I forgot why I like to be away from home on brew days. Hurricane Brew was a category 5 today!
Connor, Matt’s brew-pal, brought his parents to observe, so we had a festive occasion. They were very cool! His mom and I have a lot in common on the healthy eating front 🙂
I nibbled on corn chips and Trader Joe’s Double Roasted Salsa (which I LOVED despite my onion frustration with salsa) all afternoon (probably had a serving or two)
And had the tail end of this brew that Matt handed me at some point
While the brew winds reached 126mph, I hid myself upstairs and embarked on a massive organizational project inspired by the realization that we might be putting our house on the market this fall in anticipation of our probable move to Charlottesville.
- I sorted my closet (made a pile of stuff I NEVER wear for Goodwill)
- threw away old underwear that I should no longer wearing even though they were some of my all-time favorite pairs (sniff)
- organized the linen closet
- removed unflattering sports wear from my dresser
- cleaned out all of my toiletries and mini shampoos and conditioners half used that I hoard from hotels in my "I might need these someday" toiletry box
- organized our bathroom drawers
- folded sheets
- admired our new pillows
- sorted my jewelry box
- did what I could with the laundry room
- sorted the bookshelves
- sorted my desk
- sorted our junk drawer
and put all the donation stuff in my trunk to deliver to Goodwill tomorrow. (And luckily I was able to give some of it to our brew-guests!!)
I. feel. so. much. better.
(yes, I am OCD because our house is already pretty uncluttered 😉 )
…..Then I came downstairs and saw the storm aftermath!
….And then Karen arrived for a dinner that I hadn’t even thought about yet
…..And Matt was busy cleaning up a day’s worth of beer dishes and equipment
Thanks to Mrs. Robinson for helping me get started on the potatoes!
Dinner was assembled in a tizzy but it ended up being really good!
We grilled some of our frozen grass-fed beef tenderloin and attempted a cilantro-jalapeno sauce, but it turned out pretty gross. Not recommended.
And we grilled some green beans. They were awesome.
But the star was the Rosemary Cottage Cheese Smashed Potatoes!
I cooked 5 quartered russet potatoes in the microwave for about 10 minutes until they were very fork tender (put them on a wet paper towel and covered them)
Then I smashed with a potato smasher with about 3 tbsp 2% milk, about 1/2 a cup of 4% Daisy Cottage Cheese, 1 tbsp of butter (at Karen’s request!), 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, and generous salt and pepper to taste.
Matt had yet another brew that I sipped during dinner. Red wine would have been nice, but I was the only one who wanted it and didn’t want to open a whole nice bottle. Sounds like I need to get some single serving bottles or something!
We are all spent. The house is back together and piles of dishes have been done.
I’m hoping to take a cool shower and start The Time Traveler’s Wife since I do not have Gossip Girl to entertain me! Anyone know where I can find it online? I’m willing to pay a small bit per episode! It’s THAT good!
Nite!
angieinatlanta says
Yum! Those potatoes look ridiculously good!
alyssa says
itunes! 1.99 per episode! SO good!
emily says
gossip girl is totally on itunes =)
but also try HULU, they may have it for free!
Enjoy!
lucy says
i just tried a delicious cilantro/parsley steak sauce that would be amazing on chicken too…just omit the onion…check it out here:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-strip-steaks-with-chimichurri-sauce#
Tara says
I have the same problem with wine, so my mom bought me a vacuum sealer. It’s inexpensive and I love it! I have found them at most wine and liquor stores.
Leianna says
I love how addicted you are to Gossip Girl. And are you talking a “real” hurricane, because wow I wouldn’t know what to do! Scary!
Cynthia (It all changes) says
That book is amazing! The movie was good but the book was even better.
And your pics of dinner gave me a great idea of what to do with my farmer’s market green beans tomorrow. I normally steam them but I’m gonna grill them with some hummus and parm in a ww wrap 🙂
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Whether you end up selling the house or not, it always feels nice to have a clean, organized home. It’s just so much more comfortable that way!
What a great dinner! Those green beans look fabulous and such an awesome recipe for those potatoes.
Jessica @ JJ'sVinBlanc says
Please let us know how the movie is. AS far as Gossip Girls goes, I bet it is on Blockbuster.com or Netflix – you could subscribe for a month or so until you get all the seasons.
Pam (Highway to Health) says
I love days when I organize like that!
Dinner looks so good! I’ve had the best green beans this summer.
Jessica @ JJ'sVinBlanc says
PS. I made your “Better than Fried” Okra last night…so good that I ate the whole pan myself for dinner.
Shannon The Healthy Beach Bum says
i love me some mashed potatoes! 🙂 definitely my favorite food. Those chips and salsa look amaaaaaazing
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I bought the season for $16 at Target–it was on sale one week! I wish you were at your parents’ house so I could come drop it off 🙂 If you’re ever in town…it’s yours! I haven’t even opened it yet because I’m only halfway through the 2nd season and currently trying to figure out how to watch it!
Your OCDness is making me smile. I have old undies too! Don’t we all!?
Lizzy says
i would never think to grill green beans! that sounds so good
Heather says
grilled green beans look awesome! i’ve never tried that before.
Just sent you an email with Gossip Girl online viewing – good luck!
Faye says
Try casttv.com- it’s free, dunno how “legal” it is, since they show premium channel shows as well. The only thing is that when you press “play,” a new window opens up with an ad. I thought it didn’t work, but all you have to do is go back and press play a 2nd time!
Also, you can only watch about 75 mins at a time, so no marathons! Although I did manage a Dexter marathon by switching from my computer to my mom’s computer.
Faye says
Actually., checking casttv.com, it looks like you can only get gossip girl by paying- only the recent episodes are available for free.
Emily, homecookedem says
My husband brews beer too and I am OCD too, so I totally understand! 🙂
Laura says
tvshack.net looks like it has most of the 2nd season up except the first ep.
Suzanne says
I just started The Time Traveler’s Wife a few days ago! I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. Let me know what you think! 🙂
Sarah R says
I love the feeling of being truly organized, and especially after cleaning out my closet. Also love grilled green beans. We hadn’t grilled our beans until this summer and I wouldn’t have them any other way. We also throw in some cherry tomatoes in the last 2-3 minutes. Yum!
Ashton says
You can find a lot of tv shows and movies for free at www.surfthechannel.com! They have a HUGE collection of just about everything!
Leah says
You don’t need single serving wine! You need to get a Black Box!!!
Morgan says
Some Targets actually sell single serve boxes of wine, I’ve seen them in Florida and Texas. It’s like juice boxes for grown ups!
http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/consumables/wine/backgrounder.aspx
kay (eating machine) says
I second the surfthechannel recommendation!
Not sure if all of it’s legal, but there’s a ton!
and i LOVE cleaning out my closet too! My fiance hates getting rid of stuff, and he doesn’t understand why I’m always starting another goodwill bag.
Lainie says
Those potatoes sound fabuuulous. I love rosemary. I’m with you on the organization; it just feels so much better when everything is neat and tidy!
Kristin Carlson Shadley says
You can watch almost any show on sidereel.com
I’m sure they have Gossip Girl on there too.
Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now says
Those green beans look so green and crispy.
Katharina says
That cottage cheese potato mash sounds so yummy! And I LOVE corn chips. They have such an awesome aftertaste too 😀
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Being organized feels soooo good!
Dinner looks great.
Jenn
chandra says
I’m with you on the organization today.. my place had looked like a tornado went through it once I got back from Boston. I cleaned it from top to bottom today and felt so much better all evening looking at a clean home!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
my jewelry box needs to desperately be organized. although i never wear any of it anyway, so maybe not.
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
my jewelry box needs to desperately be organized. although i never wear any of it anyway, so maybe not.
Laura says
search for gossip girl on ovguide.com
they are a directory that searches a bunch of sites for the episodes- i can always find gossip girl on it. good luck! dinner looked great!
sarah (ghost world) says
i cleaned yesterday, too! I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! it looks like iTunes has Gossip GIrl, but it’s $40/season (more for HD!).
i have a feeling i would luuuuv that show. i probably shouldn’t start watching it!
Shannon says
There is nothing like the feeling of cleaning out the clutter! I just moved, which necessitated a major cleaning out of the closets.
Gossip Girl is my guilty pleasure too. The story lines just sucks you in. You can watch the episodes on the CW website. But I don’t know if they have past seasons…. Something to check out anyway.
Christie @ Quit Your Diet says
Wow! You were a busy girl!! I’m excited to hear that you guys might e moving to C-Ville!
Lauren says
I love the idea of adding cottage cheese to mashed potatoes! Great way to add creaminess and extra protein.
jibran says
wow man too good job i like your website
great job keep it up
http://asiandastarkhwan.blogspot.com
check it too
AnnQ says
I love dropping things off at Goodwill. 🙂
Your dinner looks a-maz-ing!
Sandhiya says
Kath,
in ref: Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce – if you havent given up on the cilantro sauce..here is the recipe for cilantro chutney that I make,
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh mint (optional)
fry the below 4 items in little olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic
1″ piece of ginger
2 green chillies/jalapeno
shredded coconut (optional)
pinch of sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps lime juice (optional)
Preparation:
Cut off roots from both mint and coriander and wash them thoroughly, peel garlic and ginger and remove stalks from green chillies. Wash all these ingredients thoroughly.
Grind these and all the remaining ingredients into a smooth paste in a food processor.
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
LOVE the idea of adding cottage cheese to the mashed potatoes- GENIUS!
Kath says
Thanks for all the online recs.
Jessica ,
I’m getting it thru Netflix – it just takes so long!
Awesome okra!
Sandhiya ,
Sounds delish!
Kath
Brooke says
Morning, Kath. I am new to your blog and am not up-to-date on the possible move to Charlottesville, but I got excited when I heard the news anyways! I grew up just outside of C’ville and went to UVA for undergrad. Even though I currently live two hours north of the area, it is where my heart still resides! Also wanted to let you know how inspiring your blog is–I have started reading it from the beginning!
Kath says
Brooke ,
Thanks and welcome! We’re definitely moving to Cville so long as all of the bakery approvals go smoothly 🙂
Kath
Kate says
Oooh, single serving red wine. Sounds perfect!
Susan says
Haha, I love all the hurricane references in this post 😛 Cottage cheese in mashed taters is soooo good! And it ups the protein 😉
Have a great Monday Kath!
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale says
You should get one of those wine savers. We have one and use it all the time. Basically, you put a special cork in the bottle and then use this little hand-operated pump to quickly suck the air out. It keeps the wine fresh for at least a week.
They’re only about $20… I think ours is the Vacu Vin brand.
Carly says
Amazon has a whole selection of tv shows in their video on demand section and it’s generally cheaper than itunes.
Sarah says
If you haven’t found it yet, check out hulu.com they have a lot of shows on there for FREE.
Ali says
I did a lot of organizing yesterday too! I feel like my week starts off better when things are in their place!
Jenna says
you could buy gossip girls on itunes!
and i totally have OCD so don’t worry. my room is always spotless and i have to make sure everything is just so! so dont worry, your not the only one. i mean we just want clean/organized stuff 🙂
jenna
Laura says
I know this is an old post, but if you’re still looking for a website with free episodes, go to www.ch131.com
They also put them up online rapidly (as in a couple hours later, as opposed to the cw website)
FREE and very easy
enjoy!