Happy Belated Birthday, Beth!

Remember these poems from school. I forget what they are called....

E-evil- always making me drink that beer that was the "one" in one too many.
L-laughing at you- you are one of the funniest people I know
I-inside scoop- you give me the low-down on the celebs
Z-um... it's the last letter of the alphabet- and there are 2 in Mazzoni.
A-ann taylor- I consider you a connoisseur. (yes I had to look that up to spell it)
B-belligerent is good on you- like when you asked my dad, "How do you feed these fucking things?"
E-everything- what I can talk to you about. :)
T-timbuktu- where you moved to, you fool.
H-hemorhoids- see the 2nd E.

I love you, Beth!

Yanna:A belated post about Janna Banana. (Sorry Janna!)

An Ode

Janna, I'm sorry for the stuff
On your futon's been spilled.
I'm glad you helped me
Steal from the Women's Guild.

When you're part of the party
It's surely a blast
Like you're 21st...
Didn't think you would last.

I hope your birthday was
grand without fail.
I always think of you when
I see fields with round bale(s).

I hope you enjoyed my poem Janna! Love, Kim

MAY 2009 DINNER

Dinner at Janna's, May 21st, 2009. A perfect spring night on the deck - and our newest group member Desmond joined us.

SLOPPY TURKEY JOES

2 tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg (1 1/3 pounds) ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tbls. grill seasoning blend (recommended McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning)
2 tbls. brown sugar
1 tbls. worcestershire sauce
1 cup (8 oz. can) tomato sauce
Hamburger buns

Heat olive oil in pan on medium high heat, add ground turkey and brown completely. Chop and add red onion and red bell pepper to browned meat. In a small bowl, mix grill seasoning blend, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Pour the sauce over meat and stir together. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serves 4.

That's the recipe I used, but then I also added some ketchup and mustard for a little extra flavor, taste it and add to your taste. This recipe only serves 4, I doubled it for our group.

Skankis from Osakis, well, close...

Happy Birthday Jen! Here are some fun memories that come to mind immediately.
1.) Driving to Alexandria the first day back to St. Bens because you forgot your underwear. Yes, all of it.
2.) When you flipped out at Heidi Barklow for calling some guy you liked (Matt A?)
3.) When you almost broke your neck on Gina Deden's back.
4.) When we got in that big fight and we emptied out eachother's dressers in the floor of our room.
Thanks for the good times, and not judging me when I popped that huge zit before going out.

My Darling Amy

Happy Birthday Amy- sorry it is blog-belated. I don't know if I can narrow down any of our crazy times together after all our years co-habitating. From college, to almost living in a drug and crime filled apartment to sticking it out in the NW metro with me (and not ditching out like Beth) Oh, good times. Thanks for being a 100% friend 100% of the time. You are a rare find. I LOVE YOU, AMY!

Lasagna

Here's the recipe for the lasagna from our Pothen cabin weekend. Thanks for a fabulous time!

1 (2 lb) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 lb hot sausage
8 oz cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
8 oz sour cream (I use light or fat free sour cream)
1 (8-10 oz) package sliced mozzarella cheese
1 (8 0z) package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg cooked lasagna noodles (You can use the whole box, I use 8 - 10 noodles)

Brown meat, drain well and return to pan. Season with garlic, salt and oregano. Add spaghetti sauce. * Reserve a small amount of sauce to put on the bottom of 9 x 13 pan. * In separate bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream together. In 9 x 13 pan, layer noodles, cream cheese mixture, meat sauce and sliced mozzarella. Repeat. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

* Can add mushrooms
* Can also freeze - adjust baking time accordingly.

Happy Birthday!

Can't wait to whoop it up with you mommy-style at the cabin.
Happy Birthday Boo-Bee!

Happy Birthday, Bethie!

Happy Birthday to "Yo! Yo! Beth from the WEST-Sy-eeeeed!"
Since I first met you and colored you a picture it has been good times. Jen is right- that innocent looking outer shell of yours may fool some people, but not me. I'm looking forward to that crazy beth to come out at the cabin in January!!!

Our busy little Bee:

Happy birthday Beth! You are truly a wonderful person! You have such an enormous heart. Don't be fooled though...this innocent little mother of two who teaches the kinders can let loose with the best of them. You are a fun girl Beth and my world wouldn't be the same without you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


Love Jenny

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

Woot! Woot! You are 32!!

For you, a birthday Haiku:

Can't recall a thing,
And your weak bladder weaker.
Baby makes it worse!

Hee Hee! Happy Birthday, Jen!

Jenny- my precious flower

Happy Birthday Jen.
I will always think of you when I smell my video chair. I don't really think you peed on it, but sometimes it is fun to get you a riled up about it.
I will always think of you when you want to borrow Jen's dirty wind pants.
I will always remember the Cheeseday's song. In fact, this one's for you:
Come to Cheesedays in Monroe
It's a place for you to go
There'll be dancing, yodeling too, yoo-hoo-oo!
And a big parade for you-hoo-oo-oo!
And we know you will be pleased
When you taste Green County Cheese.
Come to Cheesedays
Come to Cheese Days
Come to Cheese Days in MONROE-Oh- OH!

I will always pronounce Monroe correctly, with the accent appropriately placed.
I will always admire that you can do the fly for more than one length (unlike me), that you can make everyone feel special, that you are great with kids and are going to be a SUPER mom, that you so easily put up with me as a roomate, with my kleenex's and useless ears.
I love you Jenny! Happy Day! Enjoy your day off!

Cowboy Caviar

dressing:
1/2 c. vinegar
3/4 c sugar
1/8 c. canola oil
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. celery salt
2 shakes of red pepper flakes
*heat all of the above until sugar dissolves and allow to cool (you can put it in the fridge to speed it up.)

1 can shoe peg corn, drained/ rinsed
1 can black eyed peas, drained/ rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained/ rinsed
1.5 bell peppers (use 1/2 each of 3 different colors for "prettiest" caviar), chopped
1 red onion diced
3 celery stalks, diced small
1 jalepeno, diced (optional)
*mix above ingredients and poor cooled (or luke warm) dressing over the top. Mix well.

Kim, not to be confused with Kimmie Up The Butt

Sorry this is so late:

Happy Birthday to my friend Kim. I am so happy that we have become such good friends over the last 9 years. I always have so much fun when I am with you. So, I have composed a poem for you.

How do I love thee, let me count the ways:
I love the way you cannot hear
I love the way that you drink beer
I love the way that you like prince
I love the way that you don't wince (when I toot)
I love the way that you love nat
and how you can eat a burger in 1 second flat
you are so sweet and such a good friend
I hope I know you until the end.

You are super Kim...thanks for always being there for me when I need you!

Kimmie...My precious precious flower

Happy Birthday Kimmie!
You will always be my precious flower even at 32 if you are not as fresh of daisy as you used to be. Some of my most hilarious memories are with you. You are like the stealth bomb of hilarity! You are quiet and unassuming and then all of the sudden out of nowhere Kim will come across with a zinger that will make you wet your pants...or me at least. I love you in so many ways...your devotion to your family and what a role model you are to me as a mom. I also love you when you are drinking...there is no one more fun then Kim when she is hammered! You are a wonderful person Kim and I am so glad you have and continue to be a part of my life. Happy 32nd!

Happy B-Day Kimmie!

Since I have known you for 13 years now, I will write out 13 memories I have of you.


-Holding your hair back on your 21st birthday while you were wearing that shirt that said "By now I am drunk!"
-Eating McDonalds in your car in the parking lot.
-That weird smell that your car used to have. Maybe related to the above.
-Saving up money in college so that we could eat out somewhere fancy- Applebees-and you could get your french dip!
-All three of us (me, you and Jen) sitting in the front seat of your car together everywhere we went (what leslies we were)
-Getting really wasted at your bachelorette party and saying things in front of your dad that we probably shouldn't have!
-Dressing up at Spice Girls for Halloween and getting Boo'ed. Lame!
-That time in front of Lottie when we were headed to St. John's with beer bottles in our backpacks. They kept falling out and we didn't get it--we thought that someone was throwing beer bottles at us!
-Buying me those short overalls for my 21st birthday-I still have them-and coming up to Alex to celebrate..with goober. How weird is that?!?!
-That you were a total trooper at my wedding even though you were feeling really crappy and that you were really worried. I really appreciated that :)
-Your good advice when I was pregnant and too nervous to ask my Dr. something. You said that soon enough he was going to see me pooping on a table so I shouldn't be too nervous. Good point! And he did see me pooping on a table not too long afterwards!
-If Chet likes you, I will be ok with it!
-How you would always order a grill cheese, Munchachos and curly fries. With a Diet Coke after a night of drinking. And stayed skinny--Bitz!!


A lot of these were college memories which makes me think that we need to make more new ones soon! Hope you had a great and happy day!

Happy Birthday Kim!

Who knew that fateful day at the end of sophomore year when trying to find housing for our junior year would have turned into this! Over the years, we've had so many fun times. And there are plenty more to come.

Memories over the years:
* Get Bent in Ghent
* Your slutty Spice Girls Halloween costume
* Your masterful cooking and baking
* Jamming out to Reba on the way to Grandma's
* #2 with no cheese and a Diet Coke
* Tremendous roommate
* "Borrowing" the garden gnome and placing him in our kiddie pool

Have a fantastic day and wonderful year.

XOXO

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ready In: 55 minutes
Yields: 8 servings

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain beef/onions when fully cooked. Put back in skillet and add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until cheeses are melted.

Cheesecake Cookie Cup

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Preparation: 15 min
Cooking: 25 min
Cooling Time: 1 hr. refrigerating
Yields: 24 servings

1 pkg. (16.5 oz) Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Cookie Bar Dough
2 pkgs. (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup. BAKE 10-12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. BEAT cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup. BAKE for additional 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. (Optional: Top each cupcake with level tablespoon of pie filling.) Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

1 Large Cucumber
4 Cups cubed poached Chicken (I cooked mine in a pan instead of poaching)
1 1/4 Cups Feta Cheese
2/3 Cup Black Olives
1/4 Cup chopped Fresh Parsley
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Tbls. Fresh Oregano, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel, seed and chop cucumber. Mix mayo and yogurt together. Mix all other ingredients together and top with the yogurt/mayo, toss gently. Better if made 1 day ahead. Serve cool or room temperature on a bed of tomatoes or with pita chips.

Serves 4-6 people

The War Has Begun

After that last delicious post, I feel bad posting this, but I thought I would let you all in on my current household issue...the mice are back!!! After a 2007/2008 mouse free house, they have decided to move back in, AHHHH!

Anyway, the war is on, mouse #1 has been trapped. Lucky for you all, I purchase the no see traps, it's the only way I can get through the removal process. If you look closely on the trap you can see that that trap in the picture currently contains a dead mouse the "mouse caught" indicator is red.

I HATE MICE!

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

I shouldn't even post this, but I am. I made it last night and it was fabulous! I used cocoa powder since I didn't know what "Baking Cocoa" was.....enjoy!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and mix thoroughly.Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!(this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

Ode to Mota

Ok, I don't have a poem--just a list of the things I love about Mota:

-She is always willing to drink with you!
-She is always so tan. Ok, this might not be a good one for the list, but you are! I am jealous :)
-She makes good food! And it is all full fat good food.
-Mota can always make you laugh
-She is strong in the face of adversity. That sounds cheesy but I mean it, what you have been through in the past 2-3 years would be enough to drive most people crazy. But you pulled through and are doing great!

Happy Birthday, Mota! Thanks for being such a great friend.

Happy Birthday Shimota!

Mota is the fearless leader of our group. Whenever Mota is around, a good time is to be had by all. Her laugh is so contagious!

Memories of Mota:
* Her 21st birthday - a bathtub and a lot of bruises were involved
* St. Patrick's Day our senior year - a lot of exposing!
* Her continued ability to drink like a champ
* All of her stories about the farm

8 girls and some wine would definitely not be the same without you.

Love you!

My Friend Shannon:

Unfortunately I don't have any great pictures of Shannon that I can easily download (we all know I am technically challenged), but I do have a lot of fun memories to share during this her birthday month!

Memory 1:
Getting off the bus at Sexton Commons really drunk in the middle of winter and holding on to one another hoping not to fall down. Unfortunately all 4 of us that were together that night were wearing Doc. Martens....One girl fell and the other three went following sliding all the way to the doors of Sexton on our asses.
Memory 2:
Walking out of my room in our apartment and seeing nothing but a big boob peeking at me from around the corner.
Memory 3:
Seeing Shannon's lovely boobs thousands of different times :)
Memory 4:
Hearing Shannon yell "MY TITTIES" from the back seat of the car while Kim's dad and husband to be drove us home from Kim's bachelorette party.

Well, that was a lot of boob memories. There are a lot more wonderful memories that I have of the times I have spent with Shannon over the years that don't include her boobs, but those are the ones that always make me smile.

Even Dirtier at 32...

Here is our dear ol'dirty doing what she does best...that is besides organizing cookie exchanges and sodering garden art together. I love Mota because she is the kind of girl who can talk about how wonderful her family is and in the same minute flash me. She can key a beer and then immediately talk about the importance of judging purchased clothing at the fair. She is the kind of girl who will be in NYC for 3 days and spend half of one trying to get into a commercial and during a free moment snap some photos of what she is pretty sure is a real murder scene. I love you Mota...Happy Birthday Month!!

Shimota

Happy Birthday Month to our own Cow Queen Old Dirty!

Every time I see a school bus in a yard, I think of Shimota. Every time I hear Ghetto Superstar, I think of Shimota. Old Dirty, you're one of a kind and our circle of friends wouldn't be the same without you, we definitely wouldn't laugh nearly as much!

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Here is the recipe for the Appetizer that I served. It was in the September 2008 issue of Cooking Light (I'm not sure what's light about it?). The actual recipe instructed me to make my own fig preserves...I was lazy and bought it from the store, so here is my abridged version.

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

40 (1/2 inch thick) slices French Bread Baguette, toasted
1 Jar Fig Preserves
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) crumbled Goat Cheese
Finely Chopped Walnuts

Spread Fig Preserves on toasted Baguette slices. Top each with crumbled goat cheese and walnuts. Broil 2 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Serve warm.

**I have to get the Greek Chicken Salad recipe from my mom...I will post later.

September's Gal: Shannon "Ol' Dirty" Mota

Here is a fun pic of all but one of us 8 ladies. Bernie is in this pic- our girl from afar in Omaha- and Beth M. (F) is absent since this is from her wedding and she probably had something to do...

Our girl of the Month- Mota is looking foxy in the bottom right hand corner. Being the oldest of the 8, we look to her for her wisdom... or often times we look for her to be Old Dirty when we need a good dose of fun.
Here are some fun facts the rest of us think about when we think of Mota (please add your own)
Good Memory:
When she showed us all her kroger while we sun bathed on the fun island- her boy-shorts swimsuit wasn't as concealing as she thought.
Music d' Mota:
Any music that makes me think "Sals" makes me think "Mota"- mostly because of the most recent CD she made us.
Great things about Mota:
Her faith and her ability to make any get together a LOT of fun.
When I think of ______, I think of Mota:
state/ county fairs, blue ribbons, 4-H

August 2008 Dinner: Janna

Here is a pic of Jen (Jelinek) Vinck and Janna Jenson at Amy's wedding. Janna was our hostess this month with some delicious recipes we all hope she will post soon. It was a beautiful day and we ate out on the deck. There was fun talk of State Fair events (the majority of the conversation focused on food), the 4 school ladies heading back for fall, and Amy announced that she is expecting this March. What fun!

Where it all began

Thirteen years ago, these 8 beautiful ladies found themselves at St. Ben's together for 4 fun-filled years of college. Since then there have been countless memories and many monthly "girls' dinners". We finally decided to keep track of it all. We may have to reminice now and then in our posts as we keep posted each month. Enjoy!