Ugliest Car on Earth

....yep you heard me, the ugliest car on earth is the one we got stuck with in San Francisco this past week. Check her out.

Mmmm Flavored Olive Oil

Chris and I are in Napa for the Easter weekend visiting the parents. One of my first stops to the valley is always St. Helena Olive Oil Company, who has shops right outside of St. Helena and one on the main street as well.

I fell in love with their basil infused olive oil last time, and this time we discovered their garlic olive oil. Oh wow, melt in my mouth, I can't wait to cook with this and also just use it for dipping for some great bread (maybe rosemary sourdough from Eat Z's, perhaps). I stuck to my staples, getting bottles of the regular olive oil, made locally in the valley, basil, garlic and the always amazing jalapeno. The jalapeno is awesome for dipping, Mexican dishes and  on top of eggs of any sort (think Mexican egg scramble).

I picked up some extra bottles for friends and family, although I have a feeling I may be hoarding most of them.

For you out of towners, they do free shipping on orders over $100. The olive oils make wonderful hostess gifts, and would be great for you mothers (or mother-in-laws) as well....Mother's Day is in two weeks!!

Restaurant Review - Lockhart Smokehouse

We ventured in to Oak Cliff at around 7:30 last night to grab a bite to eat before the much anticipated Rebirth Brass Band show at the Kessler (more to come on that later). Was shocked to find out that at 7:30 (early right?) there was already an hour and a half wait at Bolsa and an hour wait at the new Glorias. So by process of elimination, we ended up at Lockhart.

For fans of the real Lockhart BBQ, this is your place. A sign proudly says, "No forks, No sauce, No Kidding." Um, well ok then.

We ordered by the half pound and tried their Kruez sausage and brisket along with the slaw and potato salad. I was pretty impressed with all we had as I feel like I haven't had the best BBQ in Dallas so far (I miss my Austin BBQ places). The sausage is different, so you need to be a fan of Kreuz (it's a 110 year old recipe). The bbq, hot sauce and house made seasoned salt were all so good I almost forgot how much I like bbq sauce for once!

Another plus is cheap drinks. Check their website for daily deals. I think this would be a great place to kick back on a Saturday afternoon with friends and watch some sports and gorge yourself.

Happy eating!! Don't forget the handy wipes!

I hate to admit it...

But I got a sample of the Jen Aniston perfume with some makeup I ordered from Sephora last week, and I really like it.

Notes: 

 Citrus Grove Accord, Rose Water, Jasmine, Violet, Amazon Lily, Musk, Amber, Sandalwood. 

Style: 

Sensual. Floral. Clean.

It is so refreshing and perfect for summer. I think I am too embarrassed to go in to the store and buy it, so I think I may be making another Sephora order very soon...Its only $39 for the smallest bottle, which will get me through these hot months in Dallas and at the lake.

Issa Collection - Coming to Net-A-Porter

Um hello lovely dresses....

Issa (The favorite designer of Kate Middleton) is doing a capsule collection for NetAPorter.com . I am in love with the cuts and colors I see in this sneak peek above, and I really want one. I wonder how much these are going to cost....and I wonder if they will go with my favorite shoes, me thinks so!

Should be launching late April....can't wait!

New Blog Title

So I figured it was about time I shed the SoBoredAtWork title since that seems to no longer be the case. It was great while it lasted right?

I have actually enjoyed this whole blogging thing over the past few months and figured I would keep it going for my lovely seven followers.

Thanks for sticking it out!

Bluebonnet Season!

Normally you see families pulling off the side of the road in Texas to take pictures of their children in the bluebonnets this time of the year, but we were the freaks taking pictures of our dog. Enjoy!

Pet Peeve - Dress Code Edition

So I have recently become really annoyed when people don't put a dress code on an invitation.

Case #1 - we received an invitation for a Sunday night party, weren't sure for what, at a country club. I assumed a cute sun dress with espadrilles would do. Um, it cocktail attire! I am glad my dress was nice enough, but all the men were in suits except for poor Chris. Note to sender - put Cocktail Attire on the invite.

Case #2 - and this one is a mess. We went to the Ronald McDonald fundraiser on Friday night. Invite theme was Casa Habana, so people assumed Cuban - think long flowing dresses, linen, red lips. Um no, they meant Old Hollywood. And to further confuse everyone they sent out an email about the confusion the day before and were like, you can do Cuban or Old Hollywood, like white jeans, or a nice dress. Note to sender - Know what  you attire and/or theme is and clearly communicate it.

No more of this sunset chic, Napa cool stuff. It should be casual, nice casual, cocktail, summer dress attire, etc.

Ugh feels good to vent...

And this is what we all wore to case 2, and I think we look pretty great!

Ah, 6 months of marriage!

Chris and I will be married a total of 6 months this Satuday, April 9th!! Pretty amazing at how time flies by.

Yummy Breakfast Casserole

I just realized I never posted the recipe for the breakfast casserole I made when all the girls were in town for St. Pattys, my bad!! I love breakfast casseroles because you can do all the work the day ahead and you just pop it in the oven the morning you want it. Easy as pie :) This recipe was found on BHG.com and modified a bit.

• 6  cups  frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
• 1-1/2  cups  shredded Monterey Jack or mexican cheese (I get the Kraft Mexican 4 Cheese blend and do closer to two cups, love my cheese!)
• 2  cups  diced cooked ham or Canadian-style bacon (This time I did Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage)
• 1/2  cup  sliced green onions
• 8    beaten eggs or 2 cups fresh or frozen egg product, thawed
• 2  12-ounce cans (1-1/2 cups  each) evaporated milk or evaporated skim milk
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• ** I have made this before and added jalapenos, which is awesome. Just make sure you guests are ok with a little bit of heat. 

Directions

1. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, meat of your choice, and green onion. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs or egg product, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish.
2. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F. oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Reese's Wedding Dress

So this is really similar to the Monique dresses that I tried on for my wedding. It is pretty, but nothing spectacular....thoughts? Her hair is pretty boring but looks better than it did on the People magazine cover.

Betty Update

Well the day has finally come, Betty has figured out how to jump up on the couch all by herself! This spells disaster. Look at the little terror :)

New Recipe! White Cheese Chicken Lasagna, yummy

So I am bringing dinner to some friends tonight who just had a baby, so I needed something I could make ahead of time and pop in the oven tonight when I got home from work. I was in the mood for lasagna, but I realized I had made it for my friends the last time they were over, so how about white lasagna! This one is pretty rich and cheese heavy but it is absolutely amazingly yummy and creamy. Maybe have a small serving with a salad if you are feeling the need to be healthy? I did substitute the milk for skim milk and did part skim cheese, so that helps! Anyways, this would be a great thing to make ahead for a dinner party on the week night.

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced ( I would add a bit more)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (I would also add some salt)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
  2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat after all is melted, and set aside.
  3. Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken*. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
  4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. 
  * I had some frozen chicken that I defrosted and boiled on the stove. I let it cool completely before chopping in bite sized cubes to layer in.