Song of the Day: Dumpweed

In less than a month, I get to go see these guys in West Palm Beach. Whoo Hoo!!

Something for the Sweet Tooth: Caramel Kiss Brownie-Cakes

I've been working on a dessert that I can make for cookouts to which we get invited, and I think I finally came up with something great.

Caramel Kiss Brownie-Cakes!

They're super easy and awesomely delicious. Wanna know how to make 'em?

What you need:

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 c. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 c. Flour
• 1/3 c. Cocoa 
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 12 Caramel Hershey's Kisses

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Spray cupcake/muffin tin with Pam

3. Mix together butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl (I use a mixer)

4. Add eggs to mixture; stir this together with a spoon

5. Stir together in another bowl flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt

6. Gradually add dry mixture to egg mixture, mixing until well blended

7. Drop batter evenly into cups in tin, filling each cup no more than 2/3 full

8. Bake 20 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of cups

9. Immediately after pulling out of the oven, press a Caramel Kiss onto the top of each brownie-cake

10. Serving Suggestion: They're best with a scoop (or two) of Vanilla Bean ice cream!

In Dreams: Rachael Taylor and a Beagle at a Football Game

I should start posting these more often. Last night I beat the hell out of Rachael Taylor...I don't have the slightest clue why - she doesn't bother me.

She was a veterinarian. We were at a football game (I have no idea who was playing), and there were a bunch of people from where I used to work there. Along the sidelines was a sprinkler system of sorts, and somebody had brought their little beagle to the field. I heard a strange noise and turned my head to see that the beagle had its ear stuck in one of the sprinkler fixtures. I turned and started to run toward the dog to help him, and she blew past me. I knew she was a vet so I thought "OK she's got this" (like helping a dog out of a sprinkler fixture is something nobody but a vet can do adequately.) So she helps this dog out, he runs along on his merry little way and she walks past me going the other direction and says "I'll get a bill printed off and send it to you". We argue about it not being my dog, she says I was the first to respond, so I took responsibility. We go back and forth, it escalates, and I walk away - incredibly ticked off.  I went back to my group of friends and watched the game a for a little bit, and she walked up to me with a bill. Without even looking at it, I just started pummeling her. I don't know why - but I couldn't stop. I did wake up feeling very refreshed and relaxed though.

(For those of you who don't know who Rachael Taylor is...)

Fantasy Football tips I didn't know I had

After an entire off-season of refusal to join or create another NFL Fantasy Football team EVAR, I caved. Just call me Brett Favre....only, I didn't cave because I had a hard time letting go. I caved because my husband needed another manager for his league to round it out to an even number, so I guess that's acceptable, right? I've never "sucked" at FF - I actually have a couple of championships under my belt and several 2nd and 3rd place trophies. It just got old because:

• I refuse to draft players from my team (it's bad luck)
• I refuse to draft players from division rivals anymore. I used to, but I felt dirty rooting for them even though they weren't playing the Hawks. (I wouldn't have them for 3 out of the 17 weeks anyway - I won't use them when they play against my team and then the bye...)
• I refuse to draft players from teams that I despise. This means just Steelers, so that's no big deal, right? But let's face it...they're good, and at draft time this has on occasion left me having to choose a mediocre player in place of a much better one.

So anyway...I caved, and the draft was tonight. I noticed something while we were drafting. Not only do I use the aforementioned criteria when choosing my players, but I take a much more analytical approach than I realized.

1. I pick a QB first. 

I know - most people will recommend that you choose a RB first and foremost because they earn the highest points. However, in my experience, with the current 1-2 punch most teams are going with,  there are a lot more players available than there are elite quarterbacks. I want my QB first and I built the team around him...quarterbacks and kickers are generally the only players of which there are only one starter per team. Kickers don't get squat for points on a week to week basis, so I don't really worry too much about them until the draft is close to being finished. I usually pick up a defense after my main quarterback and a couple of running backs. They don't usually start going until the 5th round, so usually a projected high scoring one will always be available in round 3 or 4.

2. I pick my Running Backs second and third.


3. I pick a Defense early.

4. Running Backs and Receivers Pick Philosophy

I don't necessarily always take the "best available" according to the site (Yahoo, NFL.com, whatever). Of course I take into consideration how they did last year, whether or not they're susceptible to injury, and most importantly; what's the quarterback situation on their team? This year left me with a lot more RB's and a lot fewer receivers to choose from, due to the QB mess we have in the NFL. I could quite possibly be wrong in using this approach but hey...at least I'm not choosing guys by popularity or how they look in their pants, right?

5. Defense Pick Philosophy

I don't care whether or not a defense has a Troy Polamalu or a Darrelle Revis somewhere. I take into consideration how many points the entire D allowed the season before, total forced fumbles, sacks, interceptions, and TDs. A lot of times a defense will rack up a lot more of these when they don't have a star player. Sometimes it works out to be one in the same, but a lot of times it doesn't.

6. Tight Ends Pick Philosophy

Is he more of a blocking or scoring tight end? And again - what's the QB situation like on his team? If it's a mess, I'm not sure I want him over a RB or D that's going to guarantee me more points.

7. I usually make sure I have a core group (one QB, 2 RB, 1 D, 2 WR and 1 TE) before I pick anything else.

Once I get my core group done, I like to pick up the best QB and D available for bench spots - those are my top dollar guys, so I want to make sure I'm stocked in that dept. just in case of injury or mis-picked defense and for bye week. My top scores will come from QB, RB, and D on a weekly basis - I need to make sure I'm not screwed on the one week I need to go without them.

8. Kickers Pick Philosophy

Obviously I look at their accuracy...but I also take into account how efficient their team has a tendency to be in the red zone. Are they a top scoring team? Do they have a difficult time getting the ball into the end zone? What's their running game like? Do they tend to air it out rather than use short passes or pounding it in on the ground? While great kickers have been born on teams like the New England Patriots, they haven't had to kick many long field goals. Remember Neil Rackers with a flailing Arizona team before Fitzgerald and Boldin came along? Money.

9. Bench Pick Philosphy

RBs, of course your extra QB and D, and Bye Weeks - make sure that you have a couple of extra RBs and make sure that the people you pick up as substitutes for your guys for their bye weeks don't have the same bye weeks...that's a no brainer.

I honestly had no idea that I do this until I was trying to concentrate tonight during the draft. Then I asked myself "why am I concentrating so hard? how difficult IS it?" - that's why. I know this doesn't/won't work for everyone, and I'm not saying you should take this and use it as your own Fantasy Football drafting method...I will say that I've done fairly well for myself this way. I just didn't know I was doing it, haha.

What's for Dinner? Baked Mahi Mahi with garlic butter vegetables

This is something I just threw together, so it's my very own recipe and I don't really have measurements. The seasoning of the fish was outstanding and incredibly simple. Here's how I did it:

• As many Mahi Mahi fillets as you wish
• Butter
• Minced garlic in oil (could use fresh as well; might want to roast it first)
• Fresh diced tomatoes
• Small sliced onion
• Lemon pepper
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Brown 1 tbsp minced garlic in skillet

3. Add 1/2 stick of butter to skillet, melt with garlic, add a dash of salt

4. Brush about 1 tbsp garlic butter from skillet onto bottom of casserole baking dish

5. Lay fish in bottom of pan for garlic butter seasoning and flip over

6. Sprinkle just a dash of Lemon Pepper over each fillet of fish

7. Place over each fillet: small square pat of butter, onion slices, diced tomatoes

8. Sprinkle salt over fillets

9. Bake for 12-14 minutes (until fish flakes easily)

For vegetables:

1. Steam whatever kind of vegetables you'd like (don't let them get mushy)

2. Place in skillet with the rest of garlic butter over low heat; stir until vegetables are coated

Serve with rice or pasta, or nothing else, and enjoy!

(as you can see, my daughter already dug in!)

What's for Dinner? Red Chicken Enchiladas

So I can't really take credit for the amazingly awesome flavor I got from this by rolling together a bunch of different packaged type stuff, but I figured I'd share anyway, because what better way to give ideas than make them easy?

What you need:

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 24 - small taco size tortillas (you can use either corn or flour; I prefer flour)
• 2 - 16oz jars red enchilada sauce 
• 1 can or pouch of black beans
• Spanish Rice (however much you want as filler...and I use the Lipton pouches)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Taco seasoning
• Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream for serving

1. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breast, bake in 425 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes (until cooked through)

2. While chicken is baking, mix together rice, heated black beans, onion, and 1/2 c shredded cheese in bowl

3. Shred or chop chicken (however you prefer it) and add to mixture; stir.

4. Warm enchilada sauce in large bowl

5. Dip tortillas into sauce, covering both sides

6. Lay tortilla in large rectangle or square casserole baking dish

7. Fill tortilla with mixture; roll

8. Repeat until pan is filled

9. Pour a little of the remaining sauce over enchiladas

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

11. Remove from oven, sprinkle desired amount of cheese over top

12. Bake an additional 5 minutes

13. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and ENJOY!