags for less that 

the original cost of one of the bags! SCORE!
 

 I bought that 12-pack of Blue Moon, and I had never had a Pale Moon. I liked it!

Was it the BEST beer I've ever had? No, certainly not. But was it a good "mass-market" beer?

Certainly. I would definitely drink this again.

I bought this cheese at Sam's! Yes! Sam's! And is so good. I would take cheese over chocolate

every day. Any day. And this cheese is creamy, mellow yumminess.

That's all. Sorry it is so short, but the hubs is doing homework tonight and I am working from the laptop. While sitting in the floor. Watching Glee. And Millionaire Matchmaker. And drinking a Pale Moon. And now it is time to go to bed. This damn time change is kicking. my. ass. Gain an hour my ass. Later peeps! B.

15 Minute Update (A Pictoral)

So, yeah, I forgot all about blogging this past week. Well, that's not true. I did think about it....I even had photos....but I just didn't feel inspired. So, I will do a quick recap of some of the highlights. Here we go.

Last Saturday night, a few of my friends got together for Halloween. Bobs made this cool punch....called Swamp Water....which was a sickly green-grey color (trust, me it was even though the photo does not show it!) and Bobs floated an ice "hand" in it. And you know what it was??? Just orange juice with pulp, Dr. Pepper and vodka. I know! It does sound gross but it was oh-so-tasty. We all enjoyed copious amounts.

Sunday night, I made homemade meatballs and we had spaghetti & meatballs. I have certainly made meatballs before but--and I know this sounds strange--I don't think we have ever actually had spaghetti and meatballs. They were tasty though and the recipe made enough to freeze a batch for later. Score!

 Monday night, the hubs and I watched our FAVORITE guilty pleasure: Real Housewives of ATL. Those women range from sassy to hot-mess. And OMG. This scene? Had us peeing our pants. Well, the last line anyway. Classic. Watch it, but it's NSFW!

Tuesday, I cooked gnocchi! I actually bought this at Cost Plus World Market (one of the surprises I was telling you about). I just boiled up the gnocchi and then decided to brown it a little in olive oil.

The browning part did not work out so well...they wouldn't turn brown on the outside. Yeah. So that was a FAIL. Oh well. They were still tasty, esp. when tossed with this:
 

  

I bought this sauce at World Market, too and it was really THICK...like applesauce.

It was good, but I think next time I will whisk in a little cream to thin it.

I served the gnocchi with grilled sausage links and broccoli. It was a colorful plate and tres tasty!

I also tried these salad kits this week. Apparently, they are only available at Wal-Mart. There are four: Original Ranch, Caesar, Southwestern and Spinach. This one is by far the best. Is it lazy? Why yes. It is good? Why yes. I had a coupon anyway, so no guilt here.

Last night, I made homemade pizza,which was delish! Bobs has taught me a new trick: Did you know most pizza places will sell you fresh dough??? I know. I went by the local Johnny's and bought dough and sauce for like $3! How awesome is that?? I also enjoyed this beer last night. A really good porter...the vanilla gives it some sweetness so it's not as bitter as some porters I have had. Here's the brewer descrip: An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean.

Today, my moms and I went Christmas shopping for the kiddos. I gots ALL my shopping done for them! Here are a few of the giftees. Just a few more things to get for friends and I will be done altogether!

I also picked up a few giftees for my own fur kids....they never get gifts from my fams. That just ain't right. And those treats on the right?? A little gross, but the kiddos LOVE them...like weird pieces of real steak!

 And I picked up a little gift for Bunny.
Word.

Now it's 3 p.m. and I have a mountain of stuff to do, from cleaning house to balancing the check book to getting dinner started. We also are planning on starting Christmas decorating this weekend. Because we are crazy that way, that's why. Sigh. Oh, and it's cold here this weekend and I need to switch my winter and summer clothes. Ok. Deep breath. Go have a beer. And start. See you later, taters! B.

Conversations with My Teenage Self

I am stealing this idea from my fellow blogger twin, Little Miss Sunshine State. Here are the five things I would tell my teenage self:

1. Your senior year of high school, you will freak out and almost have a nervous breakdown, and then, in a panic, choose a college that will make you dreadfully unhappy. Don't worry about taking all those college prep courses. Research a college you really want to go to and apply early. If you do decide you want to go to art school, don't let everyone talk you out of it by saying you are "too smart" to go to art school. And don't go to that college...it will screw up your college years and you will regret not having a "normal" college experience for the rest of your life.

2.  Don't be so damn responsible all the time. Let someone else be the DD. Smoke pot (just once, anyway). Travel to a foreign country. Date lots of guys. Have teen sex (or come really close). Make a "B." Don't worry about working every summer, holiday break and weekend. You have the rest of your life to be responsible, to work and to be stressed out. Be a kid, have fun, enjoy your youth.

3. If you do insist on working all the time from the summer you turn 14, then SAVE YOUR DAMN MONEY. Invest your cash rather than blowing it on cassette tapes, clothes, concerts, etc. and by the time you are 40 and unemployed, you can just laugh because you won't have to work.

4. Spend even more time with your Grandmother...you love her so much and you will miss her even more when she is gone. Take photos. Videotape her. Write down her memories. When she finally starts to fail, quit work and go take care of her so that damn woman won't rob her blind on her death bed. Kick your stepgrandfather's ass for being an ass. Tell your uncles to shove it, too. You will never ever regret the time you do spend with her.

5. Take care of yourself. You will never be thin, but one day, when you are in college and then later after you are married, you will start to gain weight. As soon as you gain five pounds, lose it! Make this your life-long mantra and you will never worry about your weight. It is easier to lose five pounds than 100. Don't try to start smoking--it will only give you pneumonia. And wear sunscreen.

PS, go read Bobs list if you have time...be warned that it may make you cry.    
    

PPS, I know I fell off the face of the Earth and I cannot tell you why other than life got
away from me. Will try to get back into a groove this weekend.