Beef Stroganoff and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This is a delicious recipe that adds a new flair to an old standard.  Hope you like it :)

Beef Stroganoff
 Ingredients:
1 package Stew Meat

3 oz butter
8 oz egg noodles
2 tsp Alpine Touch
2 tsp Mediterranean Oregano
2  Mediterranean Basil
1 Zucchini (peeled & diced)
1 Summer Squash (peeled & diced)
8 oz package Cream Cheese
2 tsp Orange Emulsion
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/8 Cup Orange Juice 
1/2 Cup Cream
1 tsp Parsley

Directions:
Melt 2 oz of butter in heavy bottom skillet.  Add stew meat, seasoning,and brown the meat, this should take about 6-8 minutes total.  While stew meat is being browned boil water in a separate pan for the noodles.  Add noodles and boil until al dente.  Drain and set aside the noodles once complete.  Once browned remove the steak from the pan (I store in the microwave to keep warm).  Don’t clean out the pan to ensure maximum flavor.  Add the final 1 oz of butter to the pan and add the diced veggies.  Cook until softened about 2-3 minutes.  Once softened add the cream cheese and the orange emulsion, simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about minute or two to mix.  Add the steak back into the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and warmed.  Serve by pouring sauce over the noodles when ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients:
3 Large Russet Potatoes (Peeled and chopped)
1 Cup Cream
2 Oz Butter (unsalted)
Seasoning (Basil, Alpine Touch)
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
2 Radishes (Minced)
3/5 Cup Shredded Cheese 

Directions:
Put into the potatoes into a pan and almost cover with water.  Boil until potatoes begin to soften (you should be able to mash them easily with a cooking spoon).  Empty any excess water.  Turn the heat to Low.  Add the milk and butter.  If you do not want lumps in your potatoes now would be the best time to use the whisk to eliminate any lumps in the potatoes.  Add the remaining ingredients mix and turn to Simmer until the cheese is thoroughly melted.  The potatoes should now be ready to eat.  You can add a dash of Basil on top when served to taste.  

Brown the seasoned meat

Brown the meat and boil the potatoes

Saute' the veggies and boil the potatoes

Add the sour cream and orange emulsion while finishing boiling the potatoes

Add the sour cream, OJ and cream

Add the final seasoning to the sauce and finish boiling the noodles while adding butter and cream to the potatoes

Finish simmering the sauce and add remaining ingredients to the potatoes

Serve & Enjoy!

WALL-E

I was sure that I had already done a review on this awesome movie, but it looks like it got missed somehow.  I introduced Liam to it about 6 months or so ago and he loved it so much that I finally bought it for him.  It is a great story with a very intense message that revolves around a robot named WALL-E and his robot love interest EVE (WALL-E calls her Eva).

WALL-E Was released in June of 2008 by Pixar studios and is considered a CGI romantic comedy.  WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter – Earth-Class) Is a robot that was created to help clean up the trash on Earth in the future (2805) when Earth has become covered and uninhabitable.  He falls in love with a robot that is brought down to Earth named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator).  When she is taken by a spaceship back out into space he follows her on an adventure that will change the destiny of robots and humans alive.

WALL-E grossed over $63 million in it's opening weekend ranking it 5th in the Pixar movie releases.  However it took over in the award wins and got excellent reviews all around.  2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Film, 2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation the final Nebula Award for Best Script the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film and the Academy Award for Best Animated Film as well as being nominated for five other Academy Awards. WALL-E ranks first in TIME's "Best Movies of the Decade".

The film was seen as a critique on larger societal issues. It addresses consumerism, nostalgia, environmental problems, waste management, the immense impact humans have on the Earth, and the direction in which the human race is headed.

In my research as to the making of WALL-E because I like to include some of the background in my reviews it was so extensive that I was blown away.  WALL-E was originally worked on in 1995 after Toy Story was completed but it wasn't until 2002 that it was really picked up again.  Originally it was to have a lot darker tone and aliens would have sent EVE to Earth instead of humans.  There was originally no happy ending and I have to say that I like what they ended up going with a lot better than the many concepts.  Most Pixar movies require abotu 75K story boards, whereas WALL-E took over 125K to give you an idea. There was extensive thought to go into the lighting and the colors that were to be used. 

Suffice it to say this movie required a lot of work, and the hard work paid off phenomenally.  This movie stood out spectacularly with a very limited amount of speaking, but it was not needed to get the point across. The visuals and the communication of the robots was done brilliantly and my son loves the movie and can connect with it.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone.  Somehow you find yourself lost in the robtos and rooting for WALL-E and wanting him to get the girl and have his true love. 









Here is the official Disney site: WALL-E

Bubble Tea: My Addiction

So I have to admit that from the first time that I ever visited San Diego (Back in 2002) I had my first Boba Bubble Tea.  It was in the Asian section that I was taken to by a guy that I was dating at the time.  I was immediately hooked and had to have it several times before we left and missed it desperately.  I had my mom order the stuff and we made some at home for awhile, but then I hadn't had it for years until a little shop started selling it here in Texas.  This reawakened my addiction and recently I decided that I needed to start making my own at home again.  As I rave about bubble tea I get a lot of people inquiring about it, so I decided to do a blog on some of the background of bubble tea to inform everyone who has been deprived of the awesomeness that it bubble tea.


Bubble Tea, Pearl Milk Tea, Boba Milk Tea, Boba Tea, Momi, Momi Milk Tea, etc Originated in Taichung Taiwan in the 1980s and has become so rampant that it is like going to get a soda here in the US.  Boba is slang for large breasts in Taiwan and that is what the large Tapioca pearls were referred to as and how it started being called Bubble Tea (In addition to the bubbles on the surface of the tea caused by shaking of the ingredients).  You may also hear the pearls referred to as ZhenZhu Chinese for Pearl.  In June 2012, even McDonald's started offering Bubble tea in Germany and Austria. 





The teas contain a tea base usually green or black tea, they are then mixed with fruit or a type of milk.  There are also ice-blended variations that are closer to a slushie as well as many powdered or syrup flavors to add a multitude of flavors.  You can use fruit and natural ingredients for a healthier way to make your own flavoring. 

There are hundreds of variations to the flavors and the ways that they can be served, but there is always tapioca and always tea if you want to go traditional.  There are powdered creamers, actual milks, such as dairy, soy, rice, almond, etc.  Flavors can come from syrups, from fruit, from powdered mixes.  Most shops will sweeten their tapioca pearls with simple sugar or honey but I have made it without sweetening many times and it tastes just as delicious. 

The oldest known bubble tea consisted of hot black tea, small tapioca, condensed milk and syrup or honey.  Usually the bubble is a chilled drink but you can have it warm or hot as well and it tastes just as delicious!  The small tapioca was also replaced with the large tapioca.  I have even seen some recipes that called for cubes of coconut jelly to replace the tapioca and for coffee instead of tea.  Essentially the possibilities are endless with over 250 variations readily available.

I have gotten quite a few recipes for flavors from scratch that we will be trying out and I will post a blog in the near future about how to make certain Boba/Bubble Teas and the recipes that we tried and approved of.  Now you know a little bit about Bubble Tea and if you like tapioca pudding and you like tea, I think you will most likely enjoy Bubble Tea.  Some people find it weird to "chew their drink" but if you can get over that, I think that it is awesome and fun and delicious!  I hope that you will at least give bubble tea a try sometime if you ever get the chance.  If you are ever in my area let me know and I will make some up for you!

My three favorite flavors right now are HoneyDew, Cantaloupe, and Hibiscus, but the possibilities are indeed endless!  

Lemon Oregano Chicken Tenderloins

A quick and easy delicious recipe :)  You can change the flavor in so many ways! 

Ingredients:
6 Chicken Tenderloins
1/8 Cup Lemon Juice
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Orange Emulsion
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Oregano, Tarragon)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.  Combine the Lemon Juice, Oil, and Orange Emulsion in a bowl and mix.  Cover a shallow baking pan with tinfoil.  Take each tenderloin and coat in the lemon mixture and place upside-down on the tin foil.  When complete season the bottom and  turn over.  Season the top of the chicken and slowly pour the remaining lemon mixture over the chicken.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for a couple minutes, serve and enjoy!  

Combine the oil, lemon juice and orange in a bowl

Coat the chicken with the lemon mixture and place on the tinfoil

Season both sides of the chicken and top with the remaining lemon mixture

Serve & Enjoy!

My song for today

Random Liam Moments from the Past Month

Liam has had some great random moments recently and just thought that I would share some of them with you to make you chuckle like I did, and perhaps you can make some comments on them as well :)  Comments are always welcome :)  Welcome to motherhood of a now 3 year old boy.

*When Liam woke up from his nap earlier today he had gotten out his photo album from his 2 year old class and had it beside the bed since he must have been looking at it to fall asleep, I thought that this was cute and put it away, when I went to lay him down for bed tonight he lifted up his pillow and had taken two picture of just himself out and had put them under his pillow.... I have no idea what to think about this haha. At least he was happy in both pictures, maybe he wanted to be happy in his dreams, any ideas? (Perhaps he got it from Lilo & Stitch)

*Liam is currently eating his mandarin oranges by picking up an orange with his fingers placing it on the top of the fork, bringing the fork to his mouth and then picking up the orange with his fingers and putting it into his mouth..... there's got to be a better way haha

 

*

Liam just told me he was hungry for a burger and I told him we needed to eat healthier now that the holidays were over. He said "ok I want a cupcake" haha. Lesser of two evils I guess haha

Liam has learned to say "excuse me" after he burps, and today he started telling me that it came from his tummy haha.  

Liam has to hug and kiss both the dog and cat multiple times before bed and also say goodnight to the moon and stars.

Liam has decided that he likes tea in addition to cocoa now :)

 We ordered the stuff this evening and Liam and I will soon begin making out own bubble tea at home yay.  Honeydew is our first flavor.  

Liam prefers his cheap construction trucks to his trains :(  Stupid expensive Thomas haha

Liam has started learning words to songs he hears repeatedly and sings along zealously, especially songs from movies, and he makes up the parts he doesn't know, just like the rest of us haha

Despicable Me 2 has been the reigning champion of the house along with Bolt, Wall-E and Airplanes....  he hasn't even wanted to watch anything on Netflix lately it's crazy...  George still takes over every night before bedtime though.

When grandma was here visiting she rocked Liam to sleep one night and now every night after being put into bed, Liam will come out into the living room with a blanket and want to rock for a few minutes and then he is good and will go climb back into bed and go to sleep.  I don't mind it at all because I was sad when he stopped wanting to be rocked and it lets me hold him close and snuggle him a little bit more :)

 Liam refuses to wear any shoes except for his Cars shoes that light up.  The only way that I can get him to wear another pair of shoes is if he is still asleep when I go to get him dressed for school and I can sneak some on him and get him out to the car before he knows what's going on. 

Liam seems to only crave pizza, burgers and chocolate right now.  He will still eat other things, but that is all he asks for and the occasional cupcake ;)

My song for the day

 

Italian Chili Recipe

This is a fairly easy and painless way to make chili.  Although I love chili with sausage in it, it can get a little too greasy so I prefer to use half sausage and half hamburger to keep the Italian flavor but reduce on the grease.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Ground Sausage
1/2 lb Ground Hamburger
Seasoning (Garlic Powder, Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, Crushed Red Pepper, Crushed Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme)
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
2 14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
1 15 oz can Black Beans
1 15 oz can Kidney Beans
1 Red Pepper (Seeded & Diced)
1 Zucchini (peeled & chopped)
1 Banana Squash (peeled & chopped)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
Shredded Cheese to top

Directions:
Put the ground hamburger and sausage in a skillet to cook on medium heat and season.  Cook until thoroughly browned and strain the grease.
In a big pot add the tomato paste and then fill the can of paste with water and add to the pot.  Add both cans of diced tomatoes and both kinds of beans.  Cook on med-high heat.  Add the vegetables and cook until thoroughly warmed turned to simmer.  Add the meat when browned and mix thoroughly, sprinkling with additional spices, cook on simmer for about 5 minutes.  Serve and top with shredded cheese.  Enjoy! 

Brown the sausage and hamburger

Seasonings I used

Add the tomatoes, paste and beans and mix

The beans and tomatoes I used

Add the veggies

Add the meat

Sprinkle some additional seasoning

Top with cheese and enjoy!

My song for the day

Zumba Fitness World Party

 Every year I create Amazon wishlists for my parents to give them an idea of what they can buy for Liam and I.  I always suck at finding anything outside of books to really get me, but this year I was perusing the Kinect workout games because as much as I love love love my Zumba Fitness Core, I was starting to wear out all of the workouts and all of the music, and was in desperate need of something to change it up.  I was finding myself going back to old standards like Hip Hop Abs, which as much as I love just doesn't quite give you the cardio that you get from Zumba.  Needless to say when I came across Zumba World Party I HAD to get it!  I was so excited I could barely wait until Christmas to try it out.  The first day it came I was prepared to start my workout and was pumped up and for some reason I couldn't get it to pull up on the XBox.  I was devastated.  I wasted almost 40 minutes trying to get it to work before I gave up and decided in disgruntlement to do a different workout.  It took some fidgeting in the daylight but finally it worked like nothing had been wrong the night before.

Since I finally have started the world party workouts I have to say that it is an increased tempo and much more intense in a good way.  The makers decided to pick shorter songs to give you more of a chance to try out more kinds of dance and target more body parts in a single workout.  I think it was genius.  I did a short 20 minute medium intensity workout tonight and it had me pretty worn out by the end of it.   It is kind of daunting when you are used to only 4 or 5 songs and instead you get 7 or 8, but they are shorter and staggered more with intensity.  I love the fact that dance is used from all over the world.  My only real complaint is that in all of the other Zumba Fitness workouts you had very clear visual clues and in this one they are harder to recognize against the background when you are in mid dance.  Also the screen set up on World is a little different from the previous Zumba workouts so it has just been taking a little bit of getting used to.  The instructors are much more realistic looking and have better hair movement like you would see in a unreal game engine for PC games (oops I may have just geeked some of you out sorry).  Also the Zumba streak indicator gives you the number of Zumba streaks in points reminiscent of how many hits you got in an action or first person shooter console game so it gives it added video game feel.

This is the only Zumba Workout game thus far that does give you the added option to World Travel mode and go through 7 destinations around the world and focus on the dance styles for those locations instead.  This is an amazing added dimension on top of the other great qualities of class picking by length and intensity as well as customizing your own class, doing a song at a time, learning the steps and even the zumba world edition found on all Zumba games that allow you to live connect with a current ongoing Zumba class that is being broadcast. 

Overall I give this workout 5 stars.  Someone on my IG (InstaGram) just recently wrote a testimonial about losing 70 pounds on this workout alone.  I use it predominantly for cardio and because I thoroughly enjoy it which makes me look forward to working out.  The music is the best yet and reaches many different cultures.  I love the diversity and learning dances from around the world!  It will be quite some time before I wear this one out.  I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys or would like to look into working out at home! 
*This workout is also available for Wii

Here is the official website for Zumba Fitness: Zumba World Party

Here is my review for Zumba Fitness Core: Zumba Fitness Core


My song for today :)

ABCs of Me

I used to always love filling things like this out, and haven't come across one until randomly today so I thought that I would share some random facts about me for any of my readers are are interested!  Enjoy!  Feel free to share yours as well

A -Age: 29

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: cleaning the tub/shower

D - Dog's name: Kiri, Kiribear

E - Essential start your day item: shower

F - Favorite color(s): Blue, Black

G - Gold or Silver: White gold

H - Height: 5'4"

I - Instruments you play: I am instrumentally challenged

J - Job title: Threat Analyst II

K - Kids: Liam

L - Living arrangements: House with Liam & I

M - Mom's name: Gina

N - Nicknames: Britt, Britt Buns, 2 Cute, DewGoddess, Brittalee, Britt Dawg, Britt Britt, etc

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Pregnancy

P - Pet Peeve: Horrible drivers

Q - Quote from a movie: "Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without, forget your head and listen to your heart. Find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, you haven't lived a life at all"

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Shayna

T - Time you wake up: 4:30am or 5am or whenever Liam wakes up

U - Underwear: G string is normal

V - Vegetable you dislike: onions

W - Workout style: Zumba, Pilates, Hip Hop Abs, Weights, Isometrics

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, wrist, head, foot

Y - Yesterday's best moment: Snuggling on the couch with Liam

Z - Zoo favorite: Zebras, Koalas, Penguins

*I said I was going to start adding a song a day, so here is the song that has been with me throughout this day enjoy!

2013 Playlist

I have though a lot about incorporating a song into each blog that I write and things that had inspired me for the day and that is likely something that I will start to add, but in the meantime, I would like to share with you a list of some of the amazing songs that changed my life, made life better, brought contemplation into my life, made my happy and made me cry.  Enjoy, there is no particular order to this.

It was just this year that I discovered Zedd and I have loved every song that I have heard thus far.  Great beats, great lyrics and great concepts :)  You may also know them for their more popular song Clarity which I also long, but I can remember the exact moment that I heard this song for the first time and instantly loved it!

There is not a single Lindsey Stirling song in existance that I do not love.  But this has remained by far my favorite.  I love here amazing electric guitar and her ability to give you the feel of the entire story of the Phantom and Christine.  Also being a huge Phantom fan may have added to it.  I think that she did an amazing job in this cover.  If you have not yet heard of this amazingly talented woman than you should do yourself a favor and look her up, I have a feeling you will fall in love with her violin skills as well. 

Lana Del Rey-Young and Beautiful.  Something about this song that you just hear it and love it and can feel the emotion behind it with Lana's hauntingly beautiful voice.  I admittedly didn't like Lana on the first song I heard by her, but once this song came attached to the Great Gatsby I was hooked and have found many more of her songs to love.  As a lover of Great Gatsby I was dying to watch it and would listen to this song over and over again, although the movie disappointed me, I never stopped loving this song.

There are so many Maroon 5 songs that I would have had a hard time picking just one, but when this song came out it took over me, it just made me want to be in love.  I wanted to have someone in my life that this song could be about :)  

I fell in love with this song from the first moment I heard it.  It was the first time that I found John Legend sexy and just listening to it made you want to get up and dance and feel sexy to your very soul and then I finally watched Think Like A Man for the first time and my love Michael Ealy and those eyes, that this video that goes with has definitely gotten tons of play.  This song has been my reigning ringtone for at least the past 4 or 5 months now.

Then we come to Celldweller with the Wings of Icarus.  The first time I heard this song I was driving to work, and normally I would have skipped it for the slow start but it was haunting and I liked it and then I listened to it more and I loved all the many instruments that were incorporated into it and how it flowed throughout the song, I thought it was beautiful

Marketa Irglova and Glen hansard have been two of my favorites since I was first introduced to the amazing movie Once years ago.  I have carried this song with me throughout the years and it always speaks to me.  I love it

Every now and then you hear a song and from the beginning you just know that it is going to be epic.  That is how I felt from the first time that I heard Heart Attack.  You just feel emotion and soul from this song.  (The official video wouldn't allow embedding)

Then we come to the amazing talented and beautiful Sia.  She has amazing lyrics and I love her voice.  I fell in love with her on David Guetta's Titanium

There are so many amazing Florence and the Machine songs, but I love this one!  The lyrics are great and I love the music to it the rapture and the feeling of giving in completely.  If you have never gotten into Florence & the Machine they do a lot of really amazing songs

This is another gem that I have Pandora to thank.  Charlene does an amazing cover of The Callings song.  I love her voice and her take on this song.  It is always so beautiful and makes you want to sing along with her.

This song also follows me through the years with the amazing collaboration of Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan that make me want to find this kind of love.  Also it is from Spirit one of my all-time favorite movies.  Such a beautiful song that always gives me hope in love. 

One of my all-time favorite Flyleaf songs and something that I have dedicated to a friend in my life. 

When I am at my low and feel like I can't go on anymore this is exactly how I feel when I try to give love a chance and a relationship a chance and it all just blows up in my face I just have to blast this song.

I love Ellie and my Pandora station dedicated to her has gotten me through many things.  And this is one of those songs that I embrace and blast when things are going wrong in life.

There have been a lot of times in my life in the past year where I preferred songs without words and I discovered this amazing song that I instantly loved as well.

I know I already had a Maroon5 song on here but this is the long distance lovers anthem and so many times in my life I have felt this exact way and I embraced this song with my soul when it first came out.

The first time I heard this song I knew exactly how she felt and I cried and cried knowing that feeling, and I listened to it many times throughout the year remembering the feeling of foolishness and could relate to almost every single lyric in this song.

This is the greatest song to hear and belt out when your frustration level is at an all-time high

This is another song that will always stay with me because I feel like Michelle and I share in our weirdness, and I always crave that one guy that "Gets Me" one day this song will be true in my life. 

I love this song, it has such beauty in it's own unique love song quality makes me happy whenever I hear it.  Ranks in my top Coldplay songs along with The Scientist.

If I ever get married, this song will play at my wedding.  It will always go with me through the years as well.  Whenever I hear Adele's remake I just get mad and need to hear the original to make it all better since no one can sing this song like 311.

My all-time favorite Counting Crows song....

When I need peace and freedom in my life and thoughts I always turn to Lisa Gerrard and this epic song from Gladiator.  

But you can't find peace in Now We Are Free without some of Enya's May It Be

Although I love so many of Sade's songs, Soldier of Love has helped me out a lot this year. 

This song always makes me want to give love a chance again....

And last but certainly not least is Frou Frou's Let Go.  I always feel like anything is possible that no matter what happens you need to take a leap of faith in love and in life. 

Despicable Me 2

Liam picked this one out to get for Christmas, so we have finally been able to watch it :)  I must say that it was a delightfully great movie.  More minions, more Gru, more of the girls, plus some awesomeness with Lucy Wilde voiced by one of my favorites (Katherine Wiig from Bridesmaids).  Liam was definitely into it and loving it the whole way through!

This is the sequel to Despicable Me (obviously) and you don't need to have watched the first one to enjoy this one, but it will give you some background to the story.  However this one easily stands alone as a great movie.  They did a great job with the sequel with bringing back a lot of the stuff that you love and adding in a lot of new elements, such as a new arch enemy for Gru.  Gru teams up with Lucy Wilde and the Anti-Villain League to stop the spread of a horrible serum that turns good creatures into purple furry evil creatures. 

Despicable Me 2 came out in 2013 as a sequel to the 2010 film of the originating name.  It was released by Illumination Entertainment and is the first ever sequel to be produced by them.   With a budget of $76 million dollars it grossed $918 million, suffice to say it was a box office success. It was the second highest grossing film of 2013. 

Benjamin Bratt voiced the villain El macho who was originally supposed to be voiced by Al Pacino who left the film due to creative differences just a month before premiere. At the time of his departure, Pacino's character had been already fully voiced and animated.  It always cracks me up to think of Russell Brand voicing Doctor Nefario.  No matter how many times I watch the films I just have a hard time picturing Russell Brand behind his voice haha. 

I must admit that I didn't realize that Kristin Wiig also voiced Miss Hattie in the original film, so that makes sense that they would bring her over into this one as well.  Her and Steve Carrel (Gru's voice) play off one another very well.  I would love to see them in a real-live comedy together someday. 

Excited future news is that a spinoff film titled Minions is set to be released in July of 2015 and will focus on the awesomely amazing minions of Gru.  It will features the Minions in the 1960s before meeting Gru as they try to compete to work for Scarlett Overkill voiced by Sandra Bullock.  There is also rumor that a Despicable Me 3 is in the works.

Overall I highly recommend this film to anyone and give it 5 out of 5 stars



If you would like to see the Move site go to: Despicable Me.com