Nerdiest thing you have ever done?

I just got back from a week long conference in Baltimore--great time, more to come! But, I had a multiple conversations about being a nerd. Yeah, I'm a big nerd, but what is the nerdiest thing you have ever done? For me, and I am still kind of ashamed to admit it, I am a huge Battlestar Galactica fan. As in it frakking rocks my world. We had to rush home tonight for the series finale, and I am going nuts waiting the 23 minutes until it begins. I am so nerdy I have secret crush on Admiral Adama. And his love story with the President makes me teary eyed. Sigh...

My new scarf

Dj crocheted me a new scarf with a new pattern. I love it! I call it my Mia scarf because it is so soft and cuddley and nearly the same colors as Mia. It took him about a week to make (he is taking a break from the camo blanket). The picture doesn't quite do it justice or catch the colors correctly. Here is a close up of the pattern, called the triangle stitch:

Nice View

We woke up one day this week to find this....This is what happens when Mia is inside, and the neighborhood stray cat, Kiki's Mom, surprises her by jumping on the outside of the window...

Steak au Poivre

Since we got DirectTV for Christmas, we have been watching Food Network nonstop. Our favorite so far is Good Eats, hosted by Alton Brown. Today for dinner we decided to try his Steak au Poivre. It was amazing beyond words! And yes, it involved us making ANOTHER trip to the liquor store... Here is the recipe for a fantastic, tasty meal:

Ingredients
4 tenderloin steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each and no more than 1 1/2 inches thick (We just used some steak we had in the freezer and it still was perfect)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup Cognac or Brandy

1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour prior to cooking. Sprinkle all sides with salt.
Coarsely crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, the bottom of a cast iron skillet, or using a mallet and pie pan. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets, on both sides, into the pepper until it coats the surface. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begin to turn golden and smoke, gently place the steaks in the pan. For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes on each side. Once done, remove the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and set aside. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe or scrape the pan clean.
Off of the heat, add 1/3 cup Cognac to the pan and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or firestick. Gently shake pan until the flames die. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and whisk until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt. Add the steaks back to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and serve.

Fire at our house...

A good kind of fire. Happy B-day Dj!

Christmas 08

We spent Christmas with my family this year and it was tons of fun. We ate lots of great food, played fun games and I became a Rock Legend on Guitar Hero. My sister and her family made the long trip up from Houston, TX to see the snow. But the weather turned for the better and was a scorching 45 degrees.
This is the newest member of my sisters family Alaura. She is a happy and plump baby that likes to hug. It turns out that she looks just like my Grandma Goldie. Yes, my Grandma looks that young.

My nice Maiya was given a Webkins for Christmas this year and I was disturbed to find out that the little pet cyber animal that one can grow to love and cherish dies after a year. I can see it now this time next year all those animals are going to die and what will be the only thing that will console the broken hearts of all those children... another Webkins. Brilliant marketing scheme.

One of the many high lights of my day was going outside to play with Noah and Paisley. It seems everyone in the Bennett family was given a remote control car. Ah the memories.

This ham might not look like much, but I am telling you! It was the greatest tasting ham ever. And I not just saying that because I made it and I don't think its the bourbon in it either. But if you were wondering... yes that is a dish towel in the pan... adds to the flavor.

Merry Christmas from the Nativity Cat

We have been slowly getting ready for Christmas this week. I had to work on Monday, and get the rest of the week off, so we have had some time to do some fun things. Our first stop was to the liquor store to pick up some bourbon. We left it under the tree for Santa, and he can have as much as he wants--just as long as he saves some to baste our Christmas ham with.

Then we headed to Wheeling for a day of browsing antique shops, gambling on the nickel slots, Olgebay's Festival of Lights, and lots of wrong turns on the convoluted, crazy roads. We decided to become members of the 'preferred club' at wheeling park, and recieved free coffee mugs and WV lottery tickets. Dj ran into some luck and scratched off a dollar win; this nicely evened out the dollar we spent on the nickel slots.
Other than that, we have been making lots of cookies, enjoying our joint present of DirectTV, wrapping a few presents, and visiting with the Chapman's. Merry Christmas everyone!

(Picture from the Festival of Lights--giant glowing marching soldiers...)