LOST

I will be LOST without it.

One of my FAVORITE shows of all times.

I realize that I throw the word "favorite" around too easily. I usually declare that something is my favorite every day. Whether it be with food, clothes, rooms in the house, day to take a shower, places to buy groceries... etc.

But this was REALLY one of my favorites...

Actually, one of OUR favorites. We looked forward to it every week. We celebrated the beginning of the season with a party. We celebrated the end of the season with a party. We researched story lines and hidden meanings. We stayed up late in to the night discussing "what ifs".

Well, actually I would always stay up late in to the night. Staring at a sleeping Kev - hoping he would wake up to listen to my theories.

He never did. He thinks sleep is important.

But most of all... we felt connected to the characters. We discussed them as if they were friends. We felt their pain and stress. And mourned the loss of them.

We LOVED this show so much. And we were sad to see it end. Especially because we still have SOOO many unanswered questions. I was hoping to get a little more out of it. To give my brain a rest. But that is what makes the writers good at what they do. They always keep you guessing.

The good thing is that we spent our last night watching LOST in style. And threw an incredible party.

For just the two of us.

It started when I arrived in my special island attire....


Notice the big yellow flower in my hair. It is freshly picked ( from my closet). And my hair was wet because I just got out of the ocean ( shower).

I put this outfit on at the last minute. On a whim. And then decided it to be so festive that we needed to dress up as characters.

( and yes, I happened to have this in my closet because you never know when we are going to throw an island party - and I have to be prepared)

And we needed to document our costumes. With a photo shoot.

And so we did....




Kev is dressed as Sawyer. Forever topless with jeans on. I decided to be Kate ( #1 because I look just like her and #2 because I just wanted to)

( And for the record. This was the most festive outfit that Kev had as I forced him to throw out all of his Hawaiian shirts when our closets merged in 1995. What teenager wears Hawaiian shirts? In the 80's and early 90's?? Apparently Kev did. And now I regret my forceful nature as those shirts would be coming in handy right about now)

Then we hid amongst our palm tree and fruit tree....

We are so serious about this. And not laughing at all.

And I have to say that we look pretty cool. And LOST - like.

A day in the life of us can some times be TOO MUCH FUN.

(and just in case you were wondering..... our pics were taken by our featherless crew that lives next door)

But the party doesn't technically start until the food arrives....

Kev made grilled vege kebabs....

And grilled chicken and pineapple....

And I made a citrus pound cake with fresh whipped cream ( we put the grilled pineapple on top of the cake).....

Just like they ate on the island.

If they had a grill. And an oven.

Oh.. and I just realized that I forgot about getting a picture of the pina coladas and crab dip. That was our appetizer.

We spread the meal out over the 4 1/2 hour finale.

We laughed and we cried. And I cried. And then I cried some more. And I think that my heart broke about eleventy thousand times.

But other than that.... it was SUCH a fun evening. And a great way to bring closure to our watching of LOST.

And for those of you who think we need to get a hobby.... Our hobbies include cooking, grilling, throwing parties, picture taking, playing in our backyard, spending time with each other... and watching TV.

It was a PERFECT day!

Except that LOST is over.

Cinco De Mayo

The fifth of May.

I just remembered that I used to do newsletters for a company that I worked for. Back in 1996-1998. And my first issue was released on Cinco de Mayo. And it was a hit.

Not because I was clever. But because I worked for a company that sold trains. Electric and toy. And I was the only ray of sunshine amongst a group of middle aged grumpy men that spent all of their personal time with a train.

Basically any thing that I said was fun. And hilarious. And I guess it shows that I always wanted to write. With a sense of humor.

But I remember starting my newsletter off with "Happy Cinco de Mayo". And the president of the company responded within five minutes of it's release with a "Happy Cinco de Mayo to you too".

And the whole company thought I was so creative.

If they could see/read me now...

Then they would know I was crazy.

Any way....

I celebrated the 5th of May with an incredible group of girls.

That means I went out. To a restaurant.

My life coach has been working hard on me this past month.

And I'm here to tell you that it was SO.MUCH.FUN!

I spent the evening with Laura's best friends. Friends that have adopted the "old lady" to join in on their fun.

And I really think that I have met the most incredible group of girls in the world.

Where were they when I was growing up?

Supportive, genuine, welcoming, funny, smart, and loving. And fun!

I love them all!

So, even though the restaurant was packed. And our meals may have taken longer than normal to be prepared....

I had an incredible time!

And I was thankful that Laura introduced me to them.

But I couldn't leave Kev out of the celebration. As we live for holiday celebrations.

So, the next night I gave him a choice....

He either lays on my Mexican rug (from Epcot) on his belly ... like a baby... with no clothes on except for the hat (from Epcot)....

Or he puts the blanket on with the hat and poses.....

He chose the second one. To keep this blog - PG.

And then he asked me.... "why am I doing this again?"

And I said "because you love me" AND "I need pictures for my blog".

No worries... His reward was a yummy Mexican dinner complete with fresh guacamole.

Only our favorite food of all time....

Generous Family And My Kitchen

Wow. What a creative title. I might get famous for that one.



Not.



I decided to tell it like it is and not try to come up with something catchy - not that my usual titles are catchy - but hopefully you get what I am trying to say.



Because I don't.



Anyway.... I'm taking you back a little bit. To April. And telling you about some house guests and their amazing and generous gifts to us.



Gifts that made my kitchen squeal with delight. And yes, it was my kitchen that squealed. Or maybe it came from Kev. I just know that I was in shock and awe and excitement. And was too busy breathing in to a paper bag to have time to squeal.



Kitchen gadgets MAKE.ME.SO.HAPPY.



It all started when these folks showed up.....






On the left is my sister, Holly, and her husband, Kris. They drove in from Maryland on the Thursday of the cookout. ( The other two people in the pic are my nephew, Michael - yes, he is SIXTEEN years old.. almost SEVENTEEN... and that freaks me out to no end - and his girlfriend Sam.)



They presented me with this.....

It is a garnishing set. A GARNISHING SET. Who would have ever thought of such a thing. Besides the fact that the book is upside in the picture - it comes with all sorts of amazing tools to do crazy things with. Like curl butter.

I have officially refused to eat my butter any other way.

And you can make this....

A porcupine made out of a fig with melon balls on the side. I feel like I haven't lived as I have never known of such a thing.

In fact- I've never even known that a fig looked like that. The ones I've seen have been inside two soft chewy cookies and have the last name of Newton.

Regardless, gadgets + playing with food + entertaining = why did I not have this already.

Oh... and then there is this thing....

A PINEAPPLE SHIP! I'm eating one right now as we speak. Or type. Or read. Whatever. I mean, I didn't really need an excuse to enjoy eating my food any more than I already do. But thanks Holly - it has brightened my life. You know me too well.



And then there are these folks....

My Aunt Sandi and cousin Ross.

They came in from Nashville and decided to join our household for a couple of days.

A household that I like to describe as "laid back chaos".

Come on over. You will understand what I mean.

Me and Sandi go WAY back. Like to my birth. She was my fashion source. The creator of my shopping addiction. The reason I LOVE celebrities and gossip and movies and tv.

Oh, and she knows how to throw a great party. And by great I mean... SO MUCH FUN!

She is the reason behind this family....

That is my Uncle Bud in the background. He gives the BEST hugs in the world. They may pop a bone or two - but you know it is filled with love. And then there is my cousin Scott. (Ross' older brother) Scott's wife Brandy. And their three kids... Jackson, Elizabeth, and Nathan.

They were supposed to stay with us too... but ended up only being there for the day. The drove in... relaxed... went to the wedding... left at 10 pm at night. If that is not a whirlwind trip - I don't know what is.

But the point of all this - is not how much I love them. Or how happy I was to see them. Or how great it was to see Kev and Scott reunite after several years ( they are BFFMs by the way) (which means best friend family members).....

But to tell you that THIS is what they left behind....

An unnecessary thank you gift. BUT PERFECT AT THE SAME TIME. I mean... really? Every thing that I've been wanting and then some. And it is all from Williams Sonoma.

The store that has my drool on the front window.

It was Christmas in April as far as I was concerned. And I left all of the items laying out on my guest bedroom bed for a month. So I could walk by the room and look at it all in awe. Some times I get things and then worry that they are too precious to use in an every day occasion. So I save them until the right moment.

Even though I have been wanting oven mitts for eleventy thousand years because mine are so deteriorated and ridiculous. Oh and I got some COLLAPSIBLE MEASURING CUPS! Just like the ones Laura got at her bridal shower.

They make me feel like a young bride!

Spatulas. They are only like my favorite gadget of all times. Because there are so many shapes and sizes and responsibilities of them. And I need them all to feel complete.

And then there are the aprons. Only my new obsession. They make me feel feminine ( a difficult task) and like a real chef.

As for Kev. He usually gets left out of the gift giving. Because he is a guy and all and why would he care what we receive for the house.

And really... that means there is more for me.

But not this time....

Kev got his OWN apron. And his OWN spatulas. And if there is any one that loves spatulas more than me... it is Kev.

And here is the proof....

A boy's life was made. In my very own backyard.

And the grilling he produces with his new apron and tools... is better than ever.

You will have to take my word for it - unless you are in the area. Then stop by.

We always have plenty.

Thank you Martin family! It was awesome to have you as guests!!

And now... I've got to get back to my collapsible measuring cups. I can't tell you how fun it is to figure out all of the small places you can store them. Because they are collapsible. Which makes them flat.

I entertain easily.

Kooking With Kim - A Recap of May

For those of you who have just started reading this blog... I know how to spell "cooking" but choose to spell it with a "k" to show my creativity and cleverness in making words match my name. Also, if you remember correctly - it is the name of the cooking show that I will eventually host on public access cable tv in Gaston. Right after the "How to communicate with a turkey" show and before the "how to change a tire on a mobile home" mini-series.



We are a solid community here. And do whatever we can to help others.



So, I realize that I haven't posted a lot about cooking lately - and to be honest - it has been a slow month. We have been eating take-out a little more than usual. And with all there is to celebrate in May - we've been eating in actual restaurants. Actual restaurants with the public.



I can't tell you how difficult it is to eat supper in anything other than pajamas.



And to eat any way other than caveman style. My style of choice.



That all being said - I did manage to get some good meals out of the month. And much to the delight of my sister ( not naming names but starts with a B) I will recap the menus with pictures for you.



( My sister whose name starts with a B doesn't particularly care for stories about cooking and prefers to eat all of her meals in a fairy tale setting with characters by her side. She also hasn't aged in years even though she has had multiple birthdays. It must be something about living in Orlando)



Meal #1 - Pioneer Woman's POT ROAST

I have made pot roast more times than you can jump rope without messing up. That could mean as little as one time or as many as 30. It depends on how talented you are. The point is that I have made pot roast multiple times. Always in a crock pot. Always the same way. Until I met ( stalked) Pioneer Woman.

She makes hers in a Dutch Oven ( on a stove - not in the bed) and I was intrigued. I saw the recipe in her fabulous cookbook - but didn't decide to make it until I watched her on Good Morning America. She was preparing the roast for the hosts of the show. And it looked scrumptious.

And so easy.

It is basically the same concept as the crock pot. Just throw a couple of things in to the pot and stick in the oven. Except for this one included HERBS. Fresh herbs. My new found love. I'm embarrassed to say that I have used dried herbs for years and years. And completely disregarded the "fresh" part of the recipe. But not any more. Fresh is the way to go for sure.

It makes me feel special to buy them. I may or may not even smell the package a little just to give the impression I know what I am doing.

This pot roast called for rosemary and thyme.

Three hours later....

It was divine. Trust me.

Meal #2 - Jambalaya

#1. The picture is gross. Sorry folks.

#2. I made WAY TOO MUCH for my family of two. Resulting in a week's worth of leftovers. Lesson learned.

#3. I added sausage this time. It was pretty good.

#4. I love to number things.

#5. The fun part of this meal was that I made mini parmesan sticks out of phyllo dough, fresh parm and paprika. And then put them in a glass to make us feel fancy.

And yes, it worked....

Meal #3 - CINNAMON TOAST - Pioneer Woman.

I can't even begin to tell you how yummy this was. Like super caramelized sugary, cinnamony (yes, it's a word), buttery goodness.

It is definitely a process - but totally worth it.

Something that my sister, B, would LOVE. Even though she doesn't like toast!

Who in the world doesn't like toast?? It's just not normal.


And then we come to MEAL #4 - my childhood favorite.

Hamburger and French Fry Casserole....

I got this idea from Laura. My SIL. She posted a childhood favorite recipe - one that she had made for Dave. And it got me craving my childhood fave.

I mean - we are talking hamburgers and french fries. With cheese. In one big dish.

Why it is not every one's favorite, I'll never know.

I decided to gourmet it up a little though. For the sake of my reputation.

I added fresh mushrooms, onions, and all kinds of spices. Other than that it is hamburger meat, french fries, cheddar cheese, and cream of mushroom soup.

It is the best comfort food. And makes me think of childhood, family, love, warmth, happiness and cholesterol.

Add some peas and some Sister Schuster's Yeast Rolls - and you've got a reason to high five your loved ones.

But I couldn't leave it at that... I had to add my childhood favorite dessert.

Lemon Pie.

Every summer, my Mom used to let each of us pick our favorite dessert to make. We would take our turns making our dessert to share with the rest of the family. I always chose lemon. Without meringue - of course. ( Meringue is such a waste of mouth and tummy space. I don't get it. )

This pie is tart, sweet, smooth, cold, refreshing and satisfying.

I even squeezed fresh lemons to make it.

I can taste it in my imagination just by looking at this pic. It is that powerful.

So, that pretty much wraps up my month in the kitchen. But never fear... I've got plenty of ideas and recipes to get back on track.

And I'm sure you are waiting with baited breath to hear about them....

Summer Fever

There is something to love about every season. And believe me I do love every season. And I love that we HAVE four seasons. Unlike some of my family members.

But summer.... I'm head over heels in love with you.

Summer means lazy days. Grilling. Swimming. Sun tans. Flip Flops. And watermelon.

My days off have become more precious and just don't seem long enough to enjoy every thing that I love.

But I try my best. And savor every second.

And drink a couple of these....

And then I do every thing I can to try and tell you every incredible thing I've done this past month.

Believe me. I've got stories to tell. About Cinco de Mayo. Gourmet meals. Family. Additions to my kitchen. My new car. The season finale of LOST ( boo hoo). AND one of the best weekends ever - Girls Weekend (plus Dad) in Orlando.

Let's just say that 2010 is shaping up to be a pretty incredible year.

And I'm loving every second of it.

And really the only negative so far is that summer means I have to pack up the cowboy boots - my prized possession and ONLY comfortable shoes for work.

But never fear - they have been replaced for the time being.

With this....

A girl has got to maintain her Southern charm somehow.

Earth Day?

Well that's what I'm going to call it.

Because I missed the actual Earth Day. It must have been all the working. Or cooking. Or sleeping.

Even though it is common knowledge that I don't sleep much.

Regardless. My plan was to plant some things in honor of Earth Day. Even though I don't plant. Which meant I would need Kev. And the likelihood of us meeting in the yard.... In the daylight... is slim to none. So the fact that I was FORCED to have my wisdom teeth removed worked in our favor. Because we actually had a day off together.

And we decided to spend this "once in a lifetime" day off together doing yard work.

Except for I should explain that Kev did all the yard work. While I sweated. Profusely. And pointed to where I wanted the flowers planted.

It's important. Planting flowers that is. Flowers bring a yard to life. Bring a home to life. Bring a girl to life.

And these were no ordinary flowers. They were "Love in a Mist" flower seeds. Given to us by this beautiful lady.....

Meet Cindy. Laura's incredible Mom. She can do anything and everything. And she proved that when she made these....

It is an origami envelope. HAND STAMPED with a bird ( theme of wedding) in purple ( color of wedding - which also happens to be Prince's favorite color of which Laura probably sings his songs on some fandangled karaoke machine to groups of strangers - I'm just sayin'. Prince seems to show up in most aspects of life- for instance ...I'm constantly partying like it is 1999.)

Anyway - I do not think you realize the TIME and the DETAIL that went in to these wedding favors.

I. WAS. BLOWN. AWAY.

Inside the packet was a printed card that gave the planting instructions. And an envelope full of the seeds.

It was all tied together with a thin white ribbon.

She made hundreds of these. HUNDREDS. Such love and dedication. And patience.

( Patience = Not Me. Which means I would have attempted to make one. Then given up. Put all of the seeds in a huge bucket with a sign that says "take a handful and don't make a mess". And then would have baked a dozen cupcakes to make myself feel better. I'm better at baking than crafts - you know.)

The point I'm trying to make besides the fact that Cindy is AWESOME is that these seeds are precious. And deserve a proper planting. And hopefully Kev will take care of them because as I'm writing this - I realize that I have no idea where the seeds are planted. I'm just waiting for the final results.

So, Kev packed up his planting gear plus the flowers that the next door neighbor brought over and we headed out in to the fields...

That is my special watering can that Kev bought me. Because I HAD to have it. I would probably use it more if it had my monogram painted on the side. And maybe a pink polka dotted bow on the handle.

Kev are you reading this?

We chose our flower garden to plant the new flowers in. It was created by the last owners of the house and produces a couple of beautiful roses in the Spring.

Kev strategically planted the newbies in a way only a yard nurturer knows how.

And now we just have to wait. Patiently.

Which is no good for me.

The Wedding Of The Century

It is finally the BIG day.

April 10, 2010. The day my brother got married.


With his best friends beside him.....

To this beautiful lady and her best friends... ( except for he only married the beautiful lady... not her best friends. That would be weird. And illegal. )

And I don't think you could have found a family that was happier or more proud...

They danced to a Merle Haggard song... "Natural High". Which was selected by Dave and fitting for their relationship....

It makes a heart happy to see two people so in love....

Especially these two....

The wedding was INCREDIBLE. Laura's mother really knows how to make an experience memorable.

We laughed. We danced ( there may have been some moon walking involved and a dance off or two).

We celebrated the uniting of two families. We celebrated the uniting of two incredible people. We celebrated the endless supply of laughs and Miller Lite.

We caught up with old friends. We shared hilarious stories from the past. We made new friends...

(pictured: Marines - Danilo and Kelly)

And the best man, Tyler, delivered an unforgettable tribute. About a fellowship and a quest for a wonderful marriage.

And I didn't want the night to end. Because it was just that awesome.

But they had to start their new lives together at some point...

So they honeymooned in Jamaica....

And lived happily ever after....

The End.

Pre- Wedding Resting. And Yes, I'm Still Talking About The Wedding.

We have finally made it.


To the day of THE WEDDING.


And my happiness is overflowing.


And so is my energy.


And I have NO CLUE as to how the bridal party is surviving at this point. I mean... they have been partying like it is 1999. ( been there. done that. 11 years ago.) And they have a wedding to perform.



But as for the rest of us....


It is relaxing time.


No responsibility. Except to show up on time. And look cute.


Wow. Looking cute could take a while. I better start early.



But for right now. It is all about getting our beauty rest.....



So, I decided to be all Anne Geddes and force my niece to pose....


She wasn't too thrilled about it. But, she is a teenager. So, she is not too thrilled about anything. ( God bless all of the people who had to deal with me as a teenager. It must have been miserable)



And yes, that is my favorite EXTRA LARGE orange flower that ensures my level of attention received is EXTRA high.


And then there is Bethany...


Who slept on my couch. And caused commotions. And demanded constant attention.


She is the baby of the family. If you didn't know.



So, we spent one of the BEST days of my brother's life..... watching MTV.


And recapping all of the great food we had eaten over the last couple of days.


(Well, maybe that was just me.)



Until the pool started calling our names. The pool that was 68 degrees.



And that is when I decided to just sit outside (of the water) and enjoy the day.



But these two are NO FEAR swimmers.....



They had a plan. A pretty good one. According to Jackson... you get more and more used to the water with each step. And it wasn't really that cold at all ( said with chattering teeth).



And they had SO much fun!


They were a blast to watch. Children have such great imaginations.
And I also got to catch up with my Aunt Sandi.

Until the crazy, frantic rush started for us to get ready. Bethany, Ashlynn, and I took over the master bedroom and Kev's bathroom to get glamourized. And after a couple hours, excessive heat ( from shower and hair straightener), and ridiculous looking fake eye lashes that burned my eye balls.......

We made it on time. And looked like this....

We would have made it earlier if it wasn't for Kev - taking SO long to get him self together. All of five minutes.

And now - it is time to let the CELEBRATION begin.....