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!