The weekend was so nice and relaxing and it was fun to just hang out with the kiddos. We did have an invitation for dinner on Saturday night, but could not find a babysitter, so it was not to be. :( Oh well - c'est la vie! Most of my babysitters are elsewhere for the summer and it has been tough finding someone when we need one!

Considering I did not have a plan in mind for dinner last night, the family ate well last night. I had never really made a monte cristo sandwich before, but I flipped through several recipes on Foodnetwork.com and sort of combined them to fit what I had in the fridge. Please go to that site and search if you want to see lots of good recipes and the source of most is listed below.

Monte Cristo Sandwich (makes 1)
3 slices bread
thinly sliced turkey
muenster cheese
mayo
mustard - i know dijon would have been better but mine was expired, so good old French's was used instead
3 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
butter
veg oil (about 2-3 tablespoons)

spread mayo on 2 slices of bread and mustard on 1 slice.
put turkey on each of the 2 mayo slices and top the turkey with slices of muenster
put the bread with mustard on top of 1 of the cheese and turkey slices and invert the other turkey and cheese half on top of it to make one beautiful sandwich.
Cut off crusts and wrap in press-n-seal. Refrigerate for a while. I think mine was in there maybe an hour and a half.
Heat a pan with veg oil and butter (maybe a tablespoon)
beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl, big enough to dip sandwich in.
unwrap sandwich (common sense) and dip in egg wash, covering completely and letting excess drip off before placing in hot pan. I had my heat on about medium or a little above. The oil lets the butter get to a higher heat with out scorching it, but still - you don't want a monte cristo briquette. Now - exert patience and leave it alone for about 2 and half minutes. flip carefully so you don't spatter yourself with hot oil (ahem) and cook for 2 and half minutes on the other side.
Cut diagonally to serve.

It was a thing of beauty for the nanoseconds before I ate it.

True Confessions: I made the banana bread again this morning.

I have a League meeting tonight at 5:30 and then am going to walk with Mary Beth and Bundle. Yea! We are going to try to offer her (Bundle, not Mary Beth) water every time so maybe she'll finally let her guard down one day and actually hydrate on the trail...silly dog!

Finally - check out www.cuil.com
Interesting alternative to Google. I like the results setup and the graphics that accompany them.

I finished my week as a Nielsen family and found I watch a lot of Lifetime, Bravo, Food Network and HGTV, with a daily touch of Discovery Channel's Cash Cab. Man, that's a good show. As to the Lifetime thing - who can resist Golden Girls and Frasier?? Is it just me? They are funny!! RIP Estelle Getty. Sophia was a great character!

Mary Beth and I have walked a couple of times this week. I am not dieting, though I need to, but it is nice to get a little exercise. I have been taking my mother's dog, Bundle, with us and she basically just stops when she gets tired. That's how we know we are through! And though she is hot and tired, her suspicious nature keeps her from accepting any water from Mary Beth - Bundle has to be home with her own water bowl before she'll take a drink. She just looked at Mary Beth's bowl as is to say "I am not familiar with this bowl. Why are you so anxious for me to drink from it?" Weird dog.

I brought my umbrella to work, which explains why we haven't seen a drop! Yea! Maybe now we can go swimming!

If you are wondering where I have been - the overcommitted one has been in a blur of activity. I finished and published the first edition of the Keller Center Research Report . We have had excellent feedback from our readers and I am so pleased. All you Realtors out there, this is a must read report! New research that will help you market most efficiently!

Coming soon, We are working on a cross-disciplinary study about the state and future of the housing market! Should be good stuff! Be watching for more info...

My sister-in-law, Alison Indergard, married her sweetie, Brad Allen, on July 5th in Dallas. It was a gorgeous wedding and a good time was had by all. And I had a sitter with me because I was matron of honor and Mike was a groomsman. If you have children and are in a wedding party, I HIGHLY recommend having a sitter with you. Allowed all of us to have fun! Plus our sitter, Nicki, was such a dear. It was nice to have her around!

Alison and Brad went to Bora Bora for their honeymoon. Brad surprised Ali with a limo to take them to the airport, but the bigger surprise was when the limo drove the wrong direction and only barely go them to the airport on time. Not so good news for the luggage though. It had to take the next flight. It all worked out though since they were staying overnight in Los Angeles anyway. On the way back, they left their passports and money in the hotel safe and had to really think fast to get it in time. It all worked out as the native Bora Borans (can that be right?) all worked together to get them their belongings and get them on the flight. Was it the bottle of Tahitian rum Ali had given the ferry driver? We may never know...

On the tropical island note, Mike and I went to a Tiki party at Merryl and Will's house last Saturday night. Fun group and nice tropical cocktails! We all went swimming - which I now recall is a lot of fun without the kids - and came home dripping wet at 1 am. Completely out of the norm for me! It was a great time and I was exhausted! A couple of our friends announced their engagement! Congrats Lee and Leandra!

Back to the grindstone...

Verdict is still out...

I tried Biosilk Hydrating shampoo and conditioner based on the fact that it is from the makers of CHI. It smells fabulous, but with my thick hair I need power conditioner and I couldn't tell that this made any difference. I still use CHI silk infusion afterwards (love it!) but I am not sure I'll use the conditioner again. Just not strong enough I don't think at this point. The verdict is still out...

My dad joined Facebook! I love that!

The kids are having swimming lessons this week and I am so proud of how well Brooks is doing!! He is going to be swimming like a pro in no time!

Family dinner tonight - yea!

Gain 5 pounds in 2 Easy Steps

1. Bake the ultra-delicious Hawaiian Banana Bread from the Houston Junior League Cookbook.
2. Devour.

I got some fabulous veggies and fruit at the farmer's market this morning, although the wind was so strong it nearly blew me away!! Yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, new potatoes, onions, sweet corn and peaches. I can't wait to get home and make a squash casserole and maybe even peach cobbler. Yum!

Tomorrow night is Brazos Nights in Downtown Waco. It is basically a free outdoor concert with multiple performers and arts and crafts for the kids. We've invited a bunch of friends and are going to eat on the patio of the Lake Brazos steak house in advance and then go on the concert. I always enjoy these types of family events (especially when they are free!) and am really looking forward to it.

Unfortunately I am having to miss my sister-in-law's wedding shower in Pampa this weekend. it is just too far away to make the trip! Boo gas prices! I am going to send her a recipe for her married life. I chose my recipe for Brunch Egg Casserole which was given to me by my friend Elizabeth. It is such a treasure because it is appropriate for many occasions, can be made in advance, and is really yummy. I serve it on Christmas morning.

Elizabeth's Brunch Egg Casserole
6 slices bread, crusts removed
1 lb. ground sausage
4 c. cheddar cheese, grated
6 eggs
1 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
2 c. 1/2 and 1/2

Lightly butter each slice of bread. Place bread in a buttered 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Brown sausage. Drain sausage and pat with paper towels. Sprinkle sausage over bread. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Beat eggs. Add salt, dry mustard, and 1/2 and 1/2. Beat again. Pour mixture over bread, sausage and cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. At this point it may be frozen until ready to use. Remove from freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and lightly browned. This casserole is best when it stands 30 minutes after baking.

VARIATION: Brown sausage with 2 finely chopped onions. Drain off excess grease as above. Sprinkle over bread. Sprinkle 4 oz. drained chopped green chiles and one fresh chopped jalapeño over sausage. Substitute Monterey Jack for the Cheddar. A 1 t. seasoned salt (instead of regular salt) and 1 rounded t. cumin to the 6 beaten eggs. Add 1 t. dry mustard and the 1/2 and 1/2. Mix well. Pour over all. Bake as above.

I hope you enjoy this and that it affords you some comfort on the day which you are serving through its advance preparation!

My first post to my new blog in my already overcommitted life. I really can't say why I am adding another project, but such is the life of the woman who says yes to everyone. If you are not like me then you know my type: on every committee, working full-time, involved in a million events and, despite that, constantly creating new projects. I am really not complaining. I bring it on myself. I am completely aware that I need to define my priorities and boundaries, but it never seems to happen.

Got a recipe for some FABULOUS ceviche from my friend Sharon and I plan to take it to the next event that presents itself...

Sharon's Ceviche
2 lbs. cooked and tailed shrimp, chopped
2 large avocados, chopped
2 prefab containers of pico de gallo
juice of 10 limes
salt to taste

All mixed together and served with tortilla chips. It was so yummy. Seriously. I love things that look and taste fabulous but don't really involve much preparation.

Back to the grindstone...