Sampling new stuff again

Tried something new last night for dinner.  I took a pictorial tutorial along the way, just in case it was good and delicious and would want it again. 

Follow along as I make Mexican Sour Cream Rice:

First I had to boil a cup of rice in Chicken Broth.  I opted to use 1/2 of brown rice and a 1/2 cup white rice to make it a little healthier.  However, I've mixed the rice before and I never tell the difference between them.....so I think I'm just going to switch over to brown rice permanently.

 

Assemble all your ingredients: Monterrey Jack Cheese, Green Chiles, Cilantro, Sour Cream, Black Beans and Corn.  Also we threw in a couple of dashes of Emeril's.

 

Throw this creamy cluster of yumminess in a baking dish and throw some shredded cheese on top

Here's what it looked like piping hot from the oven

 

We served it up with some avocado slices on top and I whipped up a batch of jalapeno cornbread.

Our recommendations:  it was really good, although it would be even better if it was wrapped up in a tortilla or throw some chicken in it.  While we liked it and it tasted really good, we're not sure if it's something we'll want to make again.

Tale of the Travel Bags

A couple of years ago we had to replace our travel bag.  I wrote a big blog about it (you know how boring I can be sometimes).  Anyways, I loved that travel bag, but after carrying it around the last 2 years......it was starting to show some wear.  Here it is....you can probably see the tearing in it.

I can't tell you how important a travel bag is to us.  I don't carry a purse so it contains all the important stuff we need for our trip: Kindles, candy, medicine, Ipods, paper, pens, and all our other important travel documents.

Since we have a trip pending on our agenda....it was time for a new travel bag.  I headed out to Walmart yesterday and there was several options available.  I came home with this nice leather bag, but I really didn't feel much love for it.

Today, we went to The Container Store just to spend a little down time and walk up and down the aisles and all of a sudden the heavens opened and the angels started singing.  I found the PERFECT travel bag.

So now, I am returning the bag from Walmart.  The new bag is full of little pockets and compartments, durable and sturdy, and very cute.......love it!

Okay.....I know it's probably not that exciting to you......but it's really a big deal for us....so just play along OK?

Not feeling it today

After all the stuff that happened last night......I'm not feeling it today.

I don't want this post to turn into a rant about thugs, and how this city is being taken over by thugs, and how I just want to go and get them all.

Instead it should be about how thankful we are that no one was injured in the robbery last night.  Talk about what an awesome job our staff did keeping their heads cool and how great they handled things.

The money can always be replaced......but can our sense of security?

Something needs to be done about all this crime.

I love souvenirs

We like to pick up a thing or two when we're traveling to remind us of our wonderful adventure.

This time it wasn't my trip, but I still requested a souvenir.

My brother-in-law travelled to Russia recently and I asked him to bring me back something authentic from that region.

Here's what he brought me:

A teapot from Russia!

 

It separates into 3 parts:  the cup, the steeper, and a lid to keep your tea warm in the pot while you drink it.  Although I'm not a tea drinker, my husband is.  Last night he used it and it worked wonderfully.  I'm more into the cuteness of the whole thing.

Not only is it a wonderful souvenir from Russia, he just happened to be visiting Sochi, Russia and the teapot says Sochi on it along with Olympic rings.  I guess I got a souvenir teapot from the Olympics now.

Love the teapot........thank you Larry!

And the city we are going to is...........

I guess I'm ready to do the final reveal.  It's too hard to find exciting hints of this fabulous city.

Did you guess it?  Yes.....we are going to Columbus, Ohio.

We actually made plans 3 years ago to go to the National Pizza and Ice Cream Show, but at the last minute decided to go to New Orleans instead.....that was a good decision.

One of our reasons for not attending this one was because it's Ohio and it's in the middle of winter.  We really aren't cold weather people.  But after braving New York City and Washington, DC -- we've found that the weather kind of adds a little fun element to the trip.

But I think Columbus is going to be different.  We've decided not to rent a car because we don't want to have to drive in nasty snowy weather.  We found a hotel downtown right across the street from the convention center.  Even better, the hotel has free airport shuttle -- so they can come pick us up and drop us off at the airport.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants near the hotel -- so walking around a little will do us good.

We'll have two days of pizza, pizza, pizza, and ice cream!  Actually, with the "proposed" expansion of our first location, Paul had been thinking of adding an ice cream shop......so we can investigate the opportunities at the show.

One thing we are NOT messing with this pizza show is competing in the best pizza making.  That burden adds just a HUGE pain in the butt trying to package and transport your food.  This time....none of that.  Just planning on attending seminars and putting a little spark back into us about running our business and walking the show floors looking at all the new pizza products there are.

Plus getting to spend 4 days alone with no one but me and the husband.  Ahhhhh.......maybe this will turn out to be a really great trip after all.

Welcome......I'm glad you're here!

Not really much to report today.

It's payroll week AND first of the month is near......so you can only imagine what I'm up to.

We probably will have to meet with the landlord and the architect sometime this week to review his plans and make arrangements to get contractors out to give us a bid on what the expansion will cost.  That's always a fun thing to do.

It's insurance renewal time for PZ again......that means getting quotes, filling out tons of paperwork, and getting all the information to have 3 agents get us quote on all our insurance.  That's always fun to do.....NOT.

We were supposed to have someone come out last week and install a new hot water heater for our house.  He also needs to replace all the sheetrock in the little closet where it's located because we had a leak and now there's old mold on the walls.  We had to postpone it last week because of PZ stuff.....and it looks like there's no time again this week.  Maybe next week???

Been trying to get Aaron realtor information so he can try and find a place to live in Santa Fe.  That hasn't been really easy either.  Harder for him to do since he doesn't have a computer.

Cris finally got a new car last week and was able to return our extra vehicle to us.  So now we have 3 cars in the driveway again.  That's always fun because it always seems like the vehicle you want to drive is the one that is blocked in.

Just another fun day in the Gainor house!

The weather apocalypse that shut down the whole city and didn't happen!

I am sitting here highly amused this morning watching all the news stations trying to make news out of nothing.

For the last few days they have been hyping this awful icy winter storm we were going to have.  Schools closed, city offices closed, county offices closed, we were told to stay home and don't go out unless you absolutely had to.

Now they are forced to take pictures of cars with a little frozen ice on them.......because the big weather storm that shut down the WHOLE city didn't happen.  It's not the first time they've done this.  But they should just give up, say it didn't turn out as planned, and quit polluting the TV waves with all their minor dribble about nothing.

The people in Minnesota must be laughing at us.


Paul & Debbie's secret trip Hint #6:
Here's a picture of our secret city

How we wish the weather will be

How the weather most likely will be