Our area got some really great news last week. There's a new music venue that has opened up downtown with the purpose of providing a great place for local and outside talent to perform. We have a grand history in music, but currently no great place for that music to be heard. Thanks to some great people, we now have that place. Friday night they held a free concert of some up-and-coming talent, and M and I jumped on the chance for a *free* date night. Actually, it turned out to be fairly expensive because after a long and hard day at work Friday, I drowned my sorrows in the sales racks at Belk. It was all in the name of needing something cute to wear on our date. I saved more that what I spent. You'd be surprised how little comfort that provided to M. Nonetheless, I looked great for our date. There were a couple of opening acts, one was awesome, and the main show was wonderful.
I should mention that one of the people responsible for this new venue by way of a new record label started with some other amazing people, is John Paul White. Uh-huh. Of the Civil Wars. So, you can imagine the heart palpitations that ensued when I turned around during the opening act and spotted him. Boom. Ten feet away. Since he lives in the area, and it was his party, it really shouldn't have been a surprise. Also, I don't want to start rumors, but I'm pretty sure we had a moment. Let me clarify that to mean a moment where he saw me look at him and thought to himself, "We really should have screened these people at the door." Truthfully, my only desired communication with him would have been to ask that he book his brother and amazingly-talented sister-in-law (Grace & Tony) for a concert, like A.S.A.P.
Since we're incredibly cool and hip people, we left the concert around 10:30. We then went to the same place we first met on a Friday night almost nine years ago to the day. Wal-Mart. Actually, this time we went to the new Wal-Mart Market, but the reminiscing was the same. We unloaded our groceries around midnight, and promptly conked out.
Saturday was spent the way the first Saturday of college football should be spent - working on our new house. I'm trying to cope with this reality. This is my life until Mid-October. Floors are coming along, and most of my cabinets are built and ready to be painted!!!!!!! We did manage to watch the Alabama game, although we started it about an hour late. Thankfully, I was at least able to salvage some football watching during the evening to restore balance to the day.
Sunday was sort-of a blur, I know there was oversleeping, church, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Old Navy, dinner, bed. I'm leaving out something, but that was two days ago - let's not stretch the brain too hard today.
Yesterday we got more flooring laid! I had some incredibly awesome chicken stew, and then I laid on my bed while C & M did other things. I don't know, I wasn't watching. The dust from the house had caused my sinus to drain and swell in such a way that I was basically in an awake-coma. I am currently in the same status which I why I can think of no coherent way to wrap all this up.
I'll just go now.
Oh, I will share my recipes from Saturday. I was really tired of junk food, so I made a roast and mashed potatoes with green beans. The green beans were canned, so I'll just skip that one.
Roast Beef
2.5 lbs. chuck roast
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can low-sodium beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
1 envelope onion soup mix
Put it all in the crockpot and turn on low for eight hours. Use a gravy separator (if you're cool enough to have one- I'm not) to separate the leftover juices in the crockpot. Mix 2 tbls. of water and cornstarch together and whisk into the juices to make gravy. Simple, but AMAZING.
Mashed red potatoes
3 lbs. red potatoes
1 stick of butter
4 oz. cream cheese
milk
salt
pepper
Dice potatoes (skins on or off-your choice), boil in water until smashable. Drain, and return to same pot to evaporate remaining water (that's a Rachael Ray trick). Cut up butter and add to potatoes. Add cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add milk until you reach desired consistency (I like mine thick).
You're welcome. I promise.
I should mention that one of the people responsible for this new venue by way of a new record label started with some other amazing people, is John Paul White. Uh-huh. Of the Civil Wars. So, you can imagine the heart palpitations that ensued when I turned around during the opening act and spotted him. Boom. Ten feet away. Since he lives in the area, and it was his party, it really shouldn't have been a surprise. Also, I don't want to start rumors, but I'm pretty sure we had a moment. Let me clarify that to mean a moment where he saw me look at him and thought to himself, "We really should have screened these people at the door." Truthfully, my only desired communication with him would have been to ask that he book his brother and amazingly-talented sister-in-law (Grace & Tony) for a concert, like A.S.A.P.
Since we're incredibly cool and hip people, we left the concert around 10:30. We then went to the same place we first met on a Friday night almost nine years ago to the day. Wal-Mart. Actually, this time we went to the new Wal-Mart Market, but the reminiscing was the same. We unloaded our groceries around midnight, and promptly conked out.
Saturday was spent the way the first Saturday of college football should be spent - working on our new house. I'm trying to cope with this reality. This is my life until Mid-October. Floors are coming along, and most of my cabinets are built and ready to be painted!!!!!!! We did manage to watch the Alabama game, although we started it about an hour late. Thankfully, I was at least able to salvage some football watching during the evening to restore balance to the day.
Sunday was sort-of a blur, I know there was oversleeping, church, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Old Navy, dinner, bed. I'm leaving out something, but that was two days ago - let's not stretch the brain too hard today.
Yesterday we got more flooring laid! I had some incredibly awesome chicken stew, and then I laid on my bed while C & M did other things. I don't know, I wasn't watching. The dust from the house had caused my sinus to drain and swell in such a way that I was basically in an awake-coma. I am currently in the same status which I why I can think of no coherent way to wrap all this up.
I'll just go now.
Oh, I will share my recipes from Saturday. I was really tired of junk food, so I made a roast and mashed potatoes with green beans. The green beans were canned, so I'll just skip that one.
Roast Beef
2.5 lbs. chuck roast
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can low-sodium beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
1 envelope onion soup mix
Put it all in the crockpot and turn on low for eight hours. Use a gravy separator (if you're cool enough to have one- I'm not) to separate the leftover juices in the crockpot. Mix 2 tbls. of water and cornstarch together and whisk into the juices to make gravy. Simple, but AMAZING.
Mashed red potatoes
3 lbs. red potatoes
1 stick of butter
4 oz. cream cheese
milk
salt
pepper
Dice potatoes (skins on or off-your choice), boil in water until smashable. Drain, and return to same pot to evaporate remaining water (that's a Rachael Ray trick). Cut up butter and add to potatoes. Add cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add milk until you reach desired consistency (I like mine thick).
You're welcome. I promise.
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