New Recipe Wednesday

I got this recipe from my mom. I don't know where it's from originally. So easy to make, and sooo good.

Leek and Bacon Quiche

Ingredients:

• 9 inch pie crust
• butter or olive oil
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbs. dijon mustard
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 5 tbs. heavy cream

Instructions:

• Saute the bacon and leeks in a little butter or olive oil. (Start the bacon first so it gets a bit browned and the leeks don't burn.)

• Whisk eggs, mustard, cream. Add cheese.
• Add bacon and leeks to mixture and pour into pie shell. (I put my pie crust into a quiche pan with a removable bottom for easy removal, but any pie dish would be fine.)
• Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Is anyone out there?

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I kinda fell off the blogging map for a minute there, didn't I? I've been blogging pretty consistently for a little over a year, and knowing myself like I do, it's a wonder it took this long for me to lose interest. I usually quit things much sooner!

I won't bore you with the kooky workings of my brain...I'll just say I was having a moment where the computer was the last place I wanted to be (I wasn't even reading blogs. I'm so behind!). And I'm not even sure I feel ready to fully commit again, but after some reflection I decided I need this blog for my sanity.



Random things while I've been away:

• Bean has lost his damn mind. He attacks his tail all of a sudden, and almost constantly. We're taking him to the vet on Monday, but I've been Googling like a mad woman, and I've already diagnosed him with cat schizophrenia.


• We've had the most beautiful weather the past couple of weeks with temps in the 70s and 80s. And the air smells like jasmine. I feel fortunate not to have allergies, because I can imagine they're a bitch this time of year.


• How could Alex Lambert (Carol Brady hair) not have made the Top 12 on American Idol? I'm still watching while fast-forwarding through most of it, but I don't really care who wins because I kind of hate them all. What a craptastic season.


• My city is having a 5K in May, and I'm gonna do it. It's a run/walk, but my goal is to run most of it. It's only 3 miles. I should be able to work up to that in a month and half, right?

P.S. How hilarious is that photo above? The person was too bored to even finish writing how bored they were!

Oscar Fashion...my humble opinion

I didn't like most of the dresses this year, and I didn't think there was one stand-out, wow dress. But there were a lot I liked. Again, this is strictly the opinion of someone who has no credentials to judge fashion and watched from home in a stained sweatshirt, while eating like a pig.

The Good:

Elizabeth Banks

Sandra Bullock - loved

Demi Moore

Cameron Diaz

This one pains me because she is so off-the-charts irritating, but I loved the whole look...

Miley Cyrus

Another one...good grief I hate Kristin Stewart, but she looked beautiful...

Meryl Streep - I think the best she ever looked

Vera Farmiga - this is a wacky one, but I loved it

And I think I am completely alone in the world on this one ( I was definitley alone at the Oscar party), but I like it...

Charlize Theron - yes the rosette thingies make you look straight at her boobies (someone said it looked like her dress was getting to second base with her - ha!), but I love the color on her and the silouette. And her hair and makeup-flawless.

What the Fizz:

SJP-she doesn't usually disappoint, but this sack dress with whatever the hell is going on at her neckline is awful

Diane Kruger-me no likey

Kate Winslet-boring, prom dress-y, not particularly flattering, color washed her out

Zoe Saldana-there were just gasps of horror when this thing came on the screen.

Jennifer Lopez-I think she has a fantastic body, but when you have a larger butt and wider hips, why oh why add another five feet to them?

Kathryn Bigelow-no, no, a thousand times no. I was really happy that a woman director won for the first time, though! Yay woman...even if you are in an ugly, ill-fitting dress from Windsor!

Suzy Amis-I really don't want to be too mean (believe me, there were texts flying about this one yesterday), but really. The dress itself is okay, and someone living may have pulled it off, but in this scenario, it's a no-go.

Thoughts anyone?

Living Room: Before and During

Continuing with the house tour...the living room. It isn't finished, but it's come a long way. Apparently I didn't take the magazine-worthy before shots I thought I did, so they're all mid-remodel.

Another thing to note: I didn't do any styling for the photos, so you'll notice the room looks a little sparse. We still have unpacked boxes with accessories and framed photos that I plan to put out which will give the room a little more color and personality. And I'm on the lookout for some artwork.

Why don't I just get on with it already...

This was the fireplace, which our inspector informed us was a fire hazard because the wood surround was way too close to the opening. Awesome.


We were going to change it anyway, but we had high hopes for what was underneath that surround. Unfortunately, it was this...

Did you vomit in your mouth? It's ok, you're not alone. So Mark mortared over that mess, covered it in marble tiles, and built a new mantle/wood surround. Look at him go...

And he and my dad made built-in bookcases to go on either side of the fireplace. They excite me so. Fireplace wall before and after...

I usually set up the bar on that red tray above when we have parties. Yes, my cat's ass is where I put drinks!

Very large, very blank wall...

I haven't done anything there, because we're going to be demolishing part of that wall in the (hopefully not too distant) future. On the other side is the kitchen, and we want to open up about half of that wall and have a counter top with bar stools for more of an open feel.

What we did in the living room so far:

• new doors and moldings


• new paint


• stained the floors darker


• redid the fireplace


• added built-in bookcases


• changed the window treatments from white vertical blinds to wood horizontal roman shades and curtains

What's left to do:

• new couch (that one was generously donated to me by a friend many years ago when I moved out of my parents' house, but it's time for an update)


• a larger area rug


• add artwork and my accessories for pops of color and personality

Any suggestions of where to get a good quality, not crazy-expensive couch?

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