Almost over.

So our vacation is coming to an end. Ricky and I are heading back to Gulf Breeze tomorrow around noon. So far we have:Seen the last shuttle launch.Seen two (TWO!) manatees.Gone to Key West and seen the hotel where they filmed most of "Key Largo."Been to the southernmost point of the continental United States.Seen mile marker 0.Found an awesome gift for my little sister.Visited Ernest Hemingway's home in Key West.Kayaked through mangrove forests along the Keys.Seen giant wild iguanas.Had real Key Lime Pie.Visited with Ricky's awesome family in West Palm Beach.Wandered the streets of Miami. It was yucky.Gotten sweet tans.Gone to Busch Gardens.Seen a real live alligator in the Everglades.Seen a real dead alligator at Ricky's family's house....pictures to come.(Not of the dead alligator, just of vacation excursions.)Ricky's mother, grandmother, and sister arrive here in West Palm Beach tonight, I can't wait to see them.I'm sad that our vacation is nearly over, but I can't wait to go back to work and see my Westie pups!Happy Friday everyone! ♥

I'm on vacation.

Recently blogging has been difficult. We're ripping the old flooring out of our house, as we started with the office. I hate using the laptop, so I put off posting anything.

I'm currently in Tampa with Ricky, we're heading down to Key West tomorrow.
We saw the last shuttle launch yesterday, and today we went to Busch Gardens. Pretty good time so far! My friend Ashley is watching Malo and Maggie, so that's really out me at ease, knowing that someone is taking good care of my pups. I usually stress so much when we go away, but Ashley has dogs too so she knows how to treat them and how to deal with whatever attitude they may have from day to day. Malo is so moody! Gosh, can you tell that I miss my dogs? I'll do a proper post soon, with pictures of recent events and fabulous dinners. Last night I had goat vindaloo at an awesome Indian place! It was my first time trying goat, and I loved it. Not at all as gamey as I'd expected, it was reminiscent of lamb. But more on that later, in food post that's going to be way too long.
Here's Ricky and I at Busch Gardens. I rode roller coasters. It was horrific.
Ta for now!
♥

Louisiana Oil Spill

(source)

They're saying that this may be worse than the Exxon Valdez was back in 1989.
It's peak nesting season for dozens of species of shore birds. This oil will make it's way onto beaches and into marshlands. It will affect oyster beds, shrimp, and countless other varieties of wildlife. On Fridday they found the first oil covered bird in the Gulf. A Northern Gannet, which will be fine and is probably going to be released in about 10 days. Some speculate that the spill is leaking around 25,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
The economy will suffer as well, as beaches shut down, it will affect hotels, restaurants, boat tours, and so on.
This is bad times.
We're expected to see the oil here by Monday.

how to change your oil

I posted a list a while back of things that I think women should be able to do. The only one that got any "well... I can't do that one" feedback was that women should be able to perform basic auto care tasks like changing a flat tire and changing her own oil.

Here is how to do the latter, as I had to do mine the other day and decided to document it in photos.

First, you need to removed your old oil filter. I drive a VW Golf, so mine is a little difficult to get to, but some cars have it more conveniently located, I'm sure. Make sure that you have an oil pan positioned under your car to catch the oil that drips out.

There it is! The cylindrical orange thing.

You can use one of these, an oil filter wrench, but most filters now have a non-slip grip that makes it possible to unscrew it with your bare hands. It's not easy, but it's doable. Once your filter is off, just drop it in your oil pan.
Now (once you've jacked your car up, if necessary) is the fun part. Wiggle underneath your vehicle, and towards the very front (right under where you just took off that old filter) you need to find this bolt.I needed an 18mm ratchet, but you'll need to try different sizes until you find the wrench that fits.
Loosen and then unscrew the bolt.
And let your used, black oil drain out into your oil pan. Any spills can be sopped up with cat litter, or if you act fast you can remove them by scrubbing them with laundry detergent. Quickly though, because oil will stain concrete, and it's unsightly.
Once the oil is done dripping out, replace the screw and tighten it back up with your wrench.
Wipe off your hands, because they're probably pretty messy by now. Be sure to toss any oily paper towels into your oil pan, as those aren't the sorts of things you want laying around.
Now for your new filter! So shiny and orange!
This part can be a little tricky if your hands are still a little slick. If your filter doesn't have a non-slip grip, donning a latex glove works just as well.
Now it's time to replace all that oil you drained out. Unscrew your oil filler cap (it's the one with the oil can on it) and insert a funnel.
Add your oil! As far as how much goes, it varies from car to car. Check your manual!

Now keep in mind that once you pour it in, it hasn't made it's way into the filter yet. Add your oil, check your level, then start your car and let it run for a minute. Turn it off and check your level again, and add more oil as needed. Your oil level should be between the two marks on your dipstick.

That's it! It really is super simple. I hope everyone who thought they couldn't change their own oil feels a little more empowered now!
*Make sure that you take your oil pan containing all your used oil and oil filter to your local auto hobby shop (WalMart does it too) to have it disposed of properly. Don't keep it hanging out in your garage, and don't get "creative" in getting rid of it.*

Dinners, awesome gifts from B.Cooley, and creepy under-the-rug messages.

Brittany Cooley of How To Eat A Cupcake is awesome and I miss her.
I want to go back to Germany just to hang out with her and make coffee with her.
Today I received a gift box in the mail from Mrs. Cooley, and it was like opening a big box of Cooley thoughtfulness. It made my day. Probably my week.

Black Truffle infused oil, two gorgeous planters, and some awesome German peppermint chocolate. Seriously Cooley, why are you awesome?
Brittany Cooley is expecting, so now I get to return the favor with adorable baby things.
Can't wait.
I've been an awesome little cheffy lately.

Wednesday night: Skirt steak with avocado and cilantro salsa served in flour tortillas.

Thursday: Roasted rosemary potatoes and salmon with capers, along with (hand!) Frenched green beans with dill. Ever French a green bean? It's a pain, but it looks so nice!
Tonight: Ziti with bacon, asparagus, and peas. The sauce was an amazing combination of parmigiana reggiano, cream, lemon zest and juice, basil, parsley, olive oil, and some of the starchy cooking liquid from the pasta. I loved this, but if you don't like asparagus you could substitute any vegetable you desire. I served my pasta with garlic bread and a nice semi-dry German Riesling and it worked really well.
On a less happy side note, we're pulling up the carpet getting ready to install our Pergo, and we found this written on the foam liner thing under the carpet in our office closet. It used to be a little girl's room. Creepy, no?
Gave me the heebie jeebies. Why is it under the carpet?! WTF?

Goodbye Weekend

So for dinner last night I made pork chops seasoned with herbes de provence and red pepper flakes, along with some green beans and wild mushroom polenta. The whole meal came together in less than 25 minutes, it was awesome. This was probably my favorite pork chop dinner to date.

As promised, here are pictures of my garden. It's my first time planting anything, so there isn't much to show. But I'm excited, nonetheless.

Thai Holy Basil. Smells like heaven.

Cucumbers, cayenne peppers, thyme, jalapenos, basil, oregano, strawberries, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash. Oh, and random carrots. I didn't think the carrots would grow (they were the only thing I bought in seed form) so instead of doing it right, I just threw them into the garden, literally. Turns out they took. So they're kind of all over the place. Ha.

Look at the yellow squash go!

The squash plants are huge. I actually started out with four, but two didn't make it. I'm sort of glad, since these two are almost taking over the garden.

Here are the dogs, not digging a hole in the yard?

No really, definitely not digging a hole.

Just watching something... over here...

These are growing all over my back fence. Blackberries? Anybody know?

I'm picking up Braden all this week, so I'm going for easy, quick, very few dishes involved meals. Tonight I made my Moroccan chicken. It was a success, naturally. I can't wait to make it with zucchini from my garden!

I'm starting another Jillian Michaels DVD this week. Her yoga one... I have about 10-15 pounds that I still want to lose. I'm down to a size 4 now. I've honestly never been a size 4 in my entire adult life, it was a really exciting jeans purchase. =)
I think if I combine the yoga with the 30 Day Shred and continue to eat well, the weight should come off easily. I'm looking forward to it, especially because I'll be in Key West in three weeks!
Right then, I'm off to bed! Goodnight!

It's like having my own diner. Except I do all the work and nobody pays me...

So the other night I made meatloaf.
I'm afraid of meatloaf. It sounds weird, it looks weird, and there is a lot of random stuff involved.
I kicked meatloaf's A.
For serious.

Beef and pork, buttermilk, breadcrumbs that I made fresh from butter croissants, parsley, egg... wrapped in bacon. Peppered bacon. Served with homemade Vidalia onion gravy, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. I should seriously start making dinner, and then giving Ricky a bill, hahaha. This could easily fetch $12 at a diner.

Today was my day off, and I started it in the best way!
Julia and Jacques was on PBS!

They made lots of shellfish, and it was awesome.

Then I used my kitchen motivation to craft this tasty little bugger.
It's a rhubarb tart with red wine caramel.
Red. Wine. Caramel.
Yes, yes, it was as amazing as it sounds, don't even ask. Served up with some cinnamon whipped cream, it was bliss. Ricky had seconds, and he's not even a sweets guy.

Happy belated Earth Day everyone! How did you celebrate? I transplanted my tomatoes, and then got dressed up and had drinks with some of the fabulous ladies from Starbucks. I'm sure that somewhere in the world, it is customary to celebrate Earth Day with a martini.

Of the three places we went, 600 South was my favorite.
I'm taking Ricky there tonight, and afterwards we're going to watch my boss's band, Schofield, play at the Pensacola Fish House. Should be a good time. It would be even better if I didn't have to work 6-3 tomorrow.
Have a great Saturday night everyone! ♥

Bon Vendredi!

First of all, this is now mine.

We finally decided that we couldn't stand the sight of our old dishwasher, oh, and that we were tired of it being broken, and bought this sweet Kenmore puppy. It matches the fridge, which is awesome, and with the rebate that the state of Florida is giving for Energy Star rated appliances, we ended up getting it for around $300, which is awesome-er.
In other Powell household news, the Westies finally got their hair cut. Pretty short this time, what with the hell fires of Floridian summer coming up.

Malo Shakur.

And Pirate Eye Maggie.

The baby bluebirds have left the nest, and are clumsily flying around the back yard.

My backyard was invaded by this beast the other day.

Turtle!
I have finally perfected my buffalo sauce recipe, and I'm not sharing. Unless you ask nicely.
As well as my tomato sauce recipe. Which is really simple but amazing.
Blanche and peel your tomatoes, and make a sauce with fresh herbs, olive oil, a little butter, salt, fresh garlic, and shallots.

On a depressing side note, I'm sad.
A very good friend of mine has recently cut me out of his life. We were really close in Germany, and I considered him one of the best friends I've ever had. He started dating his ex high school sweetheart, which is awesome, but apparently she decided, even though she's never met me, that she doesn't like me, and so he cut all ties, without explanation. I had to send him an e-mail (sheesh) asking what was going on, and only then was I informed. Pretty lame. I don't understand how some girls can get so insecure and immature. I'm not angry with her, I don't know her, I'm just deeply hurt and offended. I lost a very close friend, and the only reason seems to be that I was judged before she knew anything about me, and that, well, men are morons.
On the bright side, this occurrence forced me to look at some of my own behavior. When Ricky and I started dating, I was 18. And dumb. I told him that I didn't want him talking to his ex anymore. He obliged, even though they had stayed good friends after their breakup.
I sent her an email last week (thank you, Facebook) and told her, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I was so childish and insecure that I took your friend away from you."
She wrote back, and was really kind and understanding.
I told Ricky that if he wanted to be friends with her, it didn't bother me. And it doesn't.
I felt like I grew up a little.
Here's a thought: Maybe loving someone doesn't mean controlling every aspect of their life!
lol.
There's a quote about holding onto love firmly enough to keep it, but not so firmly that you crush it. This made me think of that quote.
Soon to come: Pictures of my mammoth squash plants and my budding garden.
Now I'm off to make meatloaf, for the first time ever. It sounds not so fun. Wish me luck.