bunnygoround

Three Things I (Currently) Love

2012-01-29T21:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, so since life is so boring around Casa Bunny, I figured I would think up three awesome things to share with you that I currently love. Ready?!? Here we go.

I love my new memorial necklace. After Pepsi passed away, I thought I would like something I could wear to remember she and her sister, Savannah...sort of a mother's necklace for those kids I have lost. I searched around on etsy and found a store called MuseKraft who makes these perfect little stamped charms. They were also a great price. When I received, I was extremely pleased....one is copper, one silver (color is off a little in the photo) and they are a perfect size (slightly less than a dime) ...delicate-y but not too prissy small. Just what I wanted.

I LOVE this newly discovered cleaning solution! I found out about it on Pinterest. I have espoused my love of Pinterest here in the past, however, I must admit that I was more than a little skeptical about this one. It was touted as a wonderful cleaner, esp. for soap scum. And, let me tell you, I have one of those crappy plastic showers that just seems to grow soap scum. The only way to get it passably clean is to use stuff that would practically melt the plastic and cause the hairs of your esophagus to burn off. But not now! Because this shit?!? WORKS!! And all it is is a mix of regular blue Dawn dish detergent and white vinegar. That is all! But it is fabulous. They call it Tub & Shower Magic. And IT. IS. MAGIC. And cheap. I had some Dawn I scored for $.50 and a $.89 bottle of white vinegar from the Publix so I though W.T.H?? Best decision ever. The only downside is your shower may smell slightly like a pickle factory.

I am currently reading The Hunger Games and loving it. I know these books have been out for quite a while, and I haven't avoided them because I had any real problem with them, but they just didn't show up on my radar. In part, because my TBR pile is so ridiculous that it has to be a special book to get in the TBR line. But in a short period of time, three people whose opinions I respect (my sis, a friend and a fellow blogger) all mentioned how they had read this book and how much they enjoyed it. AND since the movie is coming out in March, I thought if I was ever going to read it, now was the time. I am not that far into the book, but I am already hooked. My sis and I have already made plans to see the movie.

I hope you have enjoyed my Three Things. I think I covered a good variety. :) I hope you all have a great week, and I will try to be back sooner rather than later. Smooches, B.

The Paint is Almost Dry

2012-01-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

Peeps, I am sorry I have been away so long but, seriously, it has been SO BORING here at Casa Bunny this week. I suppose it is the time of year, in part. And the weather, which has been exceptionally WET all winter. BLEH. As mentioned before, I definitely feel I have S.A.D. because Wednesday? It was sunny. And I was so productive. Not so much yesterday. And every other day for about the past month.

Today, I had to wrangle puppies at work for a photo shoot. I don't know WHAT THE HELL the kennel staff at the shelter put in their Wheaties, but HOLY GOD were they wound up. I wish I had some of the outtakes. I am sure it was more than comical. There were many "aerial" shots. Aerials are when the puppies won't sit or lay so we have to hold them in the air to get a photo. It is the last resort. But it always works.

Example of an "Aerial"...Yes, that is my hand

Oh, yeah, and I got peed on. Twice. Some people pay a lot of money to be peed on. Just go volunteer at a shelter, I say, and get peed on for free. It also is amazing how freakin' tired wrestling puppies makes you. That and a half bottle of cabernet. I think my patootie will be headed to bed early tonight. After the other half of that bottle.

The most exciting thing that happened to me this week was that I FINALLY went to the allergist to be tested for allergies. I have had chronic congestion and post-nasal drip forever. Like a year. I was worried they were going to say I was allergic to bacon, dogs and beer and then I was going to half to kill myself because life would not be worth living.

However, after $$undergoing$$ the $$tests$$ (with no insurance to speak of) it turns out I was allergic to.....hold on....NOTHING. That's right. Not a damn thing. Seriously. He is thinking I simply have a chronic sinus infection that has never completely cleared up. Short of a $$CAT scan$$, he is going to have to treat with meds and see what happens. Sigh.

Otherwise, I've been an old fart, going to bed early, watching crap TV, and surfing Facebook and Pinterest. No cooking. No reading. Yep. Just watching the paint dry. I need some inspiration. Some motivation. I need to wake up just one day and feel, oh, I don't know...rested. Is this what old age is like? Because if it is, it sucks. Ass. Hard.

So with that, this old fart is off to bed with a book or magazine and the dogs. At 8:30. On a Friday night. Wow. Later taters! B.

25 Things from This Week

2012-01-21T20:51:00.002-05:00

This week? Has been really long. Heartbreak makes you tired in a different way.
Tuesday I cried like a baby when I came home from work because I realized Pepsi was not waiting for me to take her out.
Other than that, I held it together pretty well until we received her ashes yesterday.
Yes, we've cremated our two dogs. Did you think I was going to bury them in the backyard for coyotes to dig up??
Yes, there are coyotes in our neck of the woods.
Charlie and Roxie....esp. Roxie....have been exceptionally good this week. I think they are worried that we did something to Pepsi and they are next.
The hubs "joked" about getting a Cairn puppy the other day. Give me a year. Or ten.
Because two dogs vs. one is not bad. Three dogs vs. two is challenging. I ain't gonna lie.
The menu at Casa Bunny this week has been simple and redundant. Oven hot dogs. Nachos. Pepperoni pizza puffs.
And not very healthy in hindsight.
We went to dinner last night with some old friends and some new friends. It was nice to laugh and drink and have fun with other adults.
Ginger lemon martinis are yummy.
Today, we went to see Joyful Noise. Which the hubs suggested. It wasn't bad. I really enjoyed the music.
And Dolly. Dolly just rocks it. And by "it" I mean "life."
My favorite song right now is I Won't Give Up on Us by Jason Mraz. I love me some Jason Mraz. His first album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, is one of my top 10. Maybe top 5. It was a revelation.
When I love a new song, I listen to it over and over. And over. Like I just listened to that song 20 times while writing this post.
I need a hug. Right now.
It is still raining here. Rain. Rain. Rain. I know we need you, but, please, go away. At least for a few sunny days.
We had the best nap today. Snuggled on the bed with Charlie and Roxie and lots of blankets.
I lost one of my Compassion kids this week. Beatrice. According to the letter, she moved out of the region Compassion serves.
It is weird that losing her made me sad? And cry a little?
Believe it or not, I have not used my Williams-Sonoma gift card from Christmas yet.
Why? I feel paralyzed about using it to its best benefit. I hope to possibly rectify that tomorrow.
Yes, I know I am weird when it come to W-S.
I am about to be off to watch Stand By Me with the hubs. He has never seen it. I have, but I cannot remember much about it.

Hope you are having a great weekend. Love, Bun.

In Loving Memory of Peppy Girl

2012-01-16T11:55:00.001-05:00

It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of ourdogter, Pepsi.

A Cairn Terrier, Pepsi came to live with us 11.5 years agoat 2 years old. We had adopted Savannah, her adopted Cairn Terrier sister, in1999, and after having Savannah for about a year, decided she needed acompanion. We began looking for an adult female Cairn and saw an ad in theAtlanta Journal-Constitution.

We called, then we traveled. All the way the Chattanooga, Tennessee.It was an interesting experience. The folks had a big breeding outfit. Isuppose you could call it a puppy mill. The owners hadonly had Pepsi 6 months. And they were her third owner. They had bred her once,she had one puppy and it died. I just think she was a bad breeding prospect and they wanted to get rid of her. And we were more than glad to rescue her.

I remember that day well. The owners, the hubs and I wereall sitting on the porch of the house, talking about Pepsi, and then theybrought her out. She immediately went over to the hubs, jumped in his lap, andthat was that. The deal was sealed. We hemmed and hawed, but before we droveoff, we knew we were going to adopt her. I don’t know why we just didn’t takeher with us that day, but three days later, the hubs was on his way back toChattanooga to pick her up.

Our second adopted dog, Pepsi was always like the secondchild. A little less attention. A little less photos. Though, in fairness,Pepsi never liked to have her photo taken. Even at the bitter end, when I wastrying to take some last photos of her, she ran the opposite way when she heardthe ping of the camera and saw the flash.

Pepsi was a peculiar dog in her way. She loved affection,but on her terms. She would nudge your hand, curl up next to you, let you rubher tummy for a long time, but when she was done with the love, she was done. Butshe was a jealous girl, as well. Whenever we were loving on or playing withSavannah, she would come nudging over, wanting love, stealing toys. While Pepsinever had Savannah’s outgoing personality, she had a reserved yet sweetdisposition all her own and, I always thought, some hidden sadness behind hereyes. Perhaps tales from the two years before she came to us. Tales of lostbabies and little love.

One of Pepsi’s habits throughout her life was that shedesired to be sleeping/sitting UP. She always had to be UP, where she could seeeverything. She had "her" chair in the living room. And the settee in thebedroom. Even when we traveled, we had to configure something so she could beUP wherever we stayed. The last months of her life, Pepsi was not able to jump up becauseof her health issues. It made us sad because it was one of the first signs shewas getting old and the end might be near.

A big thing, of course, was Pepsi’s name, which her original breeder gave her. The secret? Shewas Pepsi VIII which means she was one in a line of Pepsi’s. Everyone alwayssaid “Pepsi?!? Like the soft drink?!?” But we couldn’t change her name so wetook to calling her “Peppy” or simply "Pep," or, in fun, “the Pepster” or “Pepisita.”

Throughout her life, Pepsi had her health woes. She hadthyroid issues, allergy issues, and the past few years, heart issues. But thatgirl was a scrapper until the end. When we adopted Charlie, she tried to playwith him a time or two, but he was just too much for Pepsi. Though I hate toadmit it, she fought with Roxie twice but, I am glad to say, held her own. When we took her for her annual checkup last year, the vet said she could live well into her teens. We thought for sure she would live longer than Savannah. But she did not. Perhaps Jesus needed her in Heaven to help control her sister.

In early December, one Monday morning, Pepsi didn’t want toeat. Which was very unusual. That girl looked forward to her meals. So I tookher to the vet. Over the next two days, they cleaned her teeth, found a UTI,did an ultrasound, and did extensive blood work. Long story short, theydetermined she had an issue with her spleen, probably cancer. But short of abiopsy (which might kill her) or surgery (which probably would kill her) therewas no way to tell. We opted that we would keep her comfortable as long as wecould.

The end came this weekend. We had seen a decline in her overthe past week, but Sunday morning she didn’t want to eat. She stayed on her bedall day, and her breathing became increasingly labored. We knew the end wasnear. We spent time with her. We said our goodbyes.

We thought our scrappy girl might make it through the nightand we made plans to take her this morning to our vet’s office for a peacefulend to her life; however, Pepsi, who always hated going to the vet, had otherplans. Shortly before midnight, she became very stressed, and we decided tocall our vet and take her on in (our vet takes their own emergency call). As webundled her up and were about to walk out the door, she looked up at me, took alast breath, and died in my arms.

Today, our hearts are heavy with sadness. The hubs and Itook the day off to mourn our loss and celebrate her life. I remember fromSavannah’s death that these first days are the hardest. That time will heal thewound. But, for now, we honor her memory with our tears and our quietreflections of our Peppy girl.

Pepsi VIII

July 31, 1998-January 16, 2012

Season's Greetings

2012-01-14T22:29:00.002-05:00

I bet you are wondering what that title is all about, aren't you?!? Well, it has been so grey and grim and just...depressing here in the G of A for over a week. The sun finally came out today. I, mean, I know we need the rain, but jeez, my seasonal affective disorder is kicking. me. in. the. ass. Actually, I don't know that I have S.A.D. but I don't know how you could NOT have it after the past week. Seriously.

Anyhoodle, I cannot believe it has been well over a week since I last blogged. I obviously have not been up to much interesting. Well, maybe I have. Let me recap the top 10 events of the past ten days:

1) I made a new mushroom soup and it was a FAIL. I didn't even bother to photograph. But I used my new panini maker and it was super.
2) I lost 7 pounds with barely trying. But I think I put it back on tonight when I gulped down two Cake vodka tonics and noshed on about a half-dozen of these.....
3) Pepperoni Pizza Puffs, a Pinterest recipe that I found a while back and was reminded about by my virtual foodie buddy, Bo. They are very tasty and great for a light supper. Or a pig-out at 9 p.m. when you have spent the whole day cleaning house and running errands. Not that I would know about that or anything.

4) I was actually going to post last weekend, then my 'puter got a virus. Luckily, I have an AWESOME techie guy that lives about 5 minutes away from me who came and fixed it within 24 hours. No more surfing clown porn. Joking.
5) In between cussing about my computer, we spent last weekend taking down the Christmas decor. Finally. Glitter still lingers in many crevices. As I discovered today when deep cleaning in preparation to host the fams' birthday celebration tomorrow.
6) Wednesday, I went to a 7 p.m. movie. On a school night. I felt so reckless. It was Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. And it was FAB.U.LOUS. Tom C. may be a crazy-ass motherfucker but, by God, he still is the shit. At 50, he could bounce quarters off his ass. I won't even talk about the guns. I will just show you:

Nice guns, you crazy-ass mo-fo. I can forgive the crazy when you look like that, honey.
7) Wednesday was also the birthday of Charlie and Roxie, The terrible two were two-years-old this year. I cannot believe it. They both have brought so much joy to our lives. Charlie esp. since we have had him since a baby. I remember when we we wrestling with whether or not to adopt this puppy:

8) We also finally gots around to ordering a framed print of the kiddos' photo session from last spring. It turned out beautifully:

The photo does not do it justice, but the photographer did a wonderful job. We love it.
9) I have been captivated the past week by Toddlers and Tiaras, that horribly fascinating show about child beauty pageants. Esp. about this little girl from Georgia called Alana. She is like watching a terribly entertaining train wreck. I won't post the video, but if you are interested, go here to see more.
10) I went to visit my incredibly talented and super special friend Suzy Sue Smith today. She is having a tough time so it was good timing because she talked to me and I lent my ear. I also walked out of her store with this wonderful piece of her art:

It says "May my heart and mind be open." A most excellent message, I believe. And I love the bright, vibrant colors. And, best of all, can you believe this was only $20?!? Cheap shot of happiness. But, Hell, she really needs to charge more.

Well, folks, it's off to bed for me. Early to rise tomorrow so I can cook for the birthday celebration. Hope you are doing well. Love and kisses, B.

Rough as a Cob

2012-01-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

O. M. G. Returning to work this week has just kicked. my. ass. God, I am getting so damn old. Those nine days of daily naps last week is not looking like such a good idea in hindsight. Combine that with weird weather, an impending potential sinus infection (YES! AGAIN!), a visit from Aunt Flo and a full-ish moon, and, well, TGIF tomorrow.

Needless to say, I have not done much this week but come home and collapse. Easy cooking. No watching the TV (but I did finish a book! yeah, me!). I thought I would update ya'll quickly and, then, well, then I am off to another early night.

First, the hubs and I spend NYE weekend having a good bit of fun. We went to see Hugo which was very enjoyable yet not what I was expecting. Very family friendly. Very NOT Martin Scorcese. But good. Very good. After the movie, we ran into Home Goods, where I made a great score:

Two Le Creuset oval bakers for less than $40 for BOTH. Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshall's are great places to pick up Le Creuset stoneware for a steal. And let me tell you peeps, you will NEVER EVER EVER want to use another kind of bakeware. This shit is da' bomb.

NYE, we went to Bobs and hung with him and another friend and play Just Dance 2. My shoulder still aches. Holy Christ, did I mention how OLD I am?!? All I knows is the ladies kicked ass with the dance moves. No photos. Too embarrassing.

New Year's Day, the hubs and I went to eat peas and green with my 'rents, while Bobs went on his annual Dillard's shopping extravaganza. And look what Bobs scored for Bunny:

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! A covered Le Creuset casserole! Can I tell you how freakin' excited I was?!? What a deal, too! And you know what this means?!?! I can find something else to spend my Williams-Sonoma gift card on! WHEE!

On that note, I am taking my sad sack self to bed. I will report back more this weekend....I have some plans for some new cookery this weekend and there will be some movie watching and such, as well. Hope you all are rolling big in the new year! XO, B.

PS, for those Yankee readers, the post title refers to an old Southern saying....means you feel as bad as a cleaned, dried ear of corn. Or "like shit."

Bunny's 2011 Year in Review

2011-12-31T09:03:00.000-05:00

This year I decided to keep a running list of things I did....movies I saw, food I cooked, new things I tried. Nineteen journal pages later, I bring you a smidgen of my most memorable moments from 2011. In all, it was a good year, but not my best. I more or less achieved my goal to tone it back at work and have more "me time," but I know I did not utilize my "me time" to improve me. I just spent it on Facebook and Pinterest rather than reading, relaxing and exercising. And my body let me know because I was sicker this year than I have been in a long time. So, as we head into 2012, my new goal is to use my "me time" to make me a better me. More on that later. For now, here is:

2011 Highlights from Bunny World

Watched 55+ movies/mini-series, from a combination of Netflix and theater. WORST: Inception. We only made it about 20 minutes in before we admitted we were hopelessly lost and turned it off. BEST: Tie between The Help and Crazy Stupid Love.
Read 15 books. I am very sad about this number because usually I read almost double this amount. Maybe I needed a book breather. And maybe it's because I have not read much worth reading lately. I would love to get back into a book club to challenge myself. WORST: When Engulfed in Flames (expected so much more from David Sedaris!) BEST: Ape House (so unexpectedly interesting).
Made 35+ new recipes. I only counted things I made FROM a recipe, not something I simply crafted from my head. WORST: Gnocchi Mac & Cheese (doughy!) BEST: Tie between Green Chili Sour Cream Enchiladas and Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin.

Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Made snow ice cream for first time (because we had so much snow in the ATL in 2011!)
Adopted our third dog, Roxie, Charlie's sister. And, yes, it has been rewarding but definitely not easy.
Purchased (finally!) an All-Clad skillet. Too scared to use it much, but it is wonderful.
Saw my first professional ice hockey game, The Gwinnett Gladiators.
Sponsored my second Compassion child, Beatrice in Kenya.
Was bitten (badly) by (my own) dog (Roxie).
Started couponing again and saved a shit-load of money, esp. at CVS. BEST SCORE: 18 bars of soap for around $1!
Professionally highlighted hair for first time.
Discovered Blackberry Sangria at Carrabba's. It will change your life.
Discovered Downton Abby which is so incredibly fabulous.
Also discovered Larkrise to Candleford which is almost as incredibly fabulous.
Finally toured Terrapin brewery in Athens, GA.
Celebrated my parent's 50th wedding anniversary with my fams.
Met a virtual friend for the first time....had "known" him for about three years and was our first time actually seeing each other in person.
Vacationed at Folly Beach, SC for the first time and really loved it. It was Roxie's first time at the beach and she loved it. Just missed Hurricane Irene while vacationing.

Last Night Sunset at Folly, post-Hurricane Irene

Ate at Husk, Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant in America, in Charleston, SC. Hands-down, the BEST food I may have ever eaten. A true religious experience for a foodie.
Bought a new washer and dryer. Very exciting for me since I had the same ones for 10+ years and these are so FANCY.
Took part in a local photo exhibit for an art show.
Celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary to my best friend.
Drank several new beers and spirits. BEST BEER: Tie between Samuel Adams Octoberfest and Sierra Nevada Tumbler. BEST SPIRIT: Pinnacle Cake Vodka.
Saw my niece be baptized.
Professionally colored my hair red(dish).
Celebrated the holidays by visiting for the first time the Atlanta Botanical Gardens' Night of Lights and Christmas on Peachtree.
Had a great year at the human society where I work including coordinating an adoption special day that resulted in a single-day record for adoptions: 50 animals to new homes! Also wrote and was awarded my first grant ever for $5,000!
Wrote 44 articles for my freelance business which included picking up two new magazines.
And, finally, I returned to blogging after a 7 month absence and, so far, I have stuck with it. I lost many of my followers, but as long as there are a few of you out there, and it is pleasing to me, I will stick with it for now.

Wow. I am so glad I kept this list because the year really went by in a whirl (as most do nowdays) and it is so hard to think back and remember all the things you accomplished. Sometimes I think I never really do much, but when I was reading back over the 19 pages, I realized I have been quite busy and productive. Maybe not in ways that are impressive to others, but in ways that make ME happy. Cooking. Spending time with the people and pets I love. Helping others. If that makes me boring, then I guess I love being boring. Here's to being even MORE boring in 2012! Happy New Year's! Bunny

What Santa Brought Bunny

2011-12-30T15:57:00.001-05:00

Peeps, I know this is a little backwards, but I am finally going to post what Santa brought me. Just took me a week I know, but I wanted you to see my goodies because, well, I was thrilled. And I know you will be thrilled. Ecstatic even. Right.

The saddest thing about getting older is the lack of holiday gifts. I know that sounds horrible, but I just have always loved Christmas and giving and gifts and finding the perfect gift for someone you love. Sadly, as you get older, many times it is about just swapping gift cards/money because everyone, including me, is often too "busy" to put any thought into a special gift.

Those truly special gifts are rare. For example, a few years ago, the hubs gave me a sign that he had custom made that says "Casa Bunny." It was a TOTAL surprise and truly special and it hangs over our front door. Several years ago, I made scrapbooks for my brother and sister that held a bunch of photos of the three of us from through the years. I really put my heart into that gift and I hope they thought it was special, because I did.

I am very fortunate that I have friends and a great hubs who tell Santa what I really want and make sure I have the hook-up. So, here is what Santa (and friends and family) brought me in 2011:

Bobs gave me this collapsible cooler. I have wanted one of these for awhile. I hope it will inspire me to do some picnicking this year or summer concert going and such.

Bobs also gave me this panini grill. Bobs is a super-duper sale shopper and makes awesome scores so he is a great gift giver. I have not used this yet, but I am super excited about it. This is one of those things I would never buy myself, but have always wanted to have. Those kind of items usually make great gifts.

My sister-in-law drew my name and gave me a Williams-Sonoma AND a Kohl's gift card! You saw from my last post that the W-S card is probably going to buy a casserole of some kind, and the Kohl's card has already been redeemed (along with an online coupon! score!) for socks. I am in desperate need for socks because my sock-snatching, hosiery-eating dog, Charlie, has destroyed almost all my good socks, as shown in the example here:

"What Mama?!! Did I dooz that?!?" See, he is always after the socks! Bad, Charlie, bad! And my good Gold Toe socks! So, I used the Kohl's card to buy nice, thin socks for dressier shoes.

Santa brought me more socks, good, thick wool socks from L.L. Bean. Golly, I love these socks! I have a pair on now. They are warm and wonderful around the house and will work well with my hiking-style shoes and Birks.

Lucky for Santa, we live REALLYNEAR a Saks 5th Avenue outlet, which is where Santa picked up these lovely ear bobs from Alexis Bittar. The earrings are actually clear, but have a unique iridescence about them that makes them appear purple in this photo. They are super cool.

At the same outlet, Santa also picked up these really lovely Majorica black pearl ear wires. LOVE! Pearls are Bunny's birthstone. Score for Santa!

Then, Santa hit it out of the park with a double whammy....a coveted 5-inch Santoku Wustof and a new W-S apron in red! While I have not used either yet (I am sorta weird in that I like to break in my new gifts slowly), I know both will receive lots and lots of use. And, finally, a cherry on top:

The DVD of Crazy Stupid Love. Which I crazy, stupid loved. I cannot wait to watch it again. It was a pretty perfect Christmas all around. I loved all my gifts, and loved spending time with my family. And I have loved having this week off work. Now, I am off to go do some more organizing. Kitchen cabinets and laundry room, here I come! Later tater! B.

PS, Pepsi also would like me to give a shout out to her aunt (my sis) and Grammy (my moms) for their kind "donations" to her health care fund. She wants all to know she is feeling better, but is terribly put-out and freakin' pissed that I keep following her around with my sis' camera, as you can see from the photo below where she is giving me the "STEP OFF, BITCH OR I WILL CUT YOU!" stare.

Downey and Dirty

2011-12-29T19:12:00.001-05:00

Okay, peeps, that title isn't totally apt, but you know how much I love alliteration so let's go with it. As I noted in my last post, I took this week off with the sole intent of 1) cleaning up Casa Bunny a little and 2) relaxing as much as possible. So far, I have achieved a little of both, but not as much as I would have liked.

It was a rainy day in the G of A Tuesday, so it was a great day to accomplish some chores around the house. While I was out and about Monday, I went and purchased several organizing tools, so I started early and worked in my master bedroom, master bath, and living room before lunch. Not much needed to be done in these areas...just general straightening and tossing out the mammoth pile of magazines which had been accumulating beside my bed since early fall. Seriously, I don't know why I keep subscribing to so many magazines because I rarely have time to go through them and am bad to hold onto them way too long. As you can guess, many are cooking related so I feel compelled to keep them in case I am missing some awesome recipe that will change my life forever. Then I realized I could probably find most of the recipes online. So all are gone to recycling now!

My big chore for these areas was getting a hold on the equally ridiculous pile of freakin' reusable shopping bags which had taken over our entry closet. I have one...or 10...for every store...CVS, Publix, WalMart, Trader Joes's, IKEA. And I think they were breeding in there. My solution?

A giant plastic tub where I "filed" them "standing up." Much better. No pulling out the ones you need and the rest all falling over. The sorter on the left I already had. It holds scarves, gloves, hats and sunglasses. After I finished with this chore, I took a 2-hour nap (the relaxation part of my day!) and then started on the kitchen.

Like most folks, I have way too many food storage containers and, again, I think they were breeding. So I went through and threw out everything that did not have a lid or was grossly stained (or kept them for cleaning/painting/non-food storage). Here is the cabinet after:

The top left are my muffin pans, cookie sheets and cast iron skillets in a slotted organizer. SO much better. I had seen this trick on many organizing blogs. (Please don't judge me on my crusty dishes! I also was ~~too ashamed~~ neglected to take a "before" photo.) Top right is the overall view...not perfect but at least neatly stacked. The bottom is my newly sorted plasticware which I placed in wire baskets to avoid tumbling over everywhere, which I think is fabulous. Obviously, I lead a sad, sad life if organized plasticware is the highlight of my week, but it is. So, yes, sad. Next, I tackled the pots.

The left is BEFORE...a huge stack of pots and skillets that threatened to topple out each time I opened the door. And I was scratching the HELL out of my pans. Let's not even comment about the disaster on the top shelf. The right is AFTER....not perfect, but again, much better. The top shelf of bakeware and pot lids is MUCH better. The corner organizers allow you to "stack" your pans in individual slots so you don't have to pull every single freakin' one out to get to the one you want. However, my progress was impeded by this:

Many of my larger skillets have this little handle thingy on the end. Which takes up about 1.5 inches of cabinet space. Guess it is for hanging (?!?) but it was major nuisance when it came to fitting all in the cabinet. As you can see from the AFTER photo, I had to put the rack in at an angle to accommodate this little stupid thing.

Yesterday, the hubs was off and wanted to do something "fun" so we decided to go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie, #2, A Game of Shadows:

Hubs and I agreed not as good as the first...a bit darker, no naked RDJ...but a solid B+ for me. Lots of action. Then, we came home and, you guessed it, napped. We are both just so mentally and physically exhausted after the past month/holiday. Last night, we indulged in dinner out with friends and came home to watch Love Actually, which is always a holiday favorite we watch every year.

Today, I had to drive into the ATL to get the mop cut and colored again; tomorrow and the weekend I anticipate tackling organizing the guest bedroom and den/office which are in BAD shape and will require more than one weekend, but I hope to get a start anyway. Think piles of papers, receipts and books. And photos. And general crap. Oy. I am just where I am ready to get some of the shizz OUT OF MY HOUSE. If I could hire a pro to come in and do it, I would. I seriously considering bartering with a pro organizer, but decided I would not go there...yet.

Hope you are all having a great week! I will be posting a 2011 wrap-up sometime this weekend, so tune back in. XO, Bun.

Those Damn Lighted Vases and Such

2011-12-26T20:12:00.001-05:00

Hello, peeps! I hope you all had a marvelous holiday. Mine was good and what is even BETTER is that I am on vacay this week! YEAH! I have big plans for cleaning out my house and maybe also doing a little relaxing, as well. In the meantime, I thought I would do a quick post, which will be somewhat quicker than intended thanks to my sister who is apparently entering early stage dementia. First up, remember these?!!?

Just about every person who viewed my Home Holiday Tour post mentioned these vases. The two vases we purchased at Home Goods, the T.J. Maxx home store. I think the purple one was around $10 and the green one was around $15?? Anyhoodle, my hubs put the lights in them last year and, trust me, there is nothing special or unique in the technique. Let me show you.

See? Just a few strands of cheap white lights dropped down in the vase with the cord running out the top and down the back. Same for the green one:

The GOOD thing, as you can see from this pic, is that the vases are strategically placed VERY VERY near an outlet so they plug right in with no extra cords. The weight of the plug pulls down the cord so it stays down and out of sight. I have realized, however, from these photos that I think we should put MORE lights in the green vase, maybe fill it halfway up?? I think we will try it and see how it looks. We actually keep these lights in year-round now we like them so much. Nice "mood" lighting.

I also will mention that Santa was very good to me. I received a Williams-Sonoma gift card that is already burning a hole in my pocket, some jewelry, and even a little money from my family for Pepsi's vet bills (they usually buy my furkids a little treat or toy but this year gave monetary donations instead which were VERY appreciated!). However, I have no photos to share right now because my sister, who I dearly love, lent me her Canon SLR to bring home so I could snap some photos of Pepsi for the memories. I also snapped some holiday photos around the house. Including prezzies. Which are still on the camera. Because my sister forgot to give me the download cord. Bah!

What I can share, however, is that I went to the Williams-Sonoma outlet today (which is, blessedly and very badly, 15 minutes from my home) and scored a few little treats:

All the W-S spices they had were 50% off as were their dish towels which are the BEST. With my $10 coupon, I only spent $10. HAPPY. I was hoping to run up on a fabulous deal to use my GC on, but, alas, none were to be found, so I am back to my original desire:

The Le Creuset Covered Baker. If you remember, it WAS on my 12 Days of Williams-Sonoma list. I could basically get it for (almost) free with my gift card. Hmmmm. I will think it over a few more days while the card sizzles in my pocket.

Well, peeps, I am signing off now. I will try to be back soon with reports on how my organizing is going and possible photos of prezzies. Have a good one! B.

Christmas Wishes from Casa Bunny

2011-12-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Joyous Kwanzaa to all my peeps out there in the blogsphere. This morning at Casa Bunny, there are a ton of things to be done....house to be cleaned for in-laws tomorrow, presents to be wrapped for celebration with my fams later today, baking, etc.....but here I am, ~~wasting time~~ wishing all my virtual friends a happy holiday.

I would be lying if I said this holiday season has not had its share of woe. It started off for me with a miserable, awful, kick-my-ass case of bronchitis at Thanksgiving (and, yes, I am still coughing, thank you very much). We also have had furkid woes, from finding out that Pepsi is in her last days and this Christmas will be her last with us because of a bad spleen to Roxie being "impacted" and having to have a doggie enema. Between the human and furry ailments, our financials have taken a huge hit, which isn't very joyous since we are trying to save for a down payment on a new car.

But even with the crap that has been hurled our way, I still tried to make the season joyous...at least for others. I sponsored Christmas gifts, above and beyond my regular monthly contribution, for my two Kenyan children (shown below) through Compassion International.

I also sponsored a sleepytime bag for a homeless child through Project Night Night. And I joined a legion of Happy Hookers over at Rants from Mommyland for their Grand Hooker Experiment. Those wonderful ladies paired hookers in need with hookers who wanted to help and, as a result, WalMart and Target and a host of other gifty cards were flying all over the continent between hookers.

The ladies at Rants from Mommyland also inspired me to help a hooker at home....a co-worker who barely makes minimum wage and has three kids under 12. She had been unemployed for a long time and, after she got her job with us, her husband lost his job. They only have one car, so he has to bring her to work, and she has very few work-appropriate clothes. And is in need of dental help. Badly.

So I called up my skinny hooker friends (because I am NOT and my co-worker IS) and gathered up three bags of clothes for her, and then one of my skinny hooker friends wanted to donate some money, so I matched her money and we got co-worker a $50 WalMart gift card, too. For food or toys for her kids or whatever she needs. And I bought her a few clothes off the clearance rack at WalMart. And I was able to deliver it all anonymously. But she figured out it was me (though I thoroughly denied it!) and cried and hugged me. It was good to know I made someone's day, and holiday, a little happier.

I would have loved to have done more this season if we had not had such a financial drain, but as I saw in a great article this morning about people paying off other folk's KMart layaways, "You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people." It's so true. (BTW, if you want to read that story, it is HERE ....be prepared to ugly cry).

I have been thinking that maybe in the new year, my resolution will be to help at least one person or charity each month, in addition to my regular charitable contributions to Compassion and the shelter where I work. Each month I could anonymously brighten someone else's life....or a few people. Sponsor an adoption at the shelter. Give gift cards to random people who need help. Because they can say the economy is recovering, but they lie. Not a political statement, because I have come to believe all politicians lie, but because there are still LOTS of people struggling and suffering. Because even though I was unemployed for a year, I was and am still blessed beyond belief with more than I need.

I encourage all my friends in blogland to do the same. And it doesn't have to be money. Gifts of time are equally welcome by most non-profits. I know we could NOT do our work at the shelter without the help of our 200+ volunteers. I think if we are going to see our country turn around, we are going to have to do it ourselves, at home, helping each other. And, besides, it will make you feel good, too.

On that note, I hope each and every one of you have a happy, restful and drama-free holiday. I will be back next week with more posts including one on how to make those beloved lighted jars all flipped for on my holiday home tour. Peace and blessings, Bunny.

Holiday Homes Tour 2011

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to bunnygoround! I hope you enjoy the photos of Casa Bunny all decked out for the holidays. Yes, we do lots of decorations. No, it doesn't take all that long to put up (we do it in stages). No, we do not have rug rats. Yes, we do have furkids. No, they do not bother any of the decor. And, again, yes, we have lots of decorations. Thanks for stopping by and have a Merry Christmas!

Our front stoop

The bench inside our front door...my moms provided the sleigh, I am in love with the lantern

Balls in my Grandmother's antique glass basket...this is the "elegant" part of the tour

Living room bookcase decked out in angels

Colored vases with Christmas lights

Our grove of trees off the living room....three cheap trees
draped in hundreds of lights and glass ornaments

My collection of Lang snowman....all three of them

Dining table centerpiece...more lanterns and Byer's Choice carolers

Our new hutch with our Christmas china and a few of the hub's Santas

The decor at the top of the kitchen cabinets...what more do you really need but lights and balls??!

The ledge above the kitchen sink

The wreath my hub's made hanging on his antique sled

The dresser off our sitting area....stockings on the front for our furkids

Detail of the top of the dresser....a collage of Christmas goodness

The small display in our guest bedroom....yes, people give me lots of bunnies

Our office shelf....Radko figurines, garland and balls

More Byer's Choice carolers

The chair shelves in our bedroom....this starts the "whimsical/fun" part of the tour

Details of the vignettes...blocks, beads and House of Hatten Santas

Santas and snowmen in bedroom

Detail of Santas and snowmen

Folk angels in bedroom

Two small trees in bedroom....these are our "fun" trees

The door on our deck with artificial wreaths decked out on fresh greenery

Every year we say we are going to "scale back" but we never do. We both love Christmas. My hubs, who is working and in school full time, said no decorations this year. I couldn't do NO decorations, but we couldn't agree on how much was enough so we wound up doing it all; however, not much changed from last year...we simply recreated very similar decor and didn't try to get all fancy with new set-ups. I have come to believe that the best Christmas decor is little touches all around the house woven in with your "everyday" decor. Balls and garland here, a snowman or Santa there.

We actually did not photograph everything but this is 90% of it. I do apologize for my lack of photography skills and sucky camera for night/lights shots. And thanks to Jen on the Edge for inviting me to be a part of Holiday Home Tour 2012. Again, may you all have a blessed, happy and (fairly) drama-free holiday season, and I hope you will visit bunnygoround after the season, as well!

Ho-Ho-Holidays

2011-12-18T12:49:00.001-05:00

Well, my hubs is FINALLY finished with school for this semester so we can start celebrating Christmas. Last Sunday night, we went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Garden of Lights:

The gardens were all lit up and very pretty. These balls and cones were synced to change colors and "blink" in time to holiday music which was playing. This year was the first year we have went to the Garden of Lights, and we decided it was very nice but a wee bit on the pricey side...about $20 per adult plus parking. That's a nice dinner out for us. But it was something festive and different to do, and it does go to support the Botanical Garden. So I can count it as a donation, right??

This photo is my favorite. We don't have a fancy camera that takes great nighttime photos, but this one was pretty good. This is the big fountain at the Garden with a Chihuly sculpture on the top. Beautiful. Then, yesterday, we went to Christmas on Peachtree with my sis and nephews:

This event was VERY family/kid-centric so it was a good thing we went with kids. They had all kinds of entertainment for kids including visits with Santa. This photo is my oldest nephew, who is 10.5 years old, writing a letter to Santa. This photo makes me a little sad because this year will probably be the last he believes in Santa. The Santa that kids believe in anyway. Sighs all around.

We also purchased new holidays collars for our furkids from BowWow Couture. Amy at BWC makes awesome, sturdy and cool collars. She had a BOGO sale on Black Friday which I took advantage of in a big way. I still need to buy the kiddos a few stocking stuffers though so, PetSmart, here I come.

Friday, I needed a brow wax....badly....so I decided to also treat myself to a gel manicure. This is the first time I have had a gel manicure....it's supposed to last 2x as long a regular manicure. I will say that I have washed the dogs and cooked and not really been careful at all and my nails still look great. I choose a mid-metallic grey (less severe than black) and really like the color. The process, however, takes a long time because you have to "cure" each coat under a UV lamp. Base coat. Cure. Polish. Cure. Polish. Cure. Top coat. Cure. Repeat on other hand. But I think it may be worth it because I typically ruin a manicure about 5 minutes after I leave the salon. I will report back on the longevity.

Friday night, we were invited to a party by a new friend and had a blast. It was one of those Ugly Sweater Christmas parties and I laughed more than I have laughed in a long time. The hostess is a follower on Pinterest, and we had recently shared a pin about cake-flavored vodka, so I took this as my hostess gift:

Damn, ya'll, this shizz is fucking yummy. I don't regularly drink hard booze straight, but this stuff is good just over ice. The Pinnacle website also has all kinds of delish sounding drink concoctions to make with this flavor. I will be buying myself a bottle. Soon. And, best of all, it's only $9 a bottle! Nothing like a cheap drunk.

I also treated myself to a pair of Dansko clogs yesterday. I actually received a nice Christmas bonus this year, but most of it has gone to pay medical bills for me and Pepsi and for Christmas for other people. I decided I deserved just a little something for me. And what could be a more practical purchase than a pair of sturdy, orthopedic shoes that are supposed to last about forever?!? I am tres excited to start wearing them.

Today, we are having a lazy day at home, cleaning, a few last minute holiday errands, etc. Then, this week I think I have a lunch just about every day with someone and dinner at least two nights, as well. Woo-hoo for holiday rush! I hope you are all enjoying the season as much as you can. Remember to slow down and spend a little time laughing a enjoying your family and friends. I'll be back later this week with my holiday home tour so tune back in mid-week! XO, Bun.

Casseroles & Christmas

2011-12-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

Peeps, I have been in a mad whirlwind the past week trying to gets all my holiday shopping done. I will tell you that with the exception of a few things, I pretty much did all my shopping online this year. And it was all kinds of awesome. I mean, no running around to stores looking for the right size, or color, or item and being frustrated. Just click, click, click and it comes right to your door. Even gift certificates. It's great. Especially with all the free shipping most sites offer nowdays.

Anyhoodle, I wanted to catch you all up on some of the cookery I have been doing here at Casa Bunny. When going back through my photos, I realized that I have been cooking lots of casseroles. I suppose the cooler weather we have been having (up until this week, anyway, which has been unseasonably hotter than balls) brings out the desire for comfort food. You know, creamy goodness. Carbs. Things with the word "pie" in the title. And that use canned soups.

This recipe is a Publix Apron Meal which rarely disappoint. Publix calls this "Homestyle Chicken Tender Bake." I call this "Chicken Pot Shepherd's Pie."

This is SERIOUS comfort food. Chicken tenders, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots and peas. It was basic cooking at its best (all cans and jars) but tasty, nevertheless. Next on the list: Chili Cornbread Pie.

I actually gots this idea at Trader Joe's. They used their canned chili, but I used leftover homemade chili. Simply place the chili in the bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 casserole, stir up a box or two of yellow cornbread mix, pour on top of the chili, and then bake according to the cornbread directions. This was....okay. The cornbread was a little mealy underneath (I guess I did not let it cook long enough??) and the cheese topping just sat there. I wonder if putting the cheese on top of the chili, then topping with the cornbread mix would work better?? Not sure I want to try again to find out. Then, I made these:

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili-Sour Cream Sauce. Hot damn, are these delicious. This was a Pinterest recipe. God, I wish I had some now. I made them with leftover Crockpot Mexican Chicken.

What I loved about these enchiladas is that they were seriously creamy. Lots of sauce. Yummy, yummy sauce. If you didn't want to cook chicken, I think they would be great made with shredded-up rotisserie chicken, too. And they made a ton. But we ate a lot. And, then, this week, I made this creamy confection:

Chicken Tetrazzini from Bo over at Bo's Bowl. I have never met a recipe from Bo that I did not like. This one was exceptionally easy and oh-so-frickin' yummers. Yes, it uses three kinds of cream of something soups. Which makes it all the more fabulous in my book. In my culinary dreams, Bo and I rent a house at the beach for a three day weekend and cook, eat and drink ourselves into a stupor. It will be lovely and will involve lots of chocolate, cream soups, and sausage. But NO CURRY, Bo! I just cannot do curry. It's a long story that involves my sophomore-year college roommate, an Indian boyfriend and a couch. Still too traumatized to discuss.

Lastly, this one has nothing to do with cooking but Little Miss Sunshine State asked me to post a photo of our Christmas Closet (where all the Casa Bunny holiday decor is stored) several months ago and I actually REMEMBERED to do it but have forgot to post, until now.

So, here it is, LMSS! It is an elaborate puzzled web of bins, boxes and bags that if one is taken out, all will suffer! It could be a lot better, but it works for us now. As long as we do not buy ONE MORE THING. Right.

Well, I am off. I am trying to get to bed early tonight because I have a busy weekend and need to get some extra ZZZ's. Hope you are all having a great week! XO, Bunny.

The 12 Days of Williams Sonoma

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have been visiting bunnygoround for a while know that I am a big 'ol fan of Williams-Sonoma. Yep. Bunny loves her some W-S. And each year I post my top favorites for the holiday season from the Williams-Sonoma holiday catalog here for those of you who might have a little foodie in you to drool over. Or, if you feel so inclined, to purchase as a lovely gift for your favorite blogger. All are pretty much over-the-top luxuries, so I didn't bother to post the prices, but here are my top twelve picks for 2011, in no order. Enjoy!

The Breville mini-pie maker. This appliance has to be the most frivolous thing I may have ever desired, but I wants it. I can just see making all kinds of little quiches, pies and other yumminess.

Beehive Cheese and Salami collection. Just add a nice red wine. Yum.

Blackberry Farm Signature Food Collection. Biscuit mix, apple butter, preserves, pickles, and honey, oh, my!

The splurge....a RED TARTAN CASHMERE throw. Shut the front door. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Dipping oil assortment. I love hot, crusty bread and would love to sample all of these with a nice loaf of bread. And a couple of good craft beers.

A 5-inch Wustof Santoku knife. I have the 7-inch and love it. Use it almost every day. Really would love the shorter one.

I need a new apron and I love this red tartan apron. I pretty much love red tartan anything. LOVE.

Chocolate-flavored olive oil. This oil sounds interesting. I would love to give it a try.

Devil's Food Cake + glass of ice cold milk + Christmas Eve = Best night ever.

Six months of coffee from Equator Coffee. Two bags a month. Awesome.

Le Creuset Stoneware Covered Rectangular Baker. I love my Le Creuset bakeware and a covered dish would be so helpful for those casseroles that require covering. Because I always run out of tin foil at the wrong times.

I love soup in cold weather and I think I would like this book. A lot.

Hope Santa brings all of you everything you want. Merry, merry, happy, happy, joy, joy!

Catching Up, Again

2011-12-07T16:27:00.001-05:00

Friends, it seems all I do here nowdays are post long posts about everything I was doing the past week+ when I was THINKING about blogging but just didn't have the time or energy to actually blog. Actually, for the most part, I have been still recuperating the past week from the nasty case of bronchitis/sinusitis/cold I had. This bout of sickness really knocked me on my ass and then some. I had to go back for Round 2 of antibiotics and steroids. I am better but far from well. And I am a little worried about getting sick AGAIN which would probably be pneumonia so I have been trying to take it easy and lay low.

Last week was the hubs birthday...and my mom's....so we celebrated by going to out to dinner with the fams. My hubs decided he wanted a rocking chair...yes, he is only 45 but already a grandpa. Actually, I think he just likes to perpetually move. You know, he is one of those restless people who is always "juking" his leg and such. Anyhoodle, here is Grampy Hub's chair, delivered Monday:

I have been banned from sitting in the chair. Well, not really, but the hubs is so worried it's going to be scratched and I DO NOT want to be the one to put the first scratch on it. Nope. And I would. So I will be avoiding the rocker. As far as cooking, in between birthday dining, we've been eating a lot of "repeats" at Casa Bunny....Crockpot Chicken, Chili, Meatball Subs. I did, however, make this recipe last week....Queso Chicken Pasta.

This recipe has been on my Pinterest board for quite a while, and last week, I was in the mood for something spicy and had all the ingredients so I decided to give it a whirl. The hubs and I decided we LIKED it, but didn't LOVE it. I think it could have been creamier, and I also think spicier. I think if I make again, I will make more of the sauce and up the heat factor.

In other cooking news, my virtual buddy Bo over at Bo's Bowl posted this recipe recently for easy-peasy homemade dog treats with only two ingredients! I jumped on that like white on rice.

Just wheat germ and baby food! I chose organic food in banana and turkey flavors. They were a BIG HIT at my house with the fur kids and, best of all, did NOT cause any poop issues in Charlie and Roxie who have THE MOST sensitive stomachs.

Willing taste testers. This photo is actually them sitting there watching me make the treats. They are both very kitchen-centric. Charlie especially. I am going to break my neck cooking one night tripping over him. Well, I am off. I know that was a short catch-up, but I have been spending most of my days sleeping and working. Tonight, I am making another new recipe....Sour Cream-Green Chili Enchiladas....so I will report back on those next time. And Pepsi. Who has spent the past few days at the vet, much to the dismay of our pocketbook. Poor Pepsi. Getting old sucks. Hope you are all well and happy! XO, Bun.

Catching Up

2011-11-26T17:34:00.001-05:00

Well, I cannot believe it has been two weeks, folks. Well, other than the Mr. Earl post. Anyhoodle, I thought I would do a quick recap of the past two weeks for you. Ready?? Here we go.

The week of November 14, I was juggling multiple work projects including preparing for Pet Photos with Santa Claws. The event is, duh, a fundraiser for the shelter where I work and, though a long, long weekend, one of my favorite events. We had our photos taken with Santa, of course, and when we receive the photos, I will post some. For now, here's a quick peek at our awesome Santa:

Fun, right?!?! Santa does a great job with the animals....and their owners....and our professional photographer is amazing. Unfortunately, she had a nasty cold, which, after standing in her face for two days straight, I caught and then spent the last four days on death's doorstep. I haven't been this sick in a while. I even skipped Thanksgiving. And stayed in bed. So, basically my past two weeks have been about Santa and sleep. And here are a few more tidbits:

This car was parked outside the shelter recently. LOVE. So fun. I would TOTALLY do this to my car. LOVE. Even better, it was raining that day, so this little bit of cheer was welcome.

K.K. has decided she likes to sleep on the hood of my truck. A lot. All the time. Sigh. It's not like it's not filthy anyway. Who has time to clean their car?!? Plus, every time I think about it, it rains.

I took this photo of Roxie and Instagram-med it up. Do you know Instagram?? It is a fun app for your phone. Super cool. Check it out.

This pumpkin beer?? Is awesome. Cannot remember if I already shared this recommendation, but it is worth sharing again. Tas-tee. Sadly, I have not been able to drink my last bottle since I have been sick.

I made this Italian Chicken Soup from the Pioneer Woman recently and, while it was super yummy, it made a HUGE GINORMOUS pot and we ate off it for days and days. The hubs said he could wait a while to have it again. I agree.

Here are Charlie and Roxie in their new tartan collars, complete with bow tie and flower. Cute, no?!? I purchased these collars at Bow Wow Couture. It is an etsy shop and I have purchased many collars from Amy. They are super well-made, sturdy, and wash well. They are having a BOGO sale through Monday...check them out! Best of all, Amy donates to our shelter's art event each year so I am glad to support her.

I recently ate at Ted's Montana Grill with a friend. I cannot remember what this burger was called but basically it was an open-faced burger served on ciabatta topped with chili, cheese and other yumminess. Knife and fork required. And a Pepcid.

Tuesday, I had to take Pepsi to the vet....she has been acting like she does not feel good and we found out that she has some bad neck disks. Now she is taking doggie acupuncture. While there, this huge sheriff's deputy can in to pick up his little kitty. Who perched right up on his shoulder and stayed there forever. I had to sneak a photo. Big man. Small kitty. Tee-hee.

And here is a photo of Pepsi receiving her first acupuncture treatment. I know it sounds weird, but it REALLY helped her and we will be taking her back for more treatments. If it's not overly expensive or invasive, and keeps her from being in pain in the last years of her life, I am all in. After all, we spent $$$$$ caring for Savannah's diabetes before she died; now it's Pepsi time.

Well, that is all, peeps, for now. I am off to finish up dinner....homemade vegetable soup and cornbread. I could not BE more excited. Seriously. Hope you all had a great holiday! Lots of love, B.

UPDATE: Mr. Earl and Moon Doggie

2011-11-25T13:47:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, I wrote this post about an awesome pooch we had at the shelter where I work named Moon Doggie, followed closely in time by this post where I announced Moon Doggie had been adopted by a kindly older gentleman named Mr. Earl. Well, as with most things in my life, that was not the end of the story.

Honestly, Part 2 of this saga started about two weeks ago, but I was too sad and upset to write about it then. With some divine intervention, the story now has a happier ending, so I thought I would share with you what happened.

First of all, let me say that one of the occupational hazards of working for a shelter is that every so often you become attached to an animal more than you know you should. Hence, the adoption of two dogs into my home over the past two years. Moon Doggie was one of those dogs for me. He was just an exceptional animal. He had been with us since he was a puppy and we could not figure out why he kept getting passed over. He was so calm. So unaffected by being in a shelter. So awesome. I, mean, LOOK AT THIS FACE:

Really?!? Seriously?!? How could you not love this face?!? (PS, this is Moon Doggie with Santa at our Pet Photos with Santa Claws fundraiser this past weekend) Anyhoodle, Mr. Earl saw Moon Doggie online and came to the shelter, spent time with him, and decided to adopt. Both parties were so happy. Mr. Earl and I stayed in touch over the next few weeks, emailing and calling, and he assured me Moon Doggie, who he renamed Gus (thank God!) was doing great. Sleeping in the bed with him. Never using the potty in the house. Great. He really loved Gus and Gus loved him.

Two weeks after he adopted him, Mr. Earl brought Gus back. To return. They called me to the Adoption Desk because Mr. Earl asked for me. He was in tears. When an 80-year-old man stands in front of you in tears, it breaks your heart. Hard. Seems Mr. Earl's family (he lives with his son and daughter-in-law in their basement) made him bring Gus back. Well, they didn't MAKE him, but they made his life 110% miserable until he did.

The best I could put together is Mr. Earl's daughter-in-law is a the kind of bitch that rhymes with "punt." Here's what I think happened: Mr. Earl tells his son he is adopting a dog and son (being a man) says, "Yeah, whatever Dad." And then Mr. Earl shows up with the dog and DIL is like "oh, Hell, no!" and proceeds to do all kinds of shitty things like say Mr. Earl's granddaughters can no longer come see him downstairs because Gus is "too rough" with them. BULL and SHIT. That dog does not have a rough bone in his body. But she knew where to hit him hardest...in Mr. Earl's heart. The line that separated his granddaughters and Gus.

So, torn between his love for his new dog and the love for his family, Mr. Earl returned Gus. Though it broke his heart in every single place. He had to walk out to compose himself. I had to walk away too because I was about to have an ugly cry. I hugged Mr. Earl. Hard. I offered to call his family. But he was resolute.

I cried all the rest of the day. Cried and cried. A little for Gus. But mostly for Mr. Earl. Because he did everything right and is a good, kind man who just wanted a companion for his golden years. It just was. not. right.

I called Mr. Earl the next day to check on him. He said, "I tell you, I am not a drinking man, but I indulged a little last night." He said he missed his buddy. I told him I would do everything in my power to find Gus another forever home. Mr. Earl thanked me for calling. Said he appreciated it more than he could say. I am glad because my whole intent was to let him know someone really cared about him and that he was hurting.

A week later, Mr. Earl called me. He wanted to come see me and wanted to make sure I was in. He brought me a copy of his book:

See, Mr. Earl has lived an INCREDIBLE life and he wanted to put it down in writing for his family so he could leave his story behind. Abandoned before birth by his dad, two months after birth by his mom, raised in foster homes, ran away at 15, joined Army with falsified birth certificate at 16, decorated Korean War vet, Army Ranger, served under LBJ in the White House, accomplished carpenter, widowed after a happy marriage when his wife became ill. And all he wanted was a damn dog to call his own, to be his buddy.

I know his DIL will never read this, but I write to purge, so here I go: Lady, you will be so judged by what you have done. This man is the father of your husband, the grandfather of your daughters, and he deserves your respect for that alone. He serves as your constant babysitter, remodeled your damn basement (probably on his own dime), and let go of the dog he loved because he loves you more than you love him. A lot more, it seems. And, hey, there is a little thing called the Bible. It has something called commandments. Check out the fifth one. Because I would just bet you call yourself a Christian but it seems you could use a refresher. And remember that your actions set the example for your children, DIL. And I just pray your daughters don't treat you the same when you are old.

Now, for the good news. This past Tuesday, Gus was adopted. Again. And I truly think the third time will be a charm. It was a wonderful family with a 5-year-old son who loves animals (he was a vet for Halloween!) who really wanted a dog. They also were thoughtful....the mom called twice to talk with me at length then the parents came for a visit, without the son in case he became attached, and fell in love with Gus. I told them that while I thought Gus was truly exceptional, I did not want them to adopt him unless they were SURE it was right. And they were.

And they are keeping the name Gus. And when I told them about Mr. Earl, the mom said she would love to be in contact with him to share news and photos of Gus. She even said she hoped he might come visit them one day. THAT is how you treat seniors in your life, people. Take note.

After the holidays, when he has had a little space, Mr. Earl said he would like to start volunteering with us. Walking dogs. Maybe that will fulfill him without pissing off his DIL. Unless, of course, it cuts into her free babysitting time. I swear to you that should he be guilted into not volunteering, I don't know if I will be able to hold my tongue. She may get a call and a come-to-Jesus chat with me. Word.

Well, I am off. I will write another post over the weekend to catch you up on all the other happenings around Casa Bunny. It has been a busy few weeks....Christmas decorating, lots of work, lots of fun....no wonder I am sick as, well, a dog. Later taters! Bun.

Ryan Gosling, Soup & Cherry Hutches

2011-11-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

Aggg. I have had a chronic sinus infection for about a year and a half now, I think, and it plagues me yet again. Thus, I have felt a little like warmed over crappola the past couple of days, but lots has been going on here this week at Casa Bunny, so I wanted to give you a quick update.

On Tuesday, our new hutch was delivered. See, Mr. Bunny works for a furniture store but not any old big box store. No sir, this store makes everything by HAND from REAL wood. It is first class furniture, but, by golly, it is not cheap. However, Mr. B makes a pittance with no benefits, so his employer cuts him a deal (basically cost) on furniture. So, we designed a piece, then put a little down on it for months and months, and now it is in our home:

It turned out even better than I expected. It is massive, solid cherry and gorgeous. We designed it with an arts & crafts vibe, and purchased the arts & crafts tiles and hammered hardware to pull the look together. The glass is seeded, which doesn't show up in the photo. We filled it up today full of china and glassware and it holds a TON. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Mad love it.

Friday I took a mental health day from work and went to see Real Steel. I didn't really know what to expect but whatever I was expecting, it was much better. I was actually really good. And looking at Hugh Jackman for two hours is never a bad thing. He is def my #1 DILF. Let's take a look, just to make sure:

Mmmm. Yep. Yummy. And speaking of yummy, yesterday was Ryan Gosling's birthday. I am coming a little late to the Gosling party, but after seeing Crazy Stupid Love this summer, I am all in. I loved him in Lars & the Real Girl, and then in Blue Valentine. I think as he has entered his 30s, he had grown into his looks, or developed some style, or something, but whereas he used to look like a baby-faced boy who constantly needed a shower , now he looks super delicious. Let's take a look, for kicks and giggles:

Yes. Delicious. And he always looks like he is up to something. That subtle smirk...a la George Clooney...not snarky, but just like he is in on a really good joke. I love that. Other than mooning over men I will never meet, much less shag, I have spent the weekend Christmasing Casa Bunny, sleeping off this cold (I hope!) and making and eating soup. I made a new recipe from Pioneer Woman: Italian Chicken Soup.

It was really good, and even better today. I served it with a crusty bread and it was very filling. I will admit I did not stew an entire chicken, but cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco, then used boxed broth. It makes a ton....we had it for dinner last night, tonight and still have four containers of leftovers for lunch. I don't think this soup would freeze well because of the pasta, so if you are not into leftovers, I suggest halving the recipe.

Well, that is all peeps. The hubs is waiting on me to come help him finish the trees so I better be off. Hope you all had a great weekend! Love, B.

My Palate on Pinterest

2011-11-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Do you Pinterest?!? If you don't, it's difficult to explain what it is. blackbird over at say la vee introduced me to Pinterest through her blog. Basically, it's like virtual corkboards where you can "pin" photos (with links) of anything you love from recipes to clothing to funny sayings. You can also see and "repin" other people's pins. The concept is similar to bookmarking but there is a visual with the pin and the boards allow you to organize your pins in categories. Many of mine, as you might guess, do with cooking, recipes and kitchen gadgetry.

I have five food boards on Pinterest...entrees, appetizers, soups/salads/sides, breads/breakfast and sweets. Plus a drinks board and a Williams-Sonoma board and a general kitchen gadgetry board. Imagine now why I am so "generously proportioned"?!?! Anyhoodle, I have discovered some GREAT recipes on Pinterest, and thought I would share a few of my faves with you. Some I have mentioned here before, some not. But I thought I would put all in one place with links to the original online post from the dish name. Here we go!

Skillet Lasagna. I love making lasagna but it is SO time consuming. This dish is a great compromise, tastes very, very much like traditional lasagna, and is so much easier and quicker to make. And the hubs loves it. Score. Score. Score.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken. Very delicious and flavorful. Great to use for any Mexican dish (such as nachos, tacos, enchiladas, etc.) or alone served with rice and beans. Be warned, however, to have several ways to serve if there are just two of you (or halve the recipe)...this recipe makes a TON of chicken.

Oven Hot Dogs. Ridiculously delish. I don't know that I will ever fix hotdogs any other way again. Warning: Must be eaten with a knife and fork (well, at least the way I make them!).

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glaze Pork Loin. The sauce makes this dish and then some. I could drink it from a cup it is so good. Great company dish because the pork cooks in the crock pot and the sauce is made in advance. Tastes and looks more fancy than it is, which is always a plus.

Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken. Another "company-worthy" dish that is easy to make yet looks special. Serve with a Caesar salad and some crusty bread and you are done. Also can be made into a sandwich.

Ricotta Stuffed Mini Peppers. I have posted this recipe before, but it bears repeating.I have made these numerous times and served with beef and chicken. Easy and, yet again, special enough for company. I don't even love peppers that much, but these are great.

Scooter's Spaghetti. A layered baked spaghetti dish, I was wary of this latest discovery because it is topped with French fried onions. I just made it this week for the first time, however, and it was very good. My hubs noted that it was even better the second day. Did I mention one of the layers is cream cheese?!? Again, this recipe makes oodles and it is very filling.

I hope some of you will try some of these recipes. Other than the Scooter's Spaghetti, I have made all of them more than once, and they will continue to be in my cooking rotation. Let me know if you do try any of them and what you think! Hugs and kisses, Bun.

Funerals & Festivals

2011-11-06T09:24:00.003-05:00

Peeps, sorry that I dropped into a black hole these first few days of November. It has been a weird week. My hub's uncle died last Sunday and the funeral was Wednesday, which ate up most of the day. I was thinking of doing a blog post about the service but decided words just couldn't describe it. He was Holiness Baptist so there was lots of shouting and waving of hands in the air and such. If you have never experienced this type of "preaching," you cannot understand. It....is.....a spectacle to behold. The service was almost an hour and a half. Seriously.

Needless to say, while I appreciate any kind thoughts, it really is not necessary as I really never met the man and the hubs had not really spoken to him in like 15 years. I simply went out of respect for my mother-in-law since it was her brother. And, I suppose, it was entertaining in its way. Though I am not sure funerals are supposed to be entertaining. Luckily, controlling laughter and controlling grief look about the same.

Yesterday, I went to the Decatur Wine Festival in Atlanta with one of my BFFs. Her hubs volunteered to be our DD which was supremely nice. It was a great afternoon, and the weather was perfect. We found some great new wines, and I drank more than I have in months and months, but the highlight of the day was this...

....local butcher shop that makes their own pancetta and other cured meats. I love me a good piece of salty, cured meat. And this meat was GOOOOOOD. And I love the t-shirt. Me thinks Bobs and I will have to make a trip there soon.

I am now regretting that I also did not take a photo of this group of three black gentlemen who were at the festival and turned out. I, mean, they looked like L.A. Reid from the X-Factor. Sharply styled. I love me a well-dressed man and, I hate to say it, but black men of style beat white men of style just about every day of the week. My fave was the gentleman in an obviously tailored shirt (with cuff links!) and blazer, expensive jeans, and cowboy boots. Just wonderful. Why, oh why, did I not take photos?!? I should have just told them I had a fashion blog and was going to post their pictures. Next time, baby, next time.

Anyhoodle, even though we gained an hour last night, I need to be off. I have about a billion things to try to accomplish today including starting on Christmas decor. Sigh. Hope you are all having a great weekend! Love, B.

Manic Monday

2011-10-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

The past week has just been....weird. Start with the weirdness of last Wednesday (see last post). And it just went off-kilter from there. The weather is weird. People are acting weird. Animals are acting weird. Life is just weird. Regardless, here is how I spend my weekend+:

1) I went Saturday and had my hair cut and colored. Red. Like Emma Stone. Well, not quite that red. My stylist said he thought I would freak out if he went all in with the red. And he is right. I probably would have. But now I like what he did and think I can go more red next time. Tee-hee. My hair is also pretty much the longest it's ever been. Since I am getting old, I figure I better go for it now because really long hair is typically not all that attractive on older women. We'll see how it goes with the length and if I can bear it.

Yes, it is that curly. Yes, it is redder than it looks.

My stylist, Robert (L) and his husband, John. Two of the best people I've ever met.
Yes, I have my hair done by a gay, black man in an interracial marriage. And he rocks. Out loud.

2) Saturday I also went to Trader Joe's which, I find, is hit or miss. When I try something new from them, I either love it or wonder why I bothered. I stocked up on some faves....their tomato-roasted red pepper soup, awesome coffees, almond butter, pastas. I tried their new cranberry apple butter and was underwhelmed. VERY tart. And I like tart. I also tried their pumpkin cream cheese. Again, underwhelmed. Expected it to be more pumpkin-piey. I will post photos and such when I have more time.
3) Life at work has been bizarre mix of the good, bad and odd. An infested ball sack. A kitten raised from the dead who is now blind. A lady calling about a dead dog in the road with our rabies tag on it. Skyrocketing adoptions.....58 animals last week alone. Craziness.

In the BEST news, Moon Doggie, now Gus, has a new home with a WONDERFUL retired widower. Mr. Earl was so proud, he called me the day after he adopted to let me know how great everything was going. Two beings, looking for companionship and love, found their perfect match. Gus and Mr. Earl are going to have a great life together.

3) The hubs and I are watching last season of The Office on Netflix. Last night was Michael's last episode. Cried like a baby.
4) Yesterday, I felt horrible. A combo of poor sleeping the past week, stress and Aunt Flo. I took three ibuprofen and napped for two hours. Then I didn't sleep again last night. Sigh. Not sure what this whole not sleeping thing is about but I hope it is a bad cycle and not something enduring with old age. Because that? Will suck. If someone offered me $1,000 or the best, most restorative night of sleep of my life right now, I would be in my jammies before they could blink twice.
5) I made a very good score today at CVS.....three face powders, two mascaras, three Olay products, three dish detergents....$125 of products for $34 after coupons, rebates, etc. Not as good as some blogger mommies, but I was pleased.

This week is looking to be one long bear of a week. For now, I need to go and do a little work before I head off to bed and, hopefully, a better night's sleep. Hope you all are doing great. XO, B.

UPDATED 10.27: You Picked the Wrong Day, Motherfucker

2011-10-26T21:23:00.001-04:00

As you might be able to tell from my title, Bunny is pissed. off. I am going to tell you now that this post is a cacophony of F-bombs as a result so stop reading now if you will be offended. There are other reasons I hope you will be offended, but I am just warning.

Actually, I am better than I was about 3 p.m. today when I was in the middle of a perfect storm of seething rage. So, shall I fill you in? Let me. Please.

My hubs, as I may have mentioned here, is currently in graduate studies to acquire his MBA. He is now applying for internships in his field for Spring semester. He had a phone interview last week, has another in person interview tomorrow, and he had sent his information to one other company, as well. My hubs was not actually aware of this last company, but the company had been recommended to him by a client in his current job as well as a close personal friend of ours. The close friend also happens to be the BFF of the wife of the company's owner. So he sent in his information, via email, two weeks ago. His cover letter went something like this:

Dear Mr. Big Business Owner,
My name is Mr. Bunny, and I am a graduate student at Local University seeking to secure an internship during 2012 Spring semester. One of your current clients, Ms. Client, suggested Big Business as an excellent firm to approach. In addition, Ms. Wife BFF, who is a good friend of mine and my wife’s and whom I understand is a close friend of your wife, felt that your firm would provide a wide realm of opportunities and experiences within the field. (blah, blah and so on)

Now I need to explain something that will be VERY relevant to this tale in just a minute. My hubs has a first name which is unisex. Like Robin, Kelly or Adriane. Keep that in mind.

Two weeks pass. No reply. Then today, I see this email on my cell phone (direct copy but name changed to protect the innocent, not the asshole):

From: Mr. Big Business Owner
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:55 PM
To: [Husband] and [Wife] [Bunny]
Subject: RE: Internship with Big Business

VERY interesting…

Note that “it” is married. I will not tell you who, but one of the people that “it” mentions is a gay female, so MAYBE [Bunny] is “its” “significant other”. Just too much there.

Please respond, “thanks but no thanks”. HA!

As I read this reply, I became sick to my stomach, then hot in my face, then I started shaking from rage. And then I welled up with tears of anger. That motherfucknig asshole. In case you don't understand, our friend...his wife's BFF...is a lesbian. He inferred, when he saw my husband's name....and my name in the "To" line....that we were also lesbians, a couple. Oh, you asshat.

How many wrong things are here? Let's count. First, he obviously hit "reply" rather than "forward" so the jackass does not know how to use email. Then, the asshole PUT IN WRITING hateful, discriminatory statements about hiring someone. He made a ridiculous assumption about my hub's gender (which, if he had bothered to read my hub's references, he would have known was wrong since my hub's professors generously sprinkled "his" and "he" throughout the letters). He made another assumption about our relationship. And the use of "it"??? Seriously?? He thinks gay people are "its"??

I was SO. SO. ANGRY. SO. ANGRY. After showing the email to a few key people at my office, I decided I had to show our friend. And I was seeing her this evening. So, when I saw her, I showed her. And she was SO. SO. ANGRY. SO. ANGRY. And she was also upset because she thought her referral had blown the chance for hubs. Which I never even considered. I was just ecstatic my hubs will not be working for that asshole. Ever.

I spent the afternoon crafting my reply. Sadly, we live in a small ass-backwards town and the hubs IS going to be looking for a job in a year in this field so I had to be careful to not piss this man off. Luckily, my good Southern mother schooled me in the fine art of passive-aggressive bitch slapping, otherwise known as telling people to fuck off with a smile on your face. Here was my reply (direct copy but name changed to protect the innocent, not the asshole):

Mr. [Fucktard],
I thought you would wish to know that you hit "reply" rather than "forward" when sending the email below which, it seems, was not your intent. Please do not worry, however, about resending to the appropriate party. I will inform my husband, [FIRST] William [LAST], of your reply. Should Ms. Client or Ms. Wife BFF inquire about the status of their recommendations, I will inform them of your reply, as well.
Kindest regards,
Bunny

So kind. So helpful. So willing to throw you under the bus, asshole. Of course, he is such a smug jackass, my email probably will not phase him. But at least now he may stew, even just a little, wondering who I am telling and what I am telling them. And I intend to tell many people. Many. With tears in my eyes. At the injustice and unfairness lobbied against us and our friend. Sniff. Sniff. Seriously, it makes me sick to my stomach on so many levels. And sad. So sad.

Next post will be back to my regularly scheduled boringness of food, pets, and other daily crap from Casa Bunny. Thanks for letting me vent. XO, B.

UPDATE: THURSDAY

Well, guess the Hell what?!? That SOB replied. You are going to LOVE this one. Ready?!? Here goes.

OH NO!

Yes, that is what I did alright. You don’t know me and certainly don’t know my heart, so you don’t owe me the opportunity to explain the background behind this. It sounds way more callous and insensitive than it is, but even after an explanation, certainly you may think that it is. I would ask that you give me the opportunity to talk with you or even meet at a place of your choosing for a full explanation. I will leave that decision totally up to you.

Otherwise, the only thing that I can do is apologize that I wrote the email and that you received it. So I do say that I am so sorry and I ask your forgiveness about it and hope that you will give me a chance to give you some background as to what led up to some of the words that were used in my email and then you can decide more about who I am.

Please let me know, if you will allow it, when would be a good time to talk or to meet and visit over this. Unfortunately, I will be out of town, with no cell service after today thru next week, returning on Monday, November 7.

Sincerely,
asshat

Celebrating serving Northeast Georgia for thirty years...

Our Purpose: ~~Enhancing Lives~~ Setting the Bar for Asshats
Asshat & Company

P.O. Box 666

Gainesville, GA 30503

First of all, can I just say "SCORE, BITCHES!" Then, can I say, "REALLY?!?! SERIOUSLY?!? REALLY?!?" I, mean, now I KNOW you are an asshole instead of just THINKING you were one. At least he had the common sense to realize he had shit and fallen back in it (though he didn't have the common sense not to send the first email in the first place). Let's go through this missive, shall we?

First, I think I have a pretty good idea of his heart (a black hole of Hell) and he is right that I don't owe him shit. That fact that his statements were callous and insensitive at all is plenty. And I wouldn't give him the opportunity to shine shit off my shoes.

Now, let's notice that he apologizes for WRITING and SENDING the email but not for what he SAID. And, again, I am not going to him the chance at anything and I sure as Hell do not want to decide who he is. I have wasted enough of my time on this pitiful excuse for a human.

Needless to say, I will NOT be meeting with him. The way I see it, right now I have the upper hand. You know, the one I just bitched slapped him with (lick, lick, says the kitty). I will, however, probably write him a very short reply. Something along the lines of:

Mr. Asshat,
I have prayerfully considered your request and find that I am in no way to compelled to meet with you. You are right that I do not know your heart, but I do know mine and I know in my heart there is nothing that would come from our meeting that I wish to experience. As far as your request for forgiveness, it is not mine to give.

Sincerely,

Bunny

Suck it, eat it, and gnaw on the bone, baby. Any other suggestions for replies may be posted in comments. I will keep you posted on future correspondence.

Random Stuff for Saturday

2011-10-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

Oy. Why is it peeps that when you take a few days off it makes the week seem LONGER? I mean, I only worked three days but it seemed like three weeks. Fourth quarter is typically the time I play catch up from the previous three and start planning of next year, but it seems like I have more than ever to do. And I keep creating work for myself which is just crazy. That said, I also have had a distraction this week:

Meet Moon Doggie (totally stupid name, but yes, that is it). He has captured my heart and that of a co-worker. He is just the BEST. DOG. EVER. If I could trade the two of mine for him, I think I might. If I could adopt him, I def would. He is so even tempered and just GOOD. He was in my office all day yesterday and never cried, whined, peed on the floor, pooped on the floor, or was rambunctious. He just laid on his blanket and slept and chewed toys and came over to me for an occasional head pat. Sigh. If I cannot have him though, I want him to go to a GOOD home. Somewhere that will APPRECIATE and LOVE this dog for being so awesome. So now I am on the hunt for good pet parents for Moon Doggie. If anyone is interested, let me know. I will meet you halfway! And here's a photo of mine from this week:

Hello. I am Charlie the vampire doggie and I want to lick you. Charlie looks so funny when his years flip back that way. We call him vampire doggie. Actually Charlie and Moon Doggie are much alike in their temperament, size and look (I LOVE me some scruffies!). Charlie has just developed this horrible, annoying habit of barking at EVERYONE he does not know. And I do not like it. At all. Makes work very stressful. Next up is an "electric necklace." Or he has to start staying home all day in a crate. And though my gallbladder seems to be acting up, yet again, I did go this week, JEFF, and bought some Sam Adams:

Actually, Jeff was right, and this Sam Adams Octoberfest is a really nice beer. It must be because they were all sold out of it at the package store nearest Casa Bunny, so I had to buy this instead:

Which I really did not mind because now I get to try SIX NEW BEERS instead of just one! I plan to drink another choice (or two, depending on how the gallbladder does!) tonight so I will report back soon. By the time I arrived home last night though, I was too tired to cook, and looking at my piles of laundry, messy counter tops, and muddy doggies needing baths (they had been at doggie daycare all day!), I was in search of something to eat that did not require much effort or a drive-through. I almost wept when I saw this in the freezer:

These "complete meals for two" were on sale BOGO at the Publix a few weeks back and I had a coupon so I purchased one solely for the reason of last night. As far as taste, it was pretty good. I think I overcooked it (I tried to wash the dogs while it was doing its thing, and I think I left it on too long and the pasta gots a bit mushy), but for quickness and ease, I give it an A. Flavor a B+.

It has been cold here this week, so I am breaking out the cardigans, scarfs, and clogs with socks. I love the cooler temps.

The hubs and I have ended our BBC kick, BTW, finishing up with He Knew He Was Right this past weekend. Last night, we started watching last season of The Office. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Steve Carell and just don't know if I can watch anymore after this season. To me, that show IS Michael Scott.

Well, I am off to do a few chores and finish dinner. I am cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot, something I saw over at Pinterest. I will report back on how that went later. Hope you are having a good weekend! Love, B.

How Much More Boring Can I Get?

2011-10-18T12:55:00.001-04:00

First, a blog on couponing. Now, I am going to regale you with tales of cleaning out my linen closet. Seriously. You have been warned. That said, I think I am turning into one of those Mommy bloggers. Except I don't have kids. And I work. And I don't craft. Or bake.

I have taken off a few days to take care of a few chores around Casa Bunny. Cleaning chores. Not fun, but when you are a homeowner and not rich enough to hire help, that's what you gotta do sometimes. Yesterday, I decided to tackle my linen closet. A chore which I have been putting off for months. And months. I ~~was too embarrassed~~ forgot to take a BEFORE photo, but here is all the shizz from the closet piled in the floor:

Don't call Clean House on me now! Actually, you can. I need help. I have realized that the hubs and I both do. I hold onto stuff because I think we will need/use it....eventually. He holds onto stuff because he paid "good money" for it and can't give it away. We need an intervention. But, for now, I had to tackle this pile. Sigh.

Again, I am too sentimental for my own good. I have a whole bin of linens from my Grandmother. I, mean, I love them and NO ONE DOES THIS SHIT anymore. Seriously. Hand embroidery. How can I give that away to some redneck at the Goodwill?!?!

And hand-crocheted doilies. Tons of them. I love them, too. Even though they are for 70YO women. I respect the craft and the time and work that went into them. Like my buttons, however, I wish I could find a way to use them. I have seen some framed, but I don't need any more artwork. If anyone has ideas, let me know.

I did pull some full sheet sets from our former guest room bed, now a queen, to donate. Apparently, I also have a pillowcase problem. See stack above for proof. We are those kind of folks that like lots of pillows. So I have lots of cases. Lots and lots. I pick them up on sale. Some of these also went to the Goodwill.

I also "found" a few things I forgot I had. I probably bought this TH shower curtain 5+ years ago. It was on sale at Dillard's for $12 minus extra discounts. I think I bought it for around $7. It was $60 originally. In a year or so when we tire of our current master bath, I will redecorate around it. I still love it.

Before I started the project, I searched for some organizing ideas on Pinterest. I ran across this blog and was not only inspired, but gobsmacked with the idea of ROLLING! ROLLING! I rolled up all my sheets, cases, some towels, napkins. It was brilliant. Kudos to Delightful Order! ROLLING!

Here is the end result. From the top, if you please. Table linens, sorted by season/holiday on top shelf in bins. Towels on second shelf (yes, not rolled). Hand towels, wash cloths, and extra ROLLED pillowcases in bins on third shelf. ROLLED sheet sets in bins on the fourth shelf. ROLLED blankets on top of floor bins. Lovely, no?? And this will last until my hubs messes it up. I have explained the system and threatened him with a massive purging if he does not tow the line.

If you are not asleep yet, I am now going to talk about sex. Kidding. Wanted to see if you were still here. Stay tuned for more ~~snooze-worthy~~ delightful posts coming soon! Now, off to clean out our crawl space! Whee! B.

Confessions of a Hoarder

2011-10-16T19:02:00.002-04:00

My name is Bunny and I am a hoarder. Yes, I know what a hoarder is. I even participated in a rescue with Confessions: Animal Hoarder a year ago for work. (For kicks and giggles, here's a link to the photos from that episode. I know. A cat hoarder named Kitten. You can't buy that kind of irony.) Anyhoodle, I have to admit I am slowly turning into one of those crazy coupon hoarding people. Well, I don't have 78 bottles of BBQ sauce. Yet.

See, when I was unemployed, I started couponing and I gots kinda good at it, however, having a job just takes up so much time (that's supposed to be funny) that I stopped. But then, earlier this year, I thought "this is foolish...if I can save money, why wouldn't I???" So I started couponing again. But since I couponed two years ago, things have changed. People are fucking coupon crazy now. They go dumpster diving for coupons. They will fucking cut you for grabbing the last paper. They STEAL coupons out of the paper displays (this is TRUE...I had a Publix manager tell me just this morning he caught someone stealing coupons out of today's paper!).

Now, I ain't gonna kill anyone for a deal, but I do like to save money. It gives you a little rush. I poo-poo'd it for a while because it is just me and the hubs. Didn't seem worth it. But I have scored some great deals. Like 18 bars of soap for $1.82. Seriously. That's enough soap for like a year for us. I pretty much stick to CVS and the Publix for couponing. I don't have enough time to run all over town to 15 different stores like some of these crazy-ass mommy bloggers. And I don't do as well with groceries (I like the brands I like and cook what I cook) as I do with health & beauty aids, but I do manage to save $5-$15 per week on groceries with coupons most weeks. Here's some photos of my stash:

In our utility room, we have a huge metal rolling rack...a makeshift pantry if you will. This shelf is my stash of pasta sauces, canned soups, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, broth, and cake/brownie mixes. (It is a little disorganized now...sorry!) And that Nutella? Two large jars for $6.49 at Costo. SCORE! I can make all kinds of Nutella recipes, bitches!

On the other side of this shelf is my juice stash. I stock up on the Ocean Spray diet/light 100% juice when it's on sale BOGO at the Publix. I also have a stash of canned cat food. For my ONE cat.

Here is my stash of Snackwell's snacks I bought at the Publix a few weeks back when they were BOGO and I had $1 off coupons. Each box here was like 50 cents after sale/coupons. And my large box of chips from Costco for bag lunches on days there are no leftovers.

The "messy" side of my laundry room.That's my stash of paper towels (the hubs has an OCD issue with PT...seriously), toilet paper, tissues and more diced tomatoes. I apparently also hoard hangers. Anyhoodle, this stash is mostly from Costco. I have a membership to Sam's, but my buddy Bobs has a membership to Costco. And Costco has COUPONS! The diced tomatoes? BOGO with coupon at Costco. I gots like 20 cans for around $7. That may sound like a lot of cans, but we are heading into the cold months and I am going to be making the Hell out of soups and chilis. I will blow through those. Trust me.

This stash is my health & beauty aid stash in the master bath. I have enough lotion, bath gel and soap to keep me clean and moisturized for a year. Word.

Just to give my peeps an example, this is my haul from CVS today. This is $30 worth of product, however, after sales, coupons, and CVS Extra Bucks, I purchased all these items for $5. SCORE!

So, while I truly don't think I am going bat-shit coupon crazy anytime soon, I do have more than my fair share of stash. I am off from work the next few days and I am planning on doing some cleaning and straightening including going through my food stash and checking for expiration dates. Are you bored yet? Well, sorry. I am just a money-saving nerd. In this one regard.

Well, I am off to finish cooking dinner. Hope you are all having a great weekend! Love, B.

Fennel Me This

2011-10-10T21:07:00.001-04:00

Whenever my friends Bobs and I go to the farmer's market, he always buys something--one thing--he has never eaten before to try. Sometimes he has discovered great new finds (like chocolate covered coffee beans!). Other times, it's a bust (like that strange Asian fruit/veggie thing he bought that I cannot remember the name of). I decided Bobs had a good idea going, so when we went to the farmer's market last weekend, I decided to branch out and try some fennel:

Seems like recently I have seen more recipes than I ever remember featuring fennel. I Googled fennel and was surprised to find out it is an herb. I thought it was a vegetable so you see what a dumb bunny I am. I have used fennel seeds in the past, but never the bulb. As shown above, it looks like a giant green onion with dill growing out of it. It has a flavor like anise, or licorice, but sweeter. I know. This is more shit than you ever cared to know about fennel. Anyhoodle, I decided to make Williams-Sonoma's Apple-Fennel Slaw:

I served the slaw with roasted cauliflower and carrots and grilled pork tenderloin. The slaw was really good...tart and tangy yet sweet....but a bigger bitch than me to make. Very labor intensive. And too many bowls to wash. Lots of icy water baths. Lots of thin cutting. I am surprised I still have all my fingers. And, to me, you couldn't even really taste the fennel. I am not sure if I will make again or, if I make again, if I will include the fennel. I would, however, like to try fennel again in another recipe....maybe roasted.

Speaking of roasted, I recently made roasted potatoes...one of my faves...and decided to jazz them up by sprinkling a little bacon on them at the end and drizzling with blue cheese dressing then popping them back in the oven for a few minutes. They were delicious. I mean, seriously, how can that go wrong?? In other news, I did try one more new thing from the farmer's market and mixed it with yet another new thing:

That's right, bitches, I found the Kraken rum! And I read online that it was nice mixed with ginger beer, so I bought some ginger beer at the farmer's market. If you have never had ginger beer, it is like super powerful ginger ale. Boy howdy, is it ever! Anyhoodle, I mixed up a concoction of the two tonight and it was mighty tasty. Brick House mighty.

Well, that is all, peeps. I am off to watch some more BBC drama. The hubs and I have been on a HUGE BBC kick for months and months. First it was Season 1 of Downton Abbey (DEE-LISH-US...like Dynasty meets Pride & Prejudice). Then Cranford (like Golden Girls meets Pride & Prejudice). Then all four seasons of Lark Rise to Candleford (like Little House on the Prairie meets Pride & Prejudice). Now we are watching the mini-series Bleak House. The BBC rocks is all I can say. Well, goodnight, folks! Kisses, Bun.

Buttoned Up

2011-10-09T13:15:00.001-04:00

When my Grandmother died, I inherited her button box. Actually, I think I just sorta took it because everyone else probably thought it was junk.

Actually, it isn't a button box....it is an old-fashioned wooden sewing box. But my Grandmother kept all her odd buttons in it or buttons she removed from clothes she couldn't wear anymore. A child of the Depression, she didn't waste. After all, fabric may wear and tear, but buttons rarely wear out.

For some reason, I have always been fascinated by the button box. The colors! The smooth, shiny buttons! When I was a child and would visit her, I loved to just run my hand through the buttons and feel them. I would take them out and sort them. Count them. I developed a wee button fetish.

As I have grown older, I often have thought I should DO something with the buttons. Or some of the buttons. Something I could see or use everyday and it would bring back wonderful memories of my Grandmother. I have often thought of making a button pillow and I recently browsed etsy and found a few I liked for inspiration:


I like the heart....very fitting.


I also like the monogram....I am a sucker for anything with a monogram.

I also found some cool wall art made with buttons....Here are a few things I really like:

Button tree on painted canvas....I have many white/pearl buttons so I could do this one!

Love the button monogram....again, monogram fool.

Another monogram....this one monochromatic.

And just today, I saw this cute, cute idea for button-topped hair pins! I just wonder if this is too juvenile for me to wear:

I actually have enough buttons that I might could do all four of these projects (if I ever make the time and have the gumption); however, I think something inside of me might be sad to actually USE the buttons. Is that weird?!? Of course it is. Maybe just the hairpins. One or two. Or maybe just a wee pillow. Sigh. I am way too sentimental for my own good. So, what's your vote? Use the buttons or no? And if I do use them, what should I do with them? Hope you are having a great weekend! B.

My Week in Photo (or My Catch-Up Plan)

2011-10-06T22:11:00.002-04:00

When did it get to be Thursday?!? Oy. Anyhoodle, as my body speeds through life without my mind, I thought I would do a quick check in to bring you up to speed on my week before I hurdle into what promises to be a helluva long weekend. Here we go:

Sunday, I caught my two youngest napping it out on Mom & Dad's bed. On the new comforter. If they weren't so cute, I swear I'd beat them. Like yard dogs. They have decided it is the most comfy place in our abode. Well, we do have an awesome mattress. Anyway, we now have to keep the bed covered in a cheap throw. Everything in our house is covered in a cheap throw. Sigh.

Monday night, I captured the two men in my life snuggling in said bed. Daddy-son bonding time. BTW, I shot this pic on my iPhone and then used Instagram to add the effect. If you've never used Instagram, it's pretty cool. Seriously. Even if I don't know completely how to work it.

Tuesday was the hubs and I's 15th wedding anniversary. Here is a photo from the day we wed. So young. So thin. So no grey hairs. Sigh. Since hubs in in school, we stayed close to home for dinner, but plan a fancier affair later in the month once he is finished with his class.15 years. A long time. Glad it was with my best friend.

Wednesday I scored FREE PIZZA for dinner. Domino's was giving away their new Artisan pizzas as part of an introductory promo and I saw the offer on one of my mommy blogger pages. I enjoyed my free pizza even more with this Rogue beer. Never have met a Rogue beer I did not like. This one was no exception.

Last night, I reeled from the news that Steve Jobs died. While I often want to throw my iPhone across the room and I admit I have issues with Apple's super inclusiveness, the man DID change the world. I saw this quote by him today and I though "damn, he was all a philosopher too."

And I leave you with this super funny bit I found on Pinterest (love Pinterest!). I have shared it all around the shelter this week. You know us humane people. Anything smarty pants + a cute fuzzy gets us going.

Lick, lick! That's all peeps. Time to go to beddy-bye. Our shelter is participating in a big 'ol fall festival this weekend. Three days. Three days of kettle corn and food on a stick. I am READY. BRING IT. Love, B.

Saturday Supper

2011-10-02T14:01:00.000-04:00

So, it's been in the 60s here in the G of A the past two days and I have been LOVE. ING. IT. (or Lovin' It! sang to the McDonald's tune). Last night, I was loving it so much, I made a big ol' pot of chili.

This recipe is from Publix's Apron Meals (click for link) and it is so easy and so good. I have waxed on about it here before, but seriously, it just cannot be beat for tastiness and quickness. I decided to make these cheddar-jalapeno corn muffins to go with:

I found the recipe (click for link) on Pinterest (which I LOVE....have found so many good recipes there!). They are super easy to make, as well (and you have to love the name of the blog...love & butter...what more could you need?). I will say that mine stuck a little to the pan, hence why they look so messy, but I am pretty sure that was because I only had a large can of corn and I sorta did not measure and added too much so the muffins were overly moist. But even though they stuck a little, the parts that didn't stick were super tasty. I will make again and measure next time. I also decided to get brave and try a new dessert:

Cheesecake Cookie Dough bars (recipe also found on Pinterest!). Besides the fact that I didn't read ahead and nothing I needed to be soft or room temperature was soft or room temperature and I couldn't figure out how to crush the graham crackers into crumbs and my layers started mixing into each other and my blender threw graham cracker crumbs all over my kitchen, they were a success! Oh, yeah, and they needed to cool overnight in the fridge. Well, we sorta ignored that and ate some anyway (see above) though the crust sorta crumbled everywhere. If I had READ AHEAD and been prepared, these would have been much easier to make, but regardless, they are seriously, seriously delicious. Even I could not mess up the deliciousness. In other news, I found out about this rum yesterday when I was reading recipes online:

It is called The Kraken and it's a black spiced rum that's supposed to be all kinds of awesome. I think I will be scouting it out at the local package store. Cold weather = hot toddies. Maybe with some cider?? Plus I love the bottle and graphics. Well, that is all for today. I went off to the farmer's market this morning (and bought all kinds of stuff to blog on later!) and I am now off for another nap. I feel about 80 years old these days. Napping. Later taters, B.

Inside Casa Bunny: A Sneak Peek at Seasoning Land

2011-10-01T13:37:00.002-04:00

Oy. Peeps, I have felt like a turd all week. I just lay around, being good for nothing. I could not figure out what was wrong with me....I was on medicine, right?!? Then, I realized that this is VERY STRONG medicine and it just kicks. my. ass. Daily. So, there you have it. The mornings are ok, but by 2 p.m.ish, I hit a wall of fatigue I cannot even begin to describe. And it goes downhill from there. So, yeah, it's been rough and I have two more weeks of this stuff to take. So, yeah. Oy.

Now that I have started off with my requisite whine fest, I will give you a real post. I recently cleaned out and straightened my spices/oils/vinegars area of the kitchen at Casa Bunny and, well, I realized I have a lot of seasonings. So, I thought I would share my bounty and favorites with you in case you are wondering what all kind of spiciness B. likes.

First, here is the countertop beside my stove, which is directly below the cabinets where I store my spices. I know people say you shouldn't store this stuff near heat, but it's gotta be handy, folks, so here it is. From left to right: My utensil crocks, my marble mortar & pestle, my assortment of vinegars including pomegranate balsamic, 25-year-old W-S balsamic, and white balsamic, my assortment of oils including white truffle oil, Trader Joe's EVOO, W-S EVOO, and an unfiltered olive oil, my one-handed pepper mills, one filled with black and one filled with pink/green peppercorns, my jar of finishing sea salt, and, behind, my non-slip silicone cutting board and my two smaller wooden cutting boards.

The cabinet above is where I store the spices and other seasonings. Let's take a closer look.

On the top shelf to the left is my assortment of vinegars....rice, sherry, balsamic glaze, red wine, white wine, and two more vinegars from the Olive Oil Shops....oregano and fig. This shop is in Charleston and it is FABULOUS. When we vacationed there in August, I beelined to the store. They have vats and vats of oils and vinegars and you can taste test everything. And I did.

Next to those is my stash of Dekalb Farmer Market spices. Their spices are so CHEAP. A tub this size for most spices is around $1. I have thyme, sage, tarragon, peppercorns, red pepper flakes and others that are more odd such as coriander. I don't feel bad when I have to throw them out either.

Next come the salts....grey sea, grey sea mixed with five pepper blend, Hawaiian red, black truffle. I love finishing salts. They are really all the salt I use. I also have a giant shaker of sea salt from the DFM I use, as well.

On the bottom shelf are my other spices, mostly seasoning mixes. I really like the Badia line because it is inexpensive and they have many good spices for Tex-Mex/Mexican/etc. meals which are a favorite around Casa Bunny.

McCormick's Grill Mates also has some good seasoning mixes. I really like the Hamburger and use it whenever I make hamburgers. The roasted garlic and herb is good on chicken and fish. The Weber Kick'N Chicken is nice for fajitas, tacos, etc. Tex-Mex meals, as well.

And lastly, here are my NEW W-S spices. W-S recently added a spice line which is a little $$ but they have some cool mixes. I actually purchased all these at my local W-S outlet for 30% off. While the outlet did not have the full line of spices, I was able to score a few good ones including the wild porcini sea salt which is wonderful. I used the pizza seasoning for the first time last night on homemade pizza and it was really good. I will be using the chili powder tonight to make, you guessed it, chili.

So, yes, I have an excess of seasonings. It is, as Dorcas Lane from Larkrise to Candleford would say, my one weakness. I hope you enjoyed this little look inside Casa Bunny's seasoning cabinet. I am now going to take a nap. Then off to purchase the makings for my chili tonight. Hope you all are having a gorgeous, relaxing weekend. Love, B.

Saturday Supper

2011-09-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

Peeps, I thought I would do a short cooking post. I have tons to do today because basically all I did yesterday was nap. And cruise the Internets. And nap. Anyhoodle, since it was Saturday--and I was going to be home all day--I pulled out the Crock Pot and decided to make Italian Pot Roast:

This photo is actually the entire dinner plated. I really like this recipe. It is, of course, from Williams-Sonoma. It is super easy, company worthy, and very savory. It is a good "warm weather" roast...you could even use fresh tomatoes if you wanted. I did use fresh basil since it is still growing in my garden. A few tips, if you decide to make this recipe: 1) the plum tomatoes are MESSY when you squish them, but make a more rustic looking sauce; use already diced tomatoes if you want to avoid the mess; and 2) those little single serve bottles of wine work great for recipes...I used the Sutter Home Cab for this roast.

I served last night with steamed broccoli, but green beans or even a Caesar salad would be nice. I also served Parmesan smashed potatoes....Parmesan and/or garlic mashed potatoes or a small pasta such as orzo tossed with Parmesan and butter would be good, as well. Crusty is bread is a "must" to sop up the "gravy" which is basically a wine/tomato herb-infused stoup. I haven't tried this yet, but I think the roast leftovers would make a wonderful "Italian Dip" hoagie, too! And let me share with you my new kitchen toy which I am in LOVE with:

My new deluxe rice cooker/steamer! I have been using this for a few weeks, several times a week, and all I can say is I wish I had jumped on this bandwagon long ago. So easy. I was a HORRIBLE rice cooker, but with this, you just throw in the water and rice and 20 minutes later, perfect rice! LOVE! Seriously, you just walk away and when it is done, it beeps. That's all. Even keeps it warm until you are ready to serve. MAGIC! Last night, I cooked rice AND steamed the broccoli at the same time! My only complaint is that it is sorta bulky, but I have used it so much, I have found a semi-permanent space for it on the countertop now. My only sadness is that I recently saw a more deluxe version that is also a mini slow cooker! I know. If I continue to use this one as much, maybe I will "trade up" one day.

Well, I am off like a herd of turtles. Really, I am just trying to procrastinate because I don't want to do what I have to do which is write three articles. Sigh. Later taters! B.

Laid Low

2011-09-24T13:22:00.003-04:00

Peeps, I have been laid low by this chronic sinus infection that finally came to its summit. I broke down and went to the doctor this week and gots all kinds of strong drugs. Now I cannot sleep because I am pumped up on steroids. It's so fabulous. Not. I am exhausted and tired and sleepy but I cannot sleep. And my head hurts. And I want to cry because I cannot sleep. There. I think that is sufficient whining.

So, I spent most of the week sitting on the couch and/or going to bed early and not doing much else. I watched the first episode of Glee. Meh. I am not sure about Glee anymore. The novelty seems to have worn off. I also am watching Ringer. As noted, I love me some Sarah Michelle Geller. It's pretty good, and I will probably keep watching for now. I also, though I did not intend to, allowed myself to get sucked into the X-Factor. I do love watching me some singing. This was my favorite performance of the week:

I admit I am a sucker for the sad story. I actually really like this song....I think he has talent. I hope he holds onto his new life and stays focused on the future and never looks back. I esp. love what he says during his interview: "There's always a chance and there's always a choice." Word.

I totally missed the Emmy's....I went to a friend's for dinner and the pre-show, but then went home and went to bed early because I felt like crap. The best part is the fashions anyway. My favorite of the night was Colbie Smoulders from How I Met Your Mother:

I love the pleating, the drape, the fit, and, mostly, the COLOR. FABULOUS. So bold, beautiful, different. I just love turquoise anyway. Her hair is perfect. Her jewelry is perfect. She looks beautiful. My only complaint is she could have stood up a WEE bit straighter. Posture, ladies, posture.

I also wanted to share this video. It is about one of the Michael Vick dogs and is a true testament to the notion that love and time and patience can overcome many ills in the world.

I will admit when all the Michael Vick controversy first happened, I thought people were probably overreacting. Even though I work for a humane organization, I eat meat, wear leather and would probably wear fur. On the "Crazy Animal People" scale, I am on opposite end from the PETA/throw blood on people folks. But then I read a detailed article about a year ago about what Vick and his homies did to those dogs (and he KNEW, ok, so let's not go there). The worst thing I read was that they would put dogs in a pool and would drop in electrical wires and watch while the dogs struggled to get out while being electrocuted. That's so sick I can barely write it. What kind of person can watch something like that? Seriously. All I can say is I hope there are LOTS of dog-loving NFL players who make it their mission in life this year to inflict as much pain as possible on Vick every time he gets out on the field. Last week was a good start. Word.

Well, I am off to try to take a nap. I will try to be back sooner rather than later. XO, Bun.

Saturday Supper

2011-09-18T15:40:00.004-04:00

So, since I have been working again, my cooking has taken somewhat of a back seat. During the week, it has to be (mostly) food that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less. You know the drill...hit the front door, settle the dogs, change your clothes, cook dinner, do after dinner chores, add in freelance work some nights for me, school work for the hubs and, before you know it, it is time to go to bed.

So if I do any more time-consuming recipes, they have to usually be attempted on Saturday or Sunday nights. Last night, I didn't really do anything time consuming...this actually could have been a week-night meal....but I did try a new recipe. I was craving red meat and Bobs and I went to Costco yesterday (yes, I have become a Costco bitch) and I bought this:

I have a confession: I cannot cook red meat. Well, ground beef. And I can cook a roast in a Crock Pot. But I am not a good steak cooker. So I was all about this baby. And it was yummy.

There was enough here for about 3 meals of generous servings. In hindsight, I should have cut it in half and frozen one half, but, oh well. It was tender and delicious and only took about 7 minutes in the microwave. Score! With it I served my favorite side dish...roasted baby potatoes....sprinkled with this:

I bought this Black Truffle sea salt in Charleston at this huge spice store. It was pricey but a little goes a long way. Very pungent in the bag, but the flavor was not nearly as pronounced on the potatoes. I also made a new dish which was really good:

Stuffed Baby Peppers. You halve mini bell peppers, then stuff them with a mixture of ricotta, Parmesan and feta (the recipe says goat cheese, but I have a current aversion to goat, so I used feta and it was very, very good!) then dip them panko crumbs and bake. So easy and tasty. This dish is one of those that would be a good company dish because it looks harder and more impressive than it is and it's colorful. Click HERE for the recipe. Here it all is plated:

Mmmmm! I could eat some more right now. Here is my other take on meals....If you have one great, homemade, awesome thing (in this case, the peppers) then everything else is elevated a notch or two. So I don't feel bad about cheater meat. At all.

Another thing I have started doing is cooking ahead on Sunday when I can. Right now, I am roasting butternut squash (which I will serve tomorrow night with leftover London broil and broccoli) and cooking rice in the rick cooker and Provencal chicken in the slow cooker (which will be Tuesday night's meal). Cooking ahead is great because it just means warming up when you come home from work. When it gets a wee bit cooler, I am going to cook giant pots of soups and chilis and stews each weekend to eat on all week. It will be awesome.

Hope you all are having a good week. I am off to wash about 10 more loads of clothes, finish up my cooking, and then off to a friends for dinner and the Emmy's! Love, B.

Randomness

2011-09-15T21:47:00.001-04:00

Bleh. I am O.V.E.R. this sinus infection. I need to schedule me an appointment to go see the allergist but I am deathly afraid he is going to say that I am allergic to dogs, wheat, pork and dairy. Then my life will not be worth living. Because I cannot live without my babies, beer, bread, bacon and butter.
I was being all smart (I thought) and ordered some jewelry wholesale for the upcoming female birthdays in my family. See, since the hubs works retail, he has connections at the ATL apparel mart. Well, the order came in today and wouldn't you just fucking know it but one set was missing earrings, one this, one that. Seriously. So much for planning ahead and trying to be smart.
Oh, yeah, and I HAVE NOT HAD A DRINK all week because I am sick. And of all weeks to be stone cold sober. BIG event at work next Monday...our biggest fundraiser of the year. And I love my boss but he drives me crazy before events. Cuckoo. Batty. Insane. And booze is the only way I can deal.
Have you seen the new Gaga video?? It is so fucked up, it's not even funny. But the song?? The song is great. And I swear if I did not know it was Gaga, I would think it was the latest country chanteuse du jour. And it really showcases her voice. I mean, she is a great singer, but she is becoming a caricature of herself at this point. Its sorta sad when you have to outweird your own weirdness. I will say, as well, that the riff in this song harkens Shania Twain's Honey, I'm Home. Anyway, here's the video. Avert your eyes and just listen. Trust me.

In other news, I have a new notion to go ginger for the colder months. Yes, I am thinking about dying my curly locks dark auburn a la Emma Stone:

I love Emma Stone and have a girl crush on her. I love her hair. Her style. Her goofy laugh. Yes, I think I may try this look if my hairdresser agrees.

Finally, since I did not have booze this week, I had to have Puppy Intervention.

SQUEEEEE! This is me, cradling the cutest cuddle bug bear puppy ever today. Nothing soothes my soul better than puppy breath and a good dose of neck nuzzling and whimpering. Oh, my. I wish I had him now. I could use another fix.

Well, peeps, my meds are wearing thin and I am starting to hack up a lung, so I am off for some good drugs and a good night's sleep. Later taters! B.

Monday Mumblings

2011-09-12T18:35:00.003-04:00

Well, peeps, I was going to write a longer post today....I have so many things to cover....kitchen/cooking things, dog things, garden things. But, alas, late yesterday I started feeling poorly. Head hurting, throat hurting. Woke up this morning feeling like a cold turd. I went to work for a bit only because we have our biggest fundraiser a week from today (SO not a good time to be sick) then came home to spend the rest of the day in bed resting. I do feel better, so let's hope my prompt attention will help me ward off becoming worse. Anyhoodle, I thought I would just post some quick photos of more things I have recently enjoyed for you to, well, enjoy. Hopefully.

Last night, I tremendously enjoyed this meal, scratchy throat and all. Not so colorful, but it was a yummy marinated pork tenderloin I cooked all day in the Crock Pot with roasted cauliflower (my fave!) and Kraft's new Homestyle Mac & Cheese (which is fabulous!). On another note, I am always gobsmacked at how many people coo and drool over my food when I post photos on Facebook. I guess most people just don't cook which is so ridiculous. This meal was so seriously not hard, but so good.

I also enjoyed this beer yesterday....Sierra Nevada Tumbler, an autumn brown ale. Very tasty. I also agree with my fried Jeffy B. that Sierra Nevada has some of the prettiest bottle art. If that kind of thing matters to you. I will admit it coordinates nicely with my decor. Also a good thing, right, to have your beer and couch match?!? :)

I enjoyed this today. I have developed a love of red tea via Publix's red tea with pomegranate and orange. So good. The great thing about red tea, besides it being tasty, is it is naturally caffeine free and more full of antioxidants and other good things than green tea. I made up a batch to ice. I have already had three large Solo cups this afternoon. I figure more is better, right?!?

For some reason, I recently got a jones for Pimm's No. 1. It is a gin-tasting liquor that is very British. And quite tasty. It is usually mixed with lemonade or ginger ale and fruit. It brings back a very specific good memory from college which makes drinking it even better.

Behold my latest piece of folk art from biLly FRed heLlams of South Carolina. Love it. Yes, it is cross covered in beer caps. No, I am not sure what that says about me. Well, I could guess.

I also love Mat Kearney's new album....maybe my favorite of his to date. This ditty is the opener and quite a catchy tune:

Well, that's it for now. On another note, I just had a thought....how is it that RIGHT after I start exercising, I become ill? Just sayin'. Hope you had a great weekend and are having a glorious start to your week. Love and germy kisses, Bun.

Really, WalMart?

2011-09-10T14:23:00.002-04:00

Oh, peeps, I wasn't going to blog this weekend. I had to work today and thought I would just take the weekend off. Then, I had to go to WalMart and, well, that's all I need to say isn't it?!?

Anyhoodle, some quick back story. Being as I work for a human organization, I have learned the hard way that you wear wash-n-wear clothes to work. Yep. Fur is the best thing I get on me at work. When I first started, I was wearing nice, professional pants and tops. What a fool. It just takes one muddy dog jumping on your dry clean only wool pants (happened!) or a puppy peeing on your suede shoes (happened!) for you to learn really quickly that wearing "nice" clothes in just plain stupid.

So, over the months, I have invested in some dark jeans and washable chinos, and a slew of embroidered short-sleeve work shirts which is a neat, clean look but very washable. In the winter, I layer my work shirts with basic long-sleeve t-shirts, which is how I found myself in WalMart today...I went in to buy some long-sleeve t-shirts. And, wow, just imagine my.....I cannot even find an adjective....when I saw this t-shirt in the women's section:

Stunning, right?!? An elfin fairy (yes, she has pointed ears!) on a crescent moon. With tie-dye background. Lovely. And then, I saw this:

GASP! Another elfin fairy. A WOODLAND elfin fairy. Who apparently attracts butterflies. And the sticker proudly pronounces that this shirt is PRINTED IN THE USA. Made in China, but printed in the USA. Oh, you can only imagine my American pride. But, wait, there is more.

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! This one would fit right in at work, no?!? And it too is PRINTED IN THE USA. And next to this gem, was another beauty to behold:

It's a dog eat dog world, bro, so be a fucking wolf. The only way this shirt could be better is if that slogan was screened on the back. But my absolute favorite...the best for last....was this one:

A dove with a dream catcher!! And a rainbow!! Sigh. It's so pretty. I just cannot stand it. And the BEST part?? All these gems can be had for only $9 each!!! I think my fall wardrobe is pretty much set now.

WalMart, us fat ladies really appreciate your keen insight in knowing our love for large wild animals, mystical sexy beings, and Native American folklore. It's like I just had my mind read. I can only hope that spring will bring a whole line of new shirts with clowns. Love, B.

Guilty Pleasure

2011-09-08T19:36:00.002-04:00

Well, peeps, it is an evening for confessions, I believe. My first confession is that a few weeks back, I went for my annual physical. The health check-up thingy responsible adults are supposed to do yearly. I was not looking forward to it. At all. Let's just say that getting older sucks hard and, since I started my job last year, I have gained even more weight. And not exercised at all. Seriously bad living on my part. With alcohol. And stress. And such.

I just knew my numbers would be awful. But thank the Lord for good genes is all I can say because the only thing that was not good was my sugar. Yep. I am bordering on diabetes land. So my doc said, "Bitch, you need to get off your fat ass and lose some weight or you gonna be sadder than ScarJo after she dumped Ryan Reynolds." (I, mean, she had to be sad, right?!?! I, mean, LOOK AT HIM. Ok, let's:

Hell, I would be sad. Ok, back to my story.) So, I was like, "Ok, Dr. Tony, I understand. Thanks for the pep talk." Then I went on vacation and ate my way through the South Carolina coast including a meal in Charleston that had to be like 3,000 calories. But it was VACATION, ok?!? So, last week, I got it all straight, and have started to modify my eats by ~~not licking the butter container~~ making better choices and blew the inches of dust off my stationary bike. Yes, I began to trudge through workouts even though I think I would rather give labor on a daily basis than exercise. But then yesterday, my salvation came to me. Horns blew. Angels appeared. It was wonderful. I rediscovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Netflix.

And that, my friends, is my other confession. I am a not-so-closeted ~~addict~~ lover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched every episode for all seven seasons. And cherished each and every one. And, yesterday, I had the thought, "I wonder if Netflix streams Buffy?" Why, yes, yes they do.

So, bitches, I turned my bike in the direction of the computer, launched season 1, episode 1 and 45 minutes flew by. It was magical. And today was episode 2. Still in love. Takes my right back to 1997, when I was still a girl, newly married, living in our ~~crappy~~ cozy little apartment. **SIGH**

I started counting after my session today. 142 more episodes. Divided by 4 exercise days per week = 33 weeks of exercise. That's 8+ months. So I now have a reason to exercise for 8 more months. Because I have made a vow I can only watch an episode if my ass is on my bike seat. Word.

Angel v. Spike: I was a Spike man, all the way. I like my boys bad.

Can I tell you that I practically SKIPPED into the house today to exercise?!? SKIPPED. I couldn't wait to start pedaling. And I actually look forward to tomorrow. At this rate, I may begin exercising every day. Well, sorry to cut it short, but it's time to go, peeps. The hubs is home and it's ~~Miller~~ dinner time. And then I may exercise again. See you later, taters! Bun.

Hump Day Holla

2011-09-07T21:44:00.001-04:00

It 'tis a momentous occasion....the first Hump Day Holla since my return to blogging. Yes, I know this blog is my third in a row, but don't get used to this shit. I just have a lot stored up to say. And the time right now to say it.

And, by the way, my ass is NOT going to be doing the kind of maniacal editing I used to do on this blog. I just ain't. So get over it. I work professionally as a writer/editor/PR/marketing person and have to edit all. the. time. I have decided blogging is off time and, therefore, does not demand my rigorous editing. Just like farting and belching at home, I also can have poor grammar, misspellings and the sort. I figure that I know what I am capable of when I am "on" and when I am not "on," I probably am still better than 80% of most of the idiots out there who don't know the difference between there and their. Or your and you're. Or lose and loose. You get the picture, right?!?

Anyhoodle, I had to drive into the ATL today to go to a seminar and traffic which, as usual and with the added dose of drizzle, was like Hell on asphalt. About two stops from my exit, this young man whips in front of me, then across the lane beside me. As I cursed him not so silently, I noticed he was pulling to the side of the road with his hazards on. He jumped out, ran around the front of his vehicle, and started puking his guts out. Here are my next 6 seconds of thoughts:

Serves the little bastard right for cutting me off.
Ok, maybe I should cut him some slack since he is obviously sick and needed to puke and probably did not want to do so on himself.
Hell, the little bastard is probably hungover from partying.
Ok, maybe he has food poisoning.
Or a nasty stomach virus.
And, by God, isn't it embarrassing enough to be puking your little bastard guts out on the side of 400 in rush hour traffic.

I guess the only other MORE embarrassing thing would be having to drop your drawers and poop on the side of 400 in rush hour traffic. And speaking of Hump Day, Roxie had to get all "cut a motherfucker" today at doggie daycare. When I walked in, Miss Mary says "So Roxie gots into a fight today." And I am all "Oh, fuck!" And Miss Mary was all "Well she didn't start it but she ended it."

Seems some recently neutered male dog was getting all jiggy with all the doggies, going around humping everyone. Well, Mr. Humpsalot, you picked the wrong bitch to hump. When Miss Mary told me the story, I was all like "Oh Hell to the no...is he alive?!?" See Rox don't take no guff. She is a scrapper. And, yep, she turned on Mr. Humpsalot and was like "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, compadre?" and let loose (or is that lose? or loses? hehe) and that? Well, that was the end of hump day for Mr. Humpsalot.

I may look sweet, but I will take you down! Knock, knock, motherfucker!

(that reference solely for JOTE in honor of her 20th wedding anniversary)

Well, that is all for today. It is time for bed and a little reading before sleep. Remember, balance, peeps, balance. With love and good wishes for you all, B.

Sweet Things of Summer

2011-09-06T21:55:00.001-04:00

As I write, it is like 60 degrees outside here in the G of A. Sixty. effin. degrees. Now, don't get me wrong. I am NOT complaining. In fact, I am so giddy with happiness that I can barely type. I hope beyond hope that we have seen the last of the 90s for this year.

That said, as we (please, Lord, please) say goodbye (and good riddance) to summer, I was thinking back over the good things of summer. And, in between the sweating, the bugs, the horrible heat, etc. etc. etc., yes, there were some good things. Little things. But sometimes I find that the little things are the best things. So here are a few of my favorite little things.

My magical plastic cup! Screw on top with permanent plastic straw. Great for iced coffees in the car. Because I love ice coffees. In the car. In the summer.

My Williams Sonoma cherry pitter. I am always a little skeptical about kitchen gadgets. Will they REALLY do what they are supposed to do? And do it well? Well, the answer to this one is "HELLZ YES." This little gem made my summer cherry consumption so much better.

My Tiffany blue polish. See, I put my toe by a bag so you could see it just matched! I actually purchased this shade at ULTA. It was one of their summer colors....Island-something-another. I lurves it though. Very summery.

My Williams Sonoma pasta bowl. I have coveted this bowl for a while. And my sister's gift of a W-S gift certificate for my birthday finally made this purchase possible. I used it all summer for pastas and big salads. It is wide yet shallow and oh-so-fabulous. Love it.

My folk art from my super talented friend and folk artist Suzy Sue. Suzy rocks and her art rocks harder. She is so extremely talented and such a good person. Actually, I have found that most folk artists are terribly good people. Anyhoodle, Suzy gave this piece to me for my birthday. It is so cool....the background is shredded fabric/yarn. I think it is simply lovely and it now hangs in my bedroom and I see it every morning and it makes me happy.

So there you go. A few of my favorite things from summer. With that, I sign off because I must get up at the crack o' dawn in the morning to go into the ATL. If you find this post a little boring, my apologies. Getting back into the swing of being all bloggy after seven months is....well....not necessarily like riding a bike. It may take some time for this bunny to get her groove back. Bear with me. Love you all, B.

Bitches, the Bunny is Back

2011-09-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Wow. It's been SEVEN WHOLE MONTHS since I last posted. That's craziness. I hate to admit that my mo-in-law is right, but time does fly faster and faster as you age.

That said, the past year-and-a-half+ has kicked my ass. The new job just really consumed me. All of me. And I finally, in the past month, have realized that I absolutely MUST achieve some kind of work-life balance (God, I hate phrases like that but they are handy) in order to survive and thrive.

While being unemployed was super scary for financial reasons, emotionally, mentally and physically, 2009 was the best year of my adult life. I read. Lots. I cooked. Lots. I spent time with family and friends. Lots. I actually went on TWO vacations (and I only managed one this year). Yep. I had lots of time for sure and I tried to spend that time well. And I did. But just because I am now working doesn't mean I should stop doing all those things. But I did.

I stopped exercising. My cooking went to hell. My reading went to hell. My blogging went to hell. My personal relationships (in general) went to hell. My life in general went to hell. But I am here today to say NO MORE. I am setting boundaries. I am reclaiming my life. Today I am reclaiming bunnygoround.

Now, peeps, you will have to bear with me. I cannot promise any schedule of posts but I will try my best to be here on a regular basis. And that is all I can ask of myself right now. And regular may just be once a week. But here I will be.

That said, since January, a few things have happened in my life, but perhaps the most notable things is that we adopted another dog...Roxie, who happens to be Charlie's sister. Her story is long and complicated and another blog for another day, but she is now ours.

Yes, she looks very much like Charlie, but she is more petite, the markings a little different. She is a HAND. FULL. Again, more on my baby girl in the future.

So, if any of you are still around and willing to listen to my swill about cooking, reading, drinking, bargin shopping, and dogs, then keep an eye out as more new posts will follow. Sometimes. Hopefully soon. With love to my peeps, Bun.

Same Old, Same Old

2011-01-30T21:22:00.001-05:00

Peeps, I know I have fallen off the face of the Earth. I guess, like some of my other bloggy friends, I have been hibernating. I really don't have much new to tell about my life. I have been cooking (and eating), but the same old things. I have been drinking, but the same old things. I have been watching movies and TV and listening to music, but the same old things. Just not a whole lot of new here at Casa Bunny. There are, however, a few things of note I have enjoyed over the past two weeks:

I have been watching American Idol's new season. I LURVE me some Steven Tyler, BTW. I have never been a hater or lover of Aerosmith, but he is reinvigorating this show as far as I am concerned. Regardless, the video above is so wonderful (mascara alert!!) and I love what Steven Tyler says to Julie at the end.

I also went and saw The King's Speech and Blue Valentine last weekend. Blue Valentine was "meh" but The King's Speech is so, so good. Go see it. Wonderful. And I LURVE me some Colin Firth. Yum.

I also "rediscovered" Jane Monheit, a very talented but not well known jazz artist. And beautiful. Oh, so beautiful. Here is one of my favorites by her:

I also have watched Temple Grandin (very good), Secretariat (not bad), The September Issue (very interesting) and The Kids are All Right (wished it was better). I also saw this online last week and thought it hysterical:

If you don't know the reference, this won't be so funny, but if you do, it's awesome. Simply awesome.

Well, I am off to finish watching the SAG awards and the season finale of Real Housewives of Atlanta. Oh, Hellz, yes! Have a great week! XO, Bunch

What A Week!

2011-01-15T20:30:00.001-05:00

Wowza, peeps! It's been an INTERESTING week. Weird and fun and glorious and...wow. The week started with a blizzard by southern standards. Here's some pics:

It started around 11 p.m. Sunday night. And it didn't stop. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. It snowed RIGHTUPTO the front door. When I opened the door and saw this, I was like "Holy Shit. We're fucked."

Six inches. In some areas of life, a good thing. For snow in GA, a nightmare.

Snowed right up to the damn back door too.Yeah. We WERE fucked.

This photo is my fave though....a little snow dunce hat on the cherub. Ha.

So, yeah, after waking up at 3 a.m. Monday and seeing the copious amounts of snowfall, I was just wrought. I prayed for hours for the dear Lord to please keep the electricity on. And, bless the Lord, we never lost electricity. We also did not leave our house for three days. The temps stayed below freezing, a coat of icy slush came through the next day and coated the snow, and it was a hot mess. Well, not hot, but you get me. Anyhoodle, it's still melting and probably will be still melting in June. We are just ill equipped to handle this much snow here. However, the shitty weather did give me time to cook.

This recipe is a Publix Apron recipe, Country Garden Chicken with Cheesy Grits. Yummers. Very easy and hearty and tasty and comfort-type food. I served it with roasted cauliflower. I am having a love affair with cauliflower right now. It is so good roasted...just toss with a little EVOO, salt and pepper, and bake on 400 for about 20 minutes, until gets brown around edges. Wish I had a plate now.

This awesome looking dish is skillet lasagna. What a revelation! I love lasagna, but it is SO labor intensive. This dish has all the flavor, with a LOT less work. But plenty to eat, share and keep for leftovers.

Here it is plated. Yes, I couldn't resist "taste testing" the bread. I have a passion for that frozen garlic Texas toast. It's so awful and yet so good. It's all Bobs fault. He served me some several months ago and made me have a big jones for it.

I also made snow ice cream, which I had never done before (because we haven't had this much snow here since ever).

Vanilla Frosties ain't got nothing on Bunny Snow Creme.

Top with dark chocolate syrup = heaven in a bowl.

As you saw from the previous post, Tuesday was the Charlester's B-Day and, of course, we gots him a doggie cake.

What's dat' Daddy??

First tentative bites, quickly turned to....

Gobbling it down!

After his hard partying, Charlie was only interested in burrowing down for a long winter's nap.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Since I am one of those "lucky" people who can work from home, I did (the downside of our electricity never going out). I made it back to work for a few hours on Thursday and then all day Friday. Today, I ran around like a fiend trying to prepare for the family b-day celebration I am hosting tomorrow. I did, however, make time for a manicure.

I cannot TELL you the last time I had polish on my fingernails. I use my hands too much. I am sure this manicure will be marred in a day (esp. since I am planning heavy cooking tomorrow morning) however, I have loved this short, dark look for awhile and really wanted to try it. I thought, "why the Hell not??" That may be my new mantra for 2011. Next up....shocking highlights, a piercing in an unusual place and maybe a tattoo! ;) Lastly, here's my favorite song of the week:

Loves this song totes, though it is very "summer" song and I wish it had come out about June. Well, that's all peeps, I hope you all had a great week! With love, B.

PS, the dudes in the liquor store and I made a bet today about how many babies will be born in October from all the "Snow Screwing." Just sayin.'

Happy Birthday to My Boy!

2011-01-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Today, 1-11-11, is the first birthday of my baby boy, Charlie.

Here is the first photo I took of Charlie, at 8 weeks old, the day after he was surrendered to the shelter. Oh, lordy, did we AGONIZE over adopting him. But we are so glad we did.

Now, I am NOT going to lie....raising a puppy was new to me. And hard. Very hard. The chewing and biting and midnight poops almost broke me.

Oh, and the pee pad shredding. That was pretty damn crappy, no pun intended.

But then we would see this FACE....this cute little old man face....and our hearts would melt.

And then he started to grow....

And grow.....

And grow some more.

And though he STILL tortures K.K. (though she quickly puts him in his place!)....

And is a toy hoarder (but plays VERY well by himself )....

And chews the rugs (which drives Mr. Martha CRAZY)....

And eats bras, socks and anything made from paper including and especially dryer sheets....

He also is a very good boy, and treats his older sister pretty well....

Has made good friends at doggie day care....

Loves his daddy something awful (the feeling is mutual)....

Loves to ride in his car seat in mama's truck....

"Endures" extended belly rubs....

And also endures silly sweaters....

And hoodies....

And photos with Santa....

And naps on daddy's lap....

And snuggling with mama on movie night.

Yep, he's taken over our house and our hearts.

And we couldn't be happier about it. Happy Birthday, Charlie! Love, Mama.

Sunday on Monday: The 2011 Blizzard Edition

2011-01-10T12:23:00.015-05:00

Well, peeps, I am stranded inside today due to 6+ inches of snow that fell in GA last night (and more bad weather on the way today in the form of icy mix). I know everyone makes fun of Southerners when it snows and all comes to a standstill but, really, we just ain't PREPARED for this stuff. Even knowing this was coming for days, our DOT and power companies just can only be so prepared because we get this type of weather so infrequently.

Anyhoodle, while I have power, I thought I would work a little and blog a little and do a lot of praying that the power stays ON. I actually brought work home with me....and there is plenty of chores around the house....if the power stays ON. Say it with me....ON. Stay ON. However, if it goes off, we have one LED candles and 15 bottles of wine. By the time they reach us and restore power, my liver will be pickled.

Lots has been going on here the past week so I will try to catch you up. It has been full steam ahead since the holidays ended. I feel like I am caught in a whirlwind. Last weekend, I decided to do a little bargin shopping at the outlets near my home and look what I gots:

First, I went to the Bath & Body Works outlet and, due to their Big Sale and holiday markdowns, scored all this for like $30. Five wallflowers, three lip glosses, three lotions, one body cream, two sprays, a Sweet Pea gift set (for my niece's bday!) and two poofs. One of the sets also is for a gift. The rest is selfishly mine. All mine.

This coconut summer vanilla lip gloss was like $1. It's like a pina colada for your lips. Mmmm.

I also went to the Williams-Sonoma outlet because I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and made out like a bandit there, too. I FINALLY bought me one of these Oxo "from the top" measuring cup. Great to use. Sorta a bitch to store.

In foodstuffs, I bought $10 salt (which is actually now $12 but was 1/2 price so I gots it for $6), my fave chili-lime rub (great for nachos!) and a new rub, Buttermilk Ranch. Cannot WAIT to try.

Also bought a roasted red pepper pasta sauce and a pepper & corn "topper" for cheapo. But here it is folks....my purchase of the day:

HELLZ, yes, it IS an All Clad saute pan/skillet. FINALLY. After talking about it more than a year. And it was worth the wait because it was discounted for the outlet, then 50% MORE off, and then I had a $50 gift card, so I was able to buy it for like $15. Seriously.

It's the deep 4-qt. with lid. Here's a side view. I have not used it yet (I am hoarding it for something special!) but I will report back when I do. The hubs also gots a good steal deal:

Beautiful 500 thread count, 100% cotton Ralph Lauren sheets that look like they were made to go with our current comforter set. We are sleeping on them now. Silky! I also bought a few other things last weekend on super sale:

Cool purse mirror and bejeweled file at Ulta for .49 and .99, respectfully. I also bought a few out-of-season China Glaze nail polishes for $1.99 each. Score!

I also went to Sam's and Walmart for general grocery and household shopping and purchased this book at Sam's. We are trying to do better about eating at my house (both of us!) and this book gives a reasonable look at portion control and calorie counting.

In other news, I made this gnocchi mac & cheese on New Year's Day and, while goldeny brown delicious looking, it was a taste fail. I am not even going to link to the recipe. Sad day when any kind of mac & cheese sucks.

However, we did have a traditional meal of pork steaks, peas & green salad and cornbread, all which made up for the yucky gnocchi.

I am on a bender in regards to scarfs right now....look at this lovely, lovely orange and gold pashmina my moms bought me for $4. SO PRETTY. LOVES! I also have one in a plummy pink and have been wearing them to death.

Because it is so nasty here, we've been letting K.K., our long suffering and neglected cat, come indoors. We do, however, let her outside to potty. Here she is yesterday, apres potting, awaiting us to open the door and let her back in.

She's all hunkered down, tucked up, head down, on a bed of leaves.

And here she is, safely inside again. "Damn right, bitches. This is more like it." Finally, I am not going to post any photos of the snow (I think you've all seen snow....it's white, it's fluffy) but after going out this morning to clear the stoop and a place for the fur kids to go potty, I was HUNGRY, so I made Big Southern Snow Day Breakfast:

Bacon, biscuits, grits and scrambled eggs. Bunny don't play when it comes to snow days! Hope you all are warm and safe wherever you are. I am off to work, if I can unfreeze my fingers!. XO, B.

In Conflict

2011-01-03T16:43:00.008-05:00

Ok, Warning #1: This post? Will be a little self-indulgent. I don't often get on a soap box here at BGR, but I am in conflict. See, I have tried to do this wonderful thing....and it is still wonderful....but for every wonderful thing, there seems to be a terrible thing to balance. Before I can launch into my conflict, however, I have to give you background.

As many of you are aware, I work for a humane organization. Included in our services is the adoption of "companion animals" (Warning #2: Humane organization lingo forthcoming) meaning we adopt canines and felines of all ages--along with the occasional ferret, bird or rabbit--to the public.

For many, many, years, our shelter was a shelter which euthanized. We were in contract with the local county government to provide boarding, adoption, vetting and euthanasia services for its animal control division. In the last year we worked for the county, the shelter put down more than 8,500 animals. That is one county. One county. FYI, the Humane Society of the United States estimates 3-4 MILLION animals are euthanized in shelters each year. That's HALF of the animals taken in.

Tangent #1: Yes, euthanasia is horrible. But it is also humane. As my boss says, there are a lot worse things that can happen to an animal. Starvation. Abuse. Violent death. And, as my boss also says, no shelter wants to euthanize...as he puts it, "we are just cleaning up other people's messes." What mess, you say? Well, the mess that is out-of-control pet overpopulation in the U.S. because of pet owners who refuse to spay-neuter their animals. People yell about folks like Michael Vick, but really, if you don't spay-neuter your pet, you're also irresponsible and, somewhere down the road, your irresponsibility may very well cost other animals their lives. Trust me.

In 2008, we decided--for many reasons, mostly political and budgetary on the county's part (read: they were trying to screw us over by backtracking on their agreement)--to not renew our contract with the county. In October 2009, when the contract was done, we became what is known as a "selective admission" shelter.

What this means is we can be "selective" about the animals we chose to take into the shelter. Yes, this sounds awful in a way, but we no longer euthanize based on length of stay or space, which means we have to ensure the animal is healthy and adoptable before we will agree to intake. Our policy is that we evaluate each animal before it is admitted to our shelter for physical and mental issues as part of the process to determine if they are adoptable.

Tangent #2: My boss refuses to use the term "no kill" to define our shelter. He says it is hypocritical because of the number of years we did euthanize. He also says that any shelter that defines themselves as "no kill" is lying because EVERY shelter, including us, has to put down animals who become physically or mentally unstable/unhealthy.

In my opinion, selective admission shelters are not the answer either. When we are full, we have to turn animals away and send them, guess where?, to the new county facility which euthanizes. Also, we have animals who come to us that stay. And stay. And stay. We have animals we've had for 8, 10, 12 months. What kind of life is that? Yes, they have shelter and water and food. But no consistent love. But we keep them. Keep them until they are adopted. Even though it seems as cruel as putting them down sometimes.

Tangent #3: Sometimes animals that have been in a shelter too long become "cage crazy." It is very sad and, usually, they have to be put down because they are too aggressive to adopt. So, see, you can never get away from euthanasia. Not really.

Anyway, we now take in animals who are 1) surrendered by their owners or 2) pulled from other rescues or shelters that do euthanize and are overcrowded. (Under our county ordinance, we are not allowed to take in strays....long story, won't bore you with details). Usually, these groups contact us and say "we have this, this, and this....do you have room?"

This weekend, a rescue sent me photos of six dogs from another GA county shelter. This county shelter has one of the highest "kill" rates in GA. All six of these small, adult dogs are slated to be put down this Wednesday.

Could we take any, the rescue lady asked? And I looked at the photos. Two cute male terrier mixes. Very adoptable. Yes. One cute male beagle mix. Very adoptable. Yes. A small black Jack Russell mix. Hmm. We have SO MANY black dogs. Skip. A senior female poodle. Cute but too old. Skip. A Chihuahua mix with heartworms. Intensive, expensive treatment and could not survive. Skip.

So, we agree to take the three and leave three behind. Do I feel happy though? No. I am plagued with feeling like I was playing God somehow. I am guilty for feeling like I have doomed the three not chosen.

I placate myself saying, "You can't save them all." I tell myself that we could not have been able to take any of them. I tell myself that I had to choose the ones that I thought were the most adoptable because the reality is that the quicker we adopt an animal out, the quicker we can take more in. If an animal sits in our shelter for 8, 10, 12 months, then who knows how many animals we had to turn away. The more animals we move into new homes, the more we can save.

And I know all this is true, but it doesn't make me feel less sad. I guess that is the thing about working for a humane organization....for every win, there is a loss. For every animal who finds a new home, one is put down. Maybe not at our shelter, but at another.

Now I am not a big vegan/non-leather wearing, animal lover, but I will say that to live in a "civilized" country, we sure are very uncivilized when it come to our companion animals. If you have friends or family who have animals that are intact, guilt, scream, and cajole them until they have them spayed-neutered. Hell, pay for it. You could be saving COUNTLESS animals' lives by doing so.

So, tomorrow, these three dogs will be saved. Rescued from their scheduled death on Wednesday. The other three I hope will be saved by another shelter. If not, God, please bless their souls. Amen. Bunny.

Benji

Charlie

Gus

2010 in Review: The Highlights

2011-01-01T09:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, while compiling my "Best Of" lists, I was scrolling through all my blog posts (because my memory is HORRIBLE) and I realized that I did many more interesting and wonderful things than I thought I did in 2010. So, here is a look back at the highlights of the year, some "firsts," some just fun, some just memorable.

After a year of being unemployed, was offered and started a new job.
Dined at 7+ new restaurants. Some more than once!
Attended a trivia night at a local bar/restaurant, something I had always wanted to try.
Went to see A Christmas Carol for the first time (the play at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta).
Went to 8 different concerts including three Atlanta Symphony concerts and three Chastain park concerts.
Tried to make cheese with Bobs (which was an epic FAIL).
Went to the High Museum (for the first time in YEARS) to see the Dali exhibit.
Hosted a Cinqo de Mayo party at Casa Bunny.
Attended the Atlanta Gay Pride parade (for the first time ever) with Bobs.
Won a contest on a blog (Bo's Bowl) and finally purchased a Le Creuset baker.
Planted and tended a vegetable garden for the fourth year and had great success with cherry tomatoes (and not so great success with heirloom tomatoes!).
Visited Park Seed in South Carolina for the first time. Will return for garden plants in 2011.
Vacationed in St. Simons for the first time in four years and saw old friends while there.
Visited Jekyll Island for the first time ever while visiting St. Simons.
Attempted at least 25 new recipes (better than I thought because I really felt my cooking suffered this year due to returning to work).
Read 29 books (not my best record, but not bad).
Wrote 50....yes 5-0....freelance articles for three various periodicals.
Adopted a new puppy and survived the first year of his life including house breaking and first round of training.
Adopted an African boy through Compassion International.
Attended the funeral of my adopted Granny Wofford.
Survived (but with a still somewhat broken heart) the death of my first dogter, Savannah.

And I must say, even though returning to work in general was challenging, and my job has been challenging as well, I have ROCKED. MY. JOB. Some of my successes include adding two new fundraisers, increasing revenues on four of six existing events, scoring numerous news articles and an ongoing weekly radio spot, overhauling the quarterly newsletter, ramping up our Facebook pages, and setting up a new marketing committee. I am not really someone who needs praise (I am satisfied with successful results) but I worked my ass off and I am very proud of everything that I accomplished.

In several ways, 2010 was very difficult....esp. losing Savannah....but I am thankful for my friends and family, including my Internet friends and family, who helped me through. Love to you all, and wishes for happiness, blessings and prosperity in 2011! Love, B.

PS, Please be sure to read my Bunny's Best of 2010 list from yesterday and leave your comments about your favorite finds of last year!

Bunny's Best of 2010

2010-12-31T18:06:00.007-05:00

First of all, let me get the bad stuff out of the way. In no way, shape or form did I achieve any of the goals I set for 2010. I am sad to admit it, but it's terribly, terribly true. In general, after two years of working from home and a year of unemployment, going back to work in an office setting kicked. my. ass. Add to that a new puppy, a death of a dog and other emotional and physical issues, and I am glad to say my greatest accomplishment was surviving 2010. Not that is was a bad year, but it just wasn't remarkable per se.

That said, the guilt and shame didn't really work for me, but the experience did make me realize I will not set so many lofty goals for 2011! I am just going to try to go into 2011 with no expectations and see what happens. But in reflection of days gone by (to quote INXS), here's a list of my best finds from 2010:

Bunny's Best of 2010

Best Book I Read

Winner: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Runner-Up: The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

2010 was not a banner book year for me...my worst reading record in recent years and I did not read one book that sent me over the moon. That said, these two come the closest...Jackson because I could not put it down and read it in one day, and Chevalier because her historical fiction is so compelling.

Best New to Me Restaurant (Where I Actually Dined)

Winner: Tacqueria del Sol, Atlanta, Ga. area + Athens, Ga.

Runner-Up: Miss Meg's, Clayton, Ga.

Tacqueria del Sol was so good, I have repeat visited there numerous times.

Miss Meg's is, hands down, some of the best seafood I've ever eaten.

Best New to Me Song

Winner: Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine

Runner-Up: Fuck You by Cee Lo Green

Honorable Mention: From Where You Are by Lifehouse

A hard category, as always. Cosmic Love was the first song I heard by Florence + the Machine, so I picked it even though I love others by the group. Fuck You was late to the game, but too great to ignore.'Bout wore a groove in my mind from the Lifehouse song.

Best Movie on the Big Screen

Winner: The A-Team

Runner-Up: True Grit

Like books, not a great category for me this year,

so I chose the campy escape and the classic remake.

Best Live Concert

Winner: Michael Feinstein at Atlanta Symphony Hall

Runner-Up: Chris Isaak at Chastain Park Amphitheater

Multiple time seeing M.F. and he NEVER disappoints.

First time seeing C.I. and it was wonderfully impressive.

Best Movie Rented From Netflix

Winner: Arrested Development (full series)

Runner-Up: Robin Hood (Russel Crowe version)

Ok, Arrested Development IS a television show, but we did rent it and it is awesome. Robin Hood was great and only enhanced by Cate Blanchett (who I have a girl crush on).

Best New to Me Food Find

Winner: Ground pork/Pork Steaks

Runner-Up: Rogue Creamery cheeses

Ground pork and pork steaks are both relatively lean, cheap and delicious....what's not to love?

Rogue cheeses, while pricy, are memorably yummy.

Best New Cooking Tool

Winner: GE Double Oven Range with ceramic top

Runner-Up: Le Creuset baking dishes

I had to pick the $$$oven$$$ just because it puts my old one to shame. The Le Creuset baking dishes are just wonderfully easy to clean and so, so pretty.

Best New Recipe/Dish (Which I Actually Cooked)

Winner: Lamb Meatballs (from Ad Hoc for Home, Thomas Keller)

Runner-Up: Italian Sausage Soup (from Bo's Bowl)

Love lamb, love this simple recipe.

Love Bo's soup....it's delish. And freezes well. PS, link to Bo on the left for his top
dishes from 2010! Lots of great ones there.

Best TV Show

Winner: Modern Family

Runner-Up: Real Housewives of Atlanta (current season)

Modern Family is witty and wonderful.

RHOA is a glorious guilty pleasure.

Best New To Me Beers

Winner: Somer Orange Honey Ale by Rogue

Runner-Up (TIE): Gnarly Wine by Lagunitas and Rye Squared by Terrapin

Somer Orange is one of the best beers I've ever had....a perfect summer beer, for sure.

Lagunitas rarely disappoints and I just "found" Terrapin this year and

have been impressed with their line-up, as well.

Best New To Me Wines

Winner: Rose Regale by Banfi

Runner-Up: Sterling Vinter's Collection, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Rose Regale is a beautiful (in the glass) and tasty sparkling rose. Very special. Sterling Vinter's Cab was my entree into cabs and quite nice....nice enough to make me try more varietals.

Other Bests

Best New Sweet Find: Chocolate covered coffee beans

Awesomely addictive.

Best New Snack: Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips

I love peppery, salty and crunchy....these chips meld all three into one.

Best New to Me Coffee: Morning Joe by Starbucks

Bold yet smooth brew.

Best New Food Find: Truelove Bakery

BEST. CUPCAKES. EVER.

Best New Cleaning Product: Scotch Fur Fighter Pet Hair Remover
If you have pets, you NEED this. Trust me.

Best (Re)Newed Retail Find: Cost Plus World Market
The love child of Pier One and the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

Best Pet Accessory: Retro Animal Collars
Beautiful AND well-made!

Best Pet Find: Tailwaggers Doggie Daycare
Saves mine and Charlie's sanity.

Feel free to post some of your "bests" in comments....would love to hear them! Also, I think I will be doing a reflective look back on 2010 this weekend....in hindsight, while looking through my posts, I realized I did more than I thought! Have a safe and happy new year! XO, B.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to each and every one of

my bloggy friends and followers!

I hope your holidays are happy and

Santa brings everything your heart desires.

Be merry, be bright! Love, B.

Bunny Sunday: The Hinky Gallbladder Rides Again!

2010-12-19T17:43:00.001-05:00

Yo, peeps, I have been WAY overindulging this past week on holiday goodies and Mexican and drinks and all sorts of things that are bad, bad, bad, but so good, good, good. You will see a few of these dishes in a minute, and then understand. In the meantime, I think my gallbladder is revolting against the excess.

First, I just have to say that my weeks?? Are pretty damn boring these days. Really boring, in fact. It's work, home, dinner, work or TV bed. That's about it. I do sometimes manage to squeeze in an errand though, like making my way (with coupon!) this week to FINALLY buy me a new watch. It is ginormous and heavy and I am not 100% sure I 100% love it, so I will show you later. But, while at the department store, I bought this bauble:

You all KNOW my love of turquoise-y baubles, esp. for summer, and I could not resist this HUGE knuckle-scraper ring. For $7!!! Yes, just $7. Those Chinese children do good work, no? And I am a week late in posting this, but here is a yummy, yummy dinner Bobs recently made for me:

Meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes. That was some DAMN GOOD meatloaf peeps. Yum. I wish I had some now. I also enjoyed another Flying Dog beer this week.

This is their In Heat Wheat and I found it a little lacking. Practically zero carbonation (as you can see). Just not great. Not bad, but not great. Won't buy this one on its own. I also made more gnocchi this week:

The Gia Russa gnocchi with butternut squash sauce (both from Cost Plus World Market!). I carmelized some onions at the same time as I cooked some bacon, and then mixed it into the sauce and added a little cream cheese to thin it out. Very good. Served with a winter salad of mixed greens, dried fruit, walnuts and blue cheese with a homemade white wine vinaigrette. Yum.

Yesterday, to celebrate the hub's b-day, we went to see A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. Of course, you cannot take photos, so I stole this one off the website:

Great play and ensemble! We had third row seats so we were RIGHTTHERE. Very nice. Before the show, we went to Amuse!, a nearby French bistro, for brunch. I forgot my camera, but the food and decor were great. I had the Croque Madame, though I must say, I DO think the ones I made were as good, though not as pretty. :) It is still plenty cold here, so last night I decided to make a new recipe: Cheddar Ale Soup.

Saute veggies in butter....

Toast croutons and crisp bacon....

Use immersion blender to whip it into creamy goodness....

Season....

Serve!

I am quite sure this...with the butter, beer, cheese, bacon, truffle oil and such...is what threw my gallbladder into revolt. But it was worth it. It was so. damn. good. Try it, but try it on a day when you have eaten bland things. I think the rich French lunch + heavy dinner = gastrodisaster. And, of course, I cannot end a post without a cute Charlie photo of the week:

Another tucked in-paw out cute shot. Also, I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas tour of Casa Bunny. Thanks for all the nice comments. I may or may not be back this week, but if not, have a HAPPY CHRISTMAS...be merry, be bright! XO, B.

The Virtual Holiday Home Tour 2010: Casa Bunny

2010-12-17T09:38:00.006-05:00

Happy, happy, joy, joy! Jen on the Edge is hosting her virtual holiday home tour again and B. signed up so I can display Casa Bunny in all its seasonal splendor. If you want to jump over to Jen's blog, you can see the links to the other folk's blogs that are on the tour. So, turn up the carols on your iTunes, turn down the heat for a frosty feel, grab you a toddy and settle in. And enjoy!

Welcome to our home....our stoop, decked out (hubs will be so

mad those random leaves are in the photo!).

Inside our front door is the holiday home to my hub's June McKenna Santa

collection....well, part of it....and, yes, our walls ARE orange....we are not

afraid of color here at Casa Bunny.

This basket sits on the table behind our sofa...it's simple...just balls...but

the basket belonged to my Grandmother and makes me think of her.

These angels grace the top of our living room bookcase. I love the one on the right

because she has brown hair (like me). Why do angels always have blonde hair?

At the base of the bookcase sits large glass vases filled with white lights.

Our entertainment center which is home to more of hub's Santas.

This table is off the living room and is the holiday home to my Lane snowmen....I pretty

much decorated this table the same as 2009 because I loved the look.

Off our dining area is an antique coal bucket, spray painted green, with balls and lights.

A small display in our guest room....we don't really have guests so we don't do

much in this room....and, yes, when your nickname is Bunny, you gets lots of Bunny stuff.

Byer's Choice Carolers...I love the singing doggies...

more balls....cheap glass balls = best decorations ever.

Dining table centerpiece....new Carolers for 2010!

Other side of dining table centerpiece.

Dining room hutch....more hub's Santa on top, Christmas china,

and the pups' stockings at the bottom.

Dining hutch detail.

Kitchen....more light, more balls, snowman plate above stove.

Kitchen window sill....see our bottle tree out the window? Didn't plan that but it's cool.

Wreath on antique sled off kitchen....the hubs made this wreath....he is uber talented.

Angels in sitting area off kitchen...again, balls! lights! sparkly!

Angel statue from yard, surrounded by lighted wreath with balls,

and sitting on antique milk can at hallway start....yes, hubs made this wreath too.

Dresser in master bedroom...my eclectic Santa collection.

Dresser detail.

Above our bed...chair back shelves with Christmas blocks,

beads and Santa figurines.

Left shelf detail.

Right shelf detail.

Angels on other dresser in master bedroom...first, can I TELL you how much

I LOVE LED candles?!? I have fire paranoia so they rock my world. These angels actually

reside here year-round....this year I tried to decorate around my regular decor as much

as possible rather than packing things up.

Two small trees in master bedroom....last year,

we did one large tree so this was a change.

Our Christmas centerpiece....the "grove" of trees....I don't think we will ever

change this....we both love it and we have too many damn ornaments.

Our deck, door side 1....trick: This wreath is artificial and

we add natural greenery on top that can be replaced as it wilts.

Deck, door side 2....with lights.

Sorry for the lateness in getting this up...blogger was being a BEEOTCH this morning (and I know the spacing is all wonky...sorry!). Anyhoodle, that's most of it. We might have a few more touches here and there, but I am going with what I have because I need to scurry off to work. I hope you enjoyed our tour and maybe even we inspired your future decorating! :) I also hope you all have a blessed and happy holiday and a healthy and happy New Year! Merry, merry Christmas! XO, Bunny

**If you have a few extra minutes and want to read last year's post about our Christmas decorating history, click here.**

Sunday on Monday: Part Deux

2010-12-13T22:05:00.009-05:00

Well, peeps, I said I would be back and here I am. I will tell you though that right now I am being terribly distracted by the cutest dog in the world who is napping beside me and snoring and rubbing his face with his paw and such. Yes. That would be Charlie. But I have lots to share, so no more distractions! Here we go!

First, I don't remember much about the first part of the week except that it all lead to that last part of the week which was highlighted by this:

Hellz, yes, beeotches! It is THE STOVE. In MY kitchen. That bitch is bad-ass and has more buttons and bells and whistles than I can even share. And I am a little scared of it. And those radiant cooktops? A BITCH to clean. I have been paranoid all weekend about breaking it. Or scratching it. Or nicking it. Which I am sure WILL happen, but I just didn't want to happen within 48 hours after I shelled out 1.5 my monthly mortgage for a stove. That said, this stove ROCKS. MY. FACE. OFF. I have already used the double oven twice...Saturday to roast Brussel sprouts (top) and cook cornbread (bottom) and Sunday to warm tortilla chips (top) and make brownies (bottom).

Which brings me to the food portion of this post. Last night, we had friends over and I decided to do "Nacho Bar." I cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, fajita chicken, pinto and black beans, roasted corn, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, three different salsas...and melty cheese. Lots of melty cheese. I also made these awesome cranberry margaritas:

Our company thought they were delish. I thought they were so good, I made me another tonight. We also had "Kitchen Sink Nachos" tonight with all the mixed together leftovers from last night. Behold:

Yum. fucking. ee. By the way, did I mention it is like single-digitish temps in the G of A today? Holy Christ, is it cold! I was so glad I bought a big puffy coat from Land's End last week (well, I tried to go get the photo, but that lame-o site won't let me copy the pic!). Anyhoodle, I didn't care that I looked like the Michelin man...my happy ass was toasty WARM.

And speaking of warm, can Bunny just TELL you how much is PISSES. ME. OFF. when people say, when it is bitterly cold, something like "Global warming, my ass!"???? As was done tonight in the liquor store. By a dumb ass redneck. And at the risk of getting my ass kicked (but it was a man, so even rednecks won't HIT a women...at worst, I figured I would just get called an "uppity bitch"), I turn and say, "Well, REALLY global warming is about temperature EXTREMES and I think this is pretty damn extreme, don't you?" He just looked at me. And I walked out. Ha. In other booze news, I finally had one of the Flying Dog beers:

It was the India Pale Ale. also called Snake Dog IPA. I really liked it BUT it did have an odd aftertaste/lingering note. When I went to the Flying Dog site, I found this interesting site: BeerDinners.com. It appears to be sponsored by Flying Dog and pairs their beers with various dinner course. Neat.

In other news, Friday, a friend and I went the High Museum of Art in the ATL. She had some free passes, I had a day off, it was all good. I had not been to the High in a long time. A loooooonnnnnggg time.

Apparently, the High has grown. A lot. Like doubled in size. Right now, they have a Dali exhibit as their main show.

This is front of the museum with the Dali promo and the ginormous mobile which I lurve. The exhibit was actually very good....large, thorough, many different mediums. I am not a huge Dali fan but I enjoyed it. I would have enjoyed it more had there not been 5,000 high schoolers ~~running~~ slunking around with their messy hair and weary sighs.

This is a view of the interior of the "old" building...very Guggenheim-esque, no?? Walking down that curved, circular walkway freaked. me. out. though. I don't do well with heighty things where I can see to the bottom. Eek. I know my friend probably sprained her eyes rolling them upward. After the museum, we decided on lunch at the Vortex, where I had great new beers: Laughing Skull Amber Ale by Red Brick Brewing, located in the ATL, and Dogfish 90 Minute IPA. I know! Another IPA! As I mentioned to Beer Drinker the other day, I am really into IPAs right now. And Dogfish is a great classic (so says Beer Drinker!). For lunch, we had the cheddar balls to start:

Damn, these were an EXCELLENT twist on cheese fingers. So good. I could have just eaten these. But I decided to get the Atlanta Nachos...nacho topping over tater tots:

The Vortex is this cool-as-hell bar & grill and the make super burgers and they love the tots. This dish, while good in theory, turned into a hot mess on the plate once the tots got soggy. Which took about five minutes. Crispy tots with nacho toppings = very good. Mushy tots with nacho toppings = Mexican hash. Bleh.

For my final share, I will tell you that since it has been so very cold, we have been letting K.K. stay inside. And Charlie just will. not. leave. her alone. Tonight, she just had e-fucking-nough though. He was in her face and she raised up, gave an open-mouthed hiss, and reached out her claw-drawn paw and embedded it in the top of his head.

Charlie was startled, then pissed. I was ROTFLMFAO. K.K. was like "What the Hell ever, mother fucker...don't mess with me...I will cut you." Charlie started barking at her. And she just ignored him and yawned. She was like "Bring it bitch....if you're feeling froggy, jump little mother fucker." I wish I could have gotten it all on tape. Later, Charlie went over to apologize for being a brat:

THAT I did manage to get. Sorta. They rubbed noses. All was good. Anyhoodle, peeps, this has been a terrible long post and I need to balance my checkbook and get to getting to bed. Hope you have a great week and are staying warm, wherever you are. Peace and love, B.

PS, I ain't proofing this bitch so if there are mistakes, so sorry.

Sunday on Monday

2010-12-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

Peeps, I have been trying to blog all day, but life has just gotten in the way. Behold:

- Up early, cook biscuits and gravy for my honey.
- Go to Sam's to purchase supplies for dinner guest tonight. And ten heads of romaine.
- Go to Walmart and buy lotion, cold meds, yogurt and other "necessities."
- Starts to flurry. Yes, flurry. So I get the Hell out of dodgy Walmart.
- Go home. Unload Sam's. Unload Walmart. Fix lunch. Eat lunch.
- Start washing clothes. And cleaning house. Which is a train wreck. Watch flurries.
- Start cooking for dinner guests. On new stove! After taking shower. Finally.
- Have dinner guests. Eat dinner. Socialize.
- Clean up after dinner guests. And clean some more. Watch flurries. Drink remainder of cocktails in shaker.
- Blog.

So, anyway, it has been a long day and I am pooped but I promise to blog tomorrow night. Promise. If the electricity doesn't go out in the blizzard. Ha.

Bunny Sunday: The Dark Thirty Edition

2010-12-05T19:28:00.007-05:00

Ok, peeps, I am late posting today but it is STILL Sunday. So there. Since I am awaiting hubs to return from errands to eat dinner, let's just get to it, shall we?

First, this week was good. Yep. Really pretty good. The cold temps finally arrived in the G of A so it actually feels like the holiday season. But, damn it, even when I am in a good mood, people still persist in trying to piss. me. off. Example of the week: Molly the Terrier. First, meet Mols:

Molly was surrendered by her owner at the shelter about a few weeks ago. This family--who I know--came in last Saturday and adopted her. There is some back story here, as well, but I just cannot go into the details as I will start to really rail. Let's just say this was a very, very impulse adoption. Very. Short story: They have two children under 3YO who proceeded to torture poor Molly, so they brought Molly back on Monday. Then, BY GOD, I made it my mission to make sure Molly got adopted by a GREAT family. I took her to our radio show bit Tuesday, then posted her photo on our Facebook page. Viola! A really, really nice lady with a little Chihuahua mix came in Wednesday and adopted her. Molly has a new home for the holidays. And a new fur sister. Mission accomplished! So SUCK IT people who didn't love Molly!

In cooking news, Tuesday night I made a new recipe which I got from Bo's Bowl: Green Chili Chicken Pasta. Boy howdy, this nosh was good! And SO simple to make. I am stealing Bo's photo because I lost mine, however, I can tell you this dish is one of those that is even BETTER warmed the next day.

(don't sue me Bo! love you!)

I, mean, you could probably put alfredo sauce on a turd and I would eat it. Right?!?! I served it with a salad of romaine with black beans, tortilla strips and spicy ranch dressing. I would have added roasted corn, but I was out of corn. Bummer. This weekend, I made the Williams-Sonoma goulash for the first time this season....still our fave beef stew.

Seriously good. Seriously. Slightly labor intensive, but worth the work. One of my favorite recipes for the winter now. Loves. Totes. Before dinner, we noshed on this cheese sampler, courtesy of Rogue Creamery:

Bobs and I went to the Dekalb Farmer's Market (DFM, heretoafter) yesterday and I spent 2/3 of my bill on cheese and booze. Here are Rogue's Raw Milk Cheddar, Smokey Blue and Chocolate Stout Cheddar. Good, good stuff. In another note, to the friend from my past who gave me that Pampered Chef cheese knife: Thank you. It rocks. As far as the booze, I bought this:

A 12-pack of six different Flying Dog beers, just for kicks and giggles. And, since I was low on vino, these:

Two cabs and a pinot (yes, Cab, E-beth! Again! I am coming over to the Cab side!)...I have been drinking the Cycles Gladiator Cab (on left....I have tried their wines in the past and liked) and it is really nice. It was only $6.99 a bottle at the DFM. A value. Wish I had bought more. Oh, and I just learned something! Apparently, the same folks who make Cycles Gladiator also make Hahn (wine on the right)! Who knew!

Speaking of cooking and drinking, my stove picked this week to go on strike. Yep. Gave up. Burned out in a bright white light. Really. It did. Or the heating element did. So guess what Bunny's getting for Christmas? Yep.

I went stove shopping this weekend and I am coveting the GE double-oven line with convection ovens. And smooth top. And a whole bunch of other bells and whistles. In black. Sleek. Sadly, it is more than my monthly mortgage. But I figure for as much as I cook, it is justified. And I deserve it. My appliance man is going to call tomorrow and get a final figure. I am keeping my fingers crossed that maybe, the good Lord willing, GE will have one in the warehouse they want to get rid of for a deal-eo. Pray for me and my stove, peeps.

In pet news, here are a few cute photos of the fur kids for you. The first is Charlie napping in our home office last Sunday, all bundled up and tucked in:

Several folks said he looked like he'd been on a bender. Well, maybe. But not one related to booze. And here is my baby all pensive:

He likes to sit at the door to the deck/back yard and just gaze out. It's sorta sweet. He can sit there for ~~hours~~ a few minutes. This last photo is our kids with Santa Claws:

Every year at work, we have a pet photos with Santa Claws fundraiser. I took the kids for the first time this year. Pepsi looks all cute (though I can tell you she is roasting and panting like a fiend here!) but Charlie was like "OH, HELL-TO-THE-NO, BEEOTCHES!" See that look on his face?? He was PISSED. Santa is locked onto his collar and this was as close as we could get him.

Finally, a good fuck or two to round out the week. First, I saw this poster today on a fellow blogger's site and LOVED it:

LOVES. TOTES. I am printing this one out to hang on my office wall. Seriously. In other fuck news, Bobs introduced me to this song yesterday:

Apparently, I am about two months behind on this one, but then I NEVER listen to the radio. That said, I LURVE this song and everything about it. The creative lyrics. The catchy tune. The doo-wop vibe. Awesome. BTW, it is NSFW if you haven't already figured that out. There is a "clean" version--Forget You--but it just doesn't have the...punch...of this version. Yeah. Wish I had this one to sing a few times in my life. Hey, Bobs, "ain't that some shit!"

Well, off to finish my wine and, if I am not too tipsy, help the hubs with a Power Point for school. Joy. Have a great week! XO, Bun.

Bunny Sunday: The Holiday Gift Edition

2010-11-28T19:30:00.007-05:00

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

2010-11-21T10:46:00.003-05:00

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

2010-11-12T22:28:00.003-05:00

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

2010-11-09T22:01:00.006-05:00

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.