So Cute They Should Be Illegal

Remember my post, "Bunny?"

Remember how Ms. Eliza Doolittle did so little that her first litter didn't make it at all?

Ms. Doolittle has redeemed herself. Bunny was one of hers; it was one of five babies. The remaining four have been cautiously watched by Daughter #2. Below is the result of the partnership between Ms. Doolittle and Daughter #2 (with some fresh garden greens and plenty of water, too).



Now, who wants a bunny?

And the Addiction Has Kicked In...

Oh friends, it has started. Sweaty palms, ignoring phone calls and email, hell- ignoring family members! Wednesdays at 9:00 pm EST, I'm a goner. The Doctah comes over (and hopefully My Favorite Local Celebrity will, too, now that she's been invited) and we watch- enraptured- and then discuss.

Its Season 5 of Project Runway , bitches!

Okay, so Episode One: I think the judges missed the mark. I liked the winning design, but do you remember Master Guru Gunn's comment during the work time? He warned the designers that they were all using "fabric substitutes" and were not very creative. So the winner has those awful coffee filters on the poor model's breasts and vacuum cleaner bags for the skirt, and those aren't fabric subs?

Easily the most innovative and chic design was Daniel's va-va-voom blue party cup dress. I'll never remember kegger parties the same way again. He was robbed.

Episode Two: Couldn't you just feel for the designers when Master Guru Gunn said the models were going shopping? Oy, I could already see that even with what, a dozen models?, there wasn't enough brain power to get what was needed for one dress, much less all twelve.

I also think that the "green" emphasis was an afterthought. I thought for sure that the judges were going to tear into Stella for her golden monstrosity (below), especially after Nina said "Short and shiny equals trashy." I've put a favorite design of mine from the episode below it for a comparison so you can see which dress should have been in the Top Three. And yes, my opinion means EVERYTHING!!!



That's all on PR for now. Other news? Mr. Fix has returned from a beer-soaked weekend in Minneapolis, soundtrack courtesy of Ween , and another birthday is done. Back to Renovation '08- and now comes The Cabinetry. This, dear ones so concerned with my mental health, will be a separate post.

As for me, I'm in full-on training mode for my fall marathon , even going so far as to make a pact with The Devil to do either tempo runs or speed work once each week. By the way, The Devil is female, blonde, and in the public relations field. She may come across as friendly and fun and a great conversationalist, but those charms are just part of her masquerade. Do not be fooled.

Tomorrow is another local 5K, and Mr. Fix swears he's going blueberry picking. Have a great weekend.

"Its a New Recipe."

This entry is supposed to be included in a family reunion cookbook that my sister, Katie, is putting together for the August shindig. Being the picky eater that I am, you must understand that I would never steer you wrong on white trash goodness. Honestly, any recipe that starts with "1 lb. ground beef" and is cooked in a 9 x 13 pan can't be all bad. I dare you to try this.

Growing up in a family of nine children, those were the most dreaded words we could hear from our mother when one of us asked, "What's for supper?" It took a special skill set to feed that large of a family, and my mom was always one to give a new recipe a try, especially if the first ingredient listed was "1 lb. ground beef."

My husband, Mr. Fix, and I only have two daughters, so a compendium of meals featuring hamburger is not really necessary. Factor in that I'm a vegetarian, and suffice it to say that any meal from my childhood better be adaptable and damn delicious.

This one makes the cut. I've adapted it a bit from the original recipe (which I'm sure came from an issue of Better Homes and Gardens or Woman's Day), but the idea is the same: a delicious, quick, one-serving-dish meal. Enjoy!

Tato Taco Casserole
1 lb. ground beef, turkey, or veggie crumbles cooked with taco seasoning
1 can black beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 c. instant mashed potatoes
1 c. water
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. chopped green onions
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
approximately 1 to 1 -1/2 c. of shredded salad greens, diced tomatoes, chopped green peppers, sliced black olives (optional), diced jalapeno peppers
2 c. crushed corn chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare you meat or meat-alternative as directed for the taco seasoning packet (if you make your own taco seasoning, good for you, but the stuff in the packet is just fine. I swear.) Add the beans to the seasoned meat and set aside.
Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a separate bowl, combine the instant potatoes, water, green onions, and sour cream. (The original recipe only called for half of these ingredients' amounts; we like it doubled up as it makes for a heartier dish.) Press this mixture into the bottom of your baking dish, and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.
Remove the dish from the oven, spread the meat & bean mixture over the potatoes, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and top with corn chips, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Serve it up with a smile. Just like their mother before them, our daughters (photo below) Daughter #1 (left) and Daughter #2 love this dish. We even call my sister, Katie, when we're making it, just to rub it in.

Bunny

I came home from work on Monday and found Daughter #2 looking at the grass very, very closely. The picture above is what she found: Bunny.

We looked around for the nest with no luck. We figured that a wild bunny (not one of the three we keep in pens as pets) was moving the baby from one spot to the next, got startled, and dropped this creature. Daughter #2 was warned not to touch it too much in case Mama Bunny returned, but no sooner had I gone in the house when I looked out the window and she had Bunny in her hands, gently stroking its tiny body with her finger.

When Mr. Fix got home, I let him handle the situation (he is the animal lover of the two of us). It was decided that Mama Bunny wasn't coming back, and Daughter #2 could bring Bunny inside, kept warm in a shoebox lined with dried grass and soft cotton balls. Bunny was fed lukewarm milk through a medicine dropper. Daughter #2 knew from the outset that Bunny surviving was a long shot, but she insisted she'd like to try to take care of things.

Monday night brought severe thunderstorms with horrible sheets of rain. Poor Bunny would never have survived the night. Tuesday morning, and Bunny was still breathing, still taking milk by the dropper-full every hour or so. Tuesday when I returned home from work, Bunny was still hanging tough.

Today I stopped home on my way to Marquette for work, and yes, Bunny was still okay. Daughter #2 was very cautious and gentle with Bunny, not handling too much except for feedings.

On my way back from Marquette, I called home to check in, and Mr. Fix informed me that Bunny was gone. *sniff* Daughter #2 was understandably sad and took to bed to sort things out. Mr. Fix buried Bunny in the back garden.

Upon further investigation, Mr. Fix found out that one of our rabbits, Eliza Doolittle, had babies, and that Bunny was probably one of hers that had been dropped through the bottom of the cage. We suspect the dog, F*#!@ Jackson, picked up the fallen Bunny with his soft mouth, and dropped it by Daughter #2's feet. For the record, this is Eliza's second litter, and she doesn't know a damn thing. None of her babies have survived as she basically ignores them. Doolittle, indeed.

Cue Sir Elton's "Circle of Life"...have a great week.

New Rules

Rule #1: Do not allow guests to talk you into doing shots before you've finished your supper.
Rule #2: Do not consume shots that look and smell like cheap strawberry-flavored soda (aka "Red Pop"), even though you LOVE said soda.
Rule #3: Remember Rule #2 after your guests tell you the name of the shot is the "Cherry Bomb" and it "tastes just like cheap red soda."
Rule #4: Do not sit in the corner chair on the veranda when drinking with said guests; this makes it difficult to escape.
Rule #5: Do not think for a second that the delicious apple spice cake with cream cheese frosting you made for said guests will be appreciated; you have probably already ignored Rules 1-4.
Rule #6: Do not litter the veranda table with six or even seven bottles of wine, too many airplane bottles of liquor, beer cans and Red Bull cans, and cocktail glasses; it's just a big mess you'll curse about under your breath the next morning.
Rule #7: Just because you went to bed at midnight doesn't mean it was an early night. You forgot to take two aspirin before bed.
Rule #8: Remember that the neighbors might not enjoy your vintage Rolling Stones on vinyl.
Rule #9: Do not attempt to continue walking/wearing the cute shoes you started out with at the beginning of the night; since you've ignored all of these rules, you are too drunk to wear shoes, much less walk around unassisted.
Rule #10: Resist the urge to "Drunk Dial" anyone, including your siblings who have called to share their fun times with you many many nights.
Rule #11: Remember that strong, hot coffee is a great remedy to a hangover. If that doesn't work, just go back to bed for an hour.

Remember these rules, friends. I've lived through NOT following them, so please, trust me on this one.