A love for lists part 2

Here are some fun facts:

1. I enjoy organizing.  My shoes are all in clear plastic boxes.  At this moment, my clothes are sorted by color and by style - 3/4 length, jackets, button-downs, and so on
2. I get up at 5am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to work out before work.  Crazy I know.  My husband is my trainer - every crazier.
3. My dad is a twin and I secretly wish Lane and I could have twins also.
4. I never make up my bed unless I am expecting company or the sheets are freshly changed.
5. I went through a brief "punk" phase in high school - black Dickies-brand pants, black plastic bracelets.  It lasted only a few weeks and there are no pictures to document that phase.
6. I have never been to New York and would die for the chance to go.
7. I have two dogs - Maverick and Kadie.  They are boxers and weigh 73 and 65 pounds respectively.  I am not sure how we ended up with two very large inside dogs.  I love them; they love me.  It works.
8. I order hairspray by the case.  I have a phobia that I might run out someday - what a horrible thought.
9. My name was going to be Haley JoBeth George - say that 12 times fast.
10. it gives me great satisfaction in life to write with a Sharpie marker on anything for any reason.  I especially love making to-do lists with Sharpies.

A love for lists

I love lists.  I make lists about making a list to keep up with all my lists.  Since I have such an affinity for lists, I thought I would share a list with you, about me.  So without further ado....

1. I am the youngest in my family and I married the youngest in his family.  Two babies residing together.
2. I cannot use a pen without a top.  If a pen is topless (which it shouldn't be), it's goodbye.
3. I taught myself how to cook after living by myself and eating out for a few weeks.
4. My first name is actually Chelsey.  You may ask - why didn't you drop it when you got married?  You can't drop your first name; it's a legal issue.  So my entire name is Chelsey Payden George Montgomery - try signing that on a check.
5. I have never seen the Wizard of Oz.
6. I had a tennis coach in middle school and high school.
7. My childhood dog's name was Dozy.  She was an outside yellow lab.
8. I met my husband on a blind date. 
9. When I was little, I played "school" like every other little girl and my name was "Ms. Honey."
10. I have a bad habit of picking at my thumbs when I am stressed.  I am trying to stop, but trying to stop makes me stressed and then I'm back where I started.

What's Cooking?

If you have talked to me for more than thirty mintues then you know I enjoy cooking.  I am always on the hunt for a good recipe.  Speaking of the word recipe - I am so glad I finally learned to spell that word.  Recipe and Receipt tend to trip me up.

Well, anyway.... I thought I would occasionally share with you what's cooking at my house.  Here is what is on the docket for the week along with the URL for the recipe:

Sunday - Rosemary Chicken with Polenta and Asparagus

• http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-rosemary-chicken-breasts-10000001981777/
• I didn't use bone-in chicken breasts.  I used regular boneless, skinless
• Polenta is a type of grit.  Boil water, add polenta, then add a little heavy cream and parmesean cheese (romano, fontina - whatever is close by) and viola!

Monday - Pasta with Asparagus and Pancetta

• http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-asparagus-pancetta-pine-nuts-10000001963965/
• Pancetta is like an Italian bacon.  It doesn't smell up your house as much as traditional bacon and it is slightly leaner.  I used more than the recipe called for because I like a hearty pasta.
• I also went sans pine nuts - no reason, other than I didn't have any!
• In the sauce, I added the zest of the lemon.  I just can't juice a lemon and not zest it.  It seems unfair.

Tuesday - Chipotle Bean Burritos with Guacamole and Spanish Rice

• http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-asparagus-pancetta-pine-nuts-10000001963965/
• No changes here - they were really yummy.
• Lane is a meat eater and he even really enjoyed these.
• I am trying to incorporate some meatless options into dinner since it is a lot cheaper and quicker than cooking chicken or beef

Wednesday - Grilled chicken, baked sweet potatoes, zucchini squash, salad

• Grilled chicken happens a lot at the Montgomery house.
• It is easy, healthy, and best of all - Lane has to cook it. 

We have small group on Thursdays and eat with our group, which gives the chef a night off! 

In other related news, I am craving this dessert:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-asparagus-pancetta-pine-nuts-10000001963965/  Red velvet cake pops - say no more!

Bessie

Lane and I purchased a quarter of a cow last summer.  Bessie (that's not really her name) is at the processor as we speak.  Purchasing beef at the grocery store is expensive and in my opinion, it doesn't keep in the fridge very long.  We had some of the ground beef last summer from our neighbor.  It was delicious.  Friends came over for dinner and they said it was some of the best beef they had ever had. 

We put the deposit down last summer, paid the balance a few weeks ago and will pay the processor in about a week.  We had to choose the types of cuts and meats that we wanted from the processor.  That was a fun conversation - seeing as how Lane and I aren't cow experts.  We are really excited about getting the beef in about a week. 

The cows are all grass-fed beef, organic, hormone free and come from Georgia.  If you are interested in where we bought our quarter of a cow, you can visit http://foggybottomcattle.com/  The farmer's name is Donald and he is so easy to work with and takes only a few reservations of cows per year. 

I will keep you posted when the beef arrives. 

Come on Bessie!

Patio - Finished product

Well it brings be great joy to tell you that our patio is complete.  We bought a gas fire pit - can you say s'mores?  We have a sound barrier - the tan thing in the background - to block the train sound behind our hour.  We are pouring Miracle Grow on those guys to get them to grow.  I am so thrilled with the results and am looking forward to many a meal outside.  Below are some pictures:



Patio

When you are a newlywed I am pretty sure that every purchase over $350 requires hours of discussion, opinions and looks into the future.  Lane and I have talked about extending our patio for about a year now.  You can barely put a grill and lawn chair on the patio.  It is slightly larger than a post-it note.

We have had many car-ride/dinner discussions about whether or not to take the plunge and make our patio the best on the block. 

"What if we have an emergency?"

"What if we move?"

And the list goes on...

Well, in February we decided to take the step and "google" a contractor.  We found a few online and without any idea as to what we were doing, had them out for a quote.  I had no idea what this would cost, but I had a number in mind that Lane and I had come to an agreement on.

The first contractor came, gave a quote and well, that number in mind, way too low.

The second guy came and he was still higher than what we wanted to pay for cement.

After negotiation and going from stamped concrete to stained, we agreed on contractor number 1. 

And today is the day that they are pouring the patio.  It is so loud that I am pounding the keys so that you can "hear what I am saying." 

They jackhammered and sawed the concrete and all the debris and dust has settled onto my freshly mopped hardwood floors.

To my dogs, this is pure torture.  They have fled to the garage to escape the horrendous sound.  Maverick is so stressed, he probably won't eat for days. 

They are currently pouring Lava #365 outside my door and I am so thrilled.  I cannot wait to roast s'mores, have people over and grill on a patio that is bigger than a post-card.

I will post pictures when they are finished.

Meanwhile, here is the mess: