Yes, We've Become THOSE People

 

So Sierra is the best puppy in the world.  

She also has an amazing ability to make us feel incredibly guilty about leaving her home alone.

Who could say no to that face?

Well, we couldn't. 

 Hence bringing Sierra anywhere we can.

Like...

Out to Lunch at Tartine.

OR

To the BEACH

Sierra loved the Beach!

Especially all the doggies to play with.

We're still working on getting her comfortable with the water.

She is terrified of the water.

 

Ben is trying to bribe her with a treat into the water. 

Not working so well...

More puppy adventures to come.

PUPPY!!

We got a PUPPY!  

Ben and I went to the Escondido Animal Shelter 

yesterday and fell in love with this 

lovable face.

We would like you to meet SIERRA!  

She is a beautiful 

American Staffordishire Terrier mix!

Sierra is so loving 

and when she approaches you 

she will immediately lay down on her back 

so you can rub her belly.

She is an extremely smart dog!  

We have taught her how to sit & lay-down.  

We are working on staying, 

not jumping (when she gets excited) 

and walking nicely on a leash.  

She definitely has 2 speeds.... 

Energizer Bunny

and 

Couch Potato

 

Looking for a New Hobby....

So I have been trying to find a hobby.... 

especially since afternoons/nights that Ben are flying are extremely boring.  

I have always wanted to try Yoga or Pilates 

so I Googled "Yoga, Coronado" and found a Center.  

Ben was flying last night until 7:30pm 

and there was a Pilates' Beginners class from 6:15 - 7:15pm.  

So I went!

I had no idea what to expect since I have never done a Pilates class.  

It was a mat class.  Lots of instructional-led stretching. 

 Knew most of the stretches/poses we did... but surprisingly, it really worked!

My abs definitely got a workout!  

I really liked the class!

Even though it was a beginner's class, 

the instructor always showed us some modifications to make it more challenging.  

I was pretty proud of myself... 

I was able to do all of the "harder" modifications, 

except for one.  

I plan on keeping up with Pilates and am looking into trying Yoga too. 

 There are 3 beginners' classes at this center... 

Iyengar Yoga, Flow Yoga, and Forest Yoga.  

Any suggestions?

Adventures in Cooking II

BEER CHICKEN

Ingredients

- Whole chicken

- Can of your favorite beer

- Bottle of your favorite marinade

- 4 cloves of garlic

Directions

1. Marinade the chicken overnight

2. Drink half of the beer and put the garlic in the beer can

3. Jam the beer inside of the chicken 

4. In the casserole dish, mix chicken broth and extra marinade

5. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes

6. Turn down to 325 for an hour

7. Dump the rest of the beer into the casserole dish and use as a sauce!

Beer Chicken with Roasted Red Potatoes

Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients

- Red potatoes

- Onion

- Garlic Salt

- Pepper

- Italian Seasoning

-EVOO

Directions

1. Slice potatoes and onion

2. Coat in olive oil and season liberally 

4. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes

Teriyaki Salmon

Very easy and fast dinner!

Directions

1. Marinade salmon for at least 30 minutes

2. Pan-fry (about 5 minutes each side)

3. Serve with brown rice

Eggplant Pasta

Ingredients

- Eggplant

- 4 TBS of olive oil

- 1 tsp garlic, minced

- 1/2 tsp Chile flakes

- 4 small tomatoes, diced

-1/2 cup of cream

- 4 TBS basil, chopped

-1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Slice the eggplant to resemble pasta

2. Combine the olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, eggplant and tomatoes until eggplant is cooked through

4. Add the cream and increase heat to      thicken the sauce

5. Add basil and Parmesan, continue "tossing" the eggplant to coat

"Grown-Up" Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

- Bread

-Swiss cheese

-Tomato

-Avocado

- Mushrooms

Directions

1. Layer ingredients

2. Pan-fry with a little bit of olive oil 

Good Things Come in 3's

So last night I had an 
INTERVIEW
for a nanny position... 
and
Came home to 
BEN COOKING a

PORK ROAST
With 

ROASTED GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 1/2-pound) boneless pork loin
• 2 heads of garlic, roasted
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water
• Directions 
• Season pork loin with salt and pepper and roast at 475 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
• For the vinaigrette: Place the roasted garlic, parsley, and balsamic vinegar in a blender. Pulse the machine until blended. Drizzle the oil into the blender while the machine is running. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, and water and blend until incorporated.  Drizzle over roast.

PLUS

Ben's friends, Sperling and McManus,

 were over as well and while waiting 

for dinner to finish cooking

 they put together our
BAR STOOLS!

CONCLUSION... 

Benji is a wonderful husband 

AND

 Sperling and McManus are not allowed to go to Guam.... 

Never go to a Shelter if you don't want to come home with an animal...

So Ben and I, along with our friend Brandon, went to 2 animal shelters today.

The first one we went to, we loved this Basenji... sadly, it didn't get along with cats.  Of course, the one Basenji that doesn't like cats, the breed known for liking cats.  Though I personally think that the reason why 80% of the dogs in the shelter weren't compatible with cats is because the cat they tested it with is large, aggressive, and doesn't like dogs.  So.... I think he would get a long fine with Lucy.  Isn't he cute?!?

The next shelter we went to almost all the dogs we liked weren't available to be played with!  So frustrating.  The one dog that was available for immediate adoption was Murray, a Labrador, Chow Chow mix.  Sadly, Murray was very much neglected by his previous owners.  So neglected, he has no idea how to interact with humans.  He gets so stressed out by humans, he paces and keeps his tail between his legs.  You reach out to touch him, and he shys away, like you're going to hit him.  Of course, I fell in love with him.  The trainer suggested teaching him how to interact with humans by giving him a treat everytime he comes up to one of us... in other words, lots of positive reinforcement!  So we are going to go back on Tuesday when they reopen and bringing dog treats.  If all goes well, we might be on the road to adopting Murray!!  I really don't think he'll be adopted or the people adopting him will have the patience to help him adjust to humans and teach him how to play.

Our Apartment

Ben and I are slowly getting furniture into our apartment... we decided to go with the "basics" first and got a bed and couch.  

When I first arrived, we unpacked everything... and put it all away... and slowly we formed a landfill in our dining room.  

But we finally got our "act" together and bought more furniture.  Instead of using a box for a "coffee table" we bought a coffee table!  BTW, I LOVE IKEA.  Inexpensive, but decent furniture.  We had a furniture putting-together party.... where I made dinner and Ben and his friends put together the furniture.  Need to get things done around the house?  Provide Navy sailors with free beer and a homemade dinner and whala!  The furniture was all put together!!!

OUR LOVELY FURNITURE=)
Thanks to Ben's Navy friends... and my home-cooking!

We're working on getting a bigger TV...

Such a comfy couch!