Blah.

Got a regular monsoon going on here today. Seriously. It's pouring and it's gray and it's windy...blah. The worst part about spring is that so much of early spring is nothing but a tease. Cold and wet all winter, then suddenly - a beautiful day. Maybe two or three in a row. Start getting excited, thinking it'll start warming up a little bit, then suddenly BAM! Mother Nature throws her clothes back on and giggles in a corner. Basically, I have just compared Mother Nature to a psychotic stripper. Go figure.

Anyway, on to other things. I finally downloaded the photos of our master bedroom after it was painted and the furniture put back in place. Now I am working on finding a comforter/duvet color that will coordinate and then some curtains. Oh, and we need to attach the mirror to the dresser too...minor details. Anyway, here are the "finished" photos:

Another thing I need to figure out is what in the world to put on that wall shelf. It's not convenient, and almost anything put up there will just be a dust collector. I thought about plants, but getting up there to water would be a nightmare. Any suggestions?

I thought I would share this with you all as well. St. Paddy's Day, while it ends up being more about the kids than anything else, is also our anniversary. Liam was well aware of this, and so after practice and his shower, he disappeared into his room saying he was going to be late for dinner. He came down a little bit later (NOT late for dinner) with an envelope for Phil and I. This is what was in that envelope:

Let me translate that for you - "Happy St. Paddy's Day for you and your love. May luck fill your day. From Liam. One for you and dad!". The "one" being a dime for each of us from his jar of coins. He created this all by himself, including the Irish-sounding saying. It was quite possibly one of the sweetest gifts I've ever received - complete with hand-drawn shamrocks. I'm seriously beginning to think that all kids have some sort of multiple personality disorder...if they're not killin' ya, then they're knocking you dead with sweetness!

Now, boys and girls, it's time for Cook's Corner! Just kidding...anyway...I found this recipe in the Feb/Mar 2010 edition of Cook's Country magazine and it just sounded really good. I knew Phil would like it - it's basically a cross between meatloaf and a cheeseburger...how could he not?!? The man would not survive if he could not have regular access to red meat. Seriously. 

Back to the recipe - it's really, really easy and doesn't take very long. Much shorter cooking time than a regular meatloaf. AND it even passed the Liam test! Apparently, it's based off a 1960's promotional campaign run by Kellogg's and Sego/Pet evaporated milk companies (history lesson for the day). And boy, are they delicious! So simple, yet so darn tasty! So, here are your instructions!

(Sorry for the lovely photo - it's the only one I have...but don't they look GOOD?!?)

Long Boy "Burgers"

Ingredients:

2 (6-inch) sub rolls, split in half lengthwise

1 1/4 c. cornflakes, crushed

1/2 small onion, minced

1/3 c. whole or lowfat milk

6 TB ketchup

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Salt and Pepper

1 1/2 lbs. 90% lean ground beef

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Toast rolls - Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat over to 450 degrees. Bake rolls, cut side up, on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.

2.  Make Meat Mix - Combine cornflakes, onion, milk, 4 TB ketchup, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic powder, egg, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in large bowl. Add meat and knead gently until well combined.

3. Bake Burgers - Top toasted rolls evenly with meat mixture, spreading meat to edges of rolls. Brush top of meat mixture evenly with remaining ketchup and bake until meat registers 160 degrees, 20-25 minutes. Top burgers with cheese and continue to bake until cheese melts, 3-4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Notes:

1. Make sure to keep a VERY close eye on the buns - I got sidetracked and ended up scraping black off of a few of the rolls. 

2. It isn't completely necessary to have the wire rack inside the baking sheet, but it helps - it keeps things from getting soggy and keeps the cheese that falls off the meat from burning onto the bread.

3. Make sure to spread the meat mixture to the edges of the rolls - you don't want any more opportunities to burn the bread!

One last thing before I go - I ran across this the other day, and it is SO COOL! Being that it's "spring", love is in the air and all the little critters are doing what little critters do in spring - that's right, procreate. Well, this is an owl box set up somewhere in California (I think) and this incredibly dedicated owl mom (Molly) currently has 4 chicks (homely little things, for the moment) and one egg that is due to hatch around Wednesday-ish. Her mate will swoop in every so often with some food (mostly rabbits) for her to eat and share with the chicks...makes a ton of noise when he does, too! Anyway, if you get a chance, check it out. But beware - it's addictive! Here's the site: http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

Go forth and stay dry!