Lakers Win!

Be advised: This is not a well written blog post at all. I am tired.

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Anyone who knows Joseph knows that he was beyond overjoyed to see the Los Angeles Lakers beat Orlando Magic to win the NBA Championship! Kobe's first since Shaq. Major!

Over the years I have developed little baby crushes on a few of the cute young players, as I have for a few young Dodgers, it makes the game more fun to watch, because I get bored after not that long. I enjoy when he gets to see one of his teams win, of course.

We watched the game and then opened a bottle of champagne when the game was over. He put the bottle, which had been collecting dust since '06 when I took it home after a busboy put it in my car by mistake on New Years Eve. He put it in the freezer in the third quarter when they were up by 15.

Joseph has forced me to leave the Lakers key chain that hangs from the rear-view mirror in the that car I drive. It had apparently been up there since a previous Laker Championship several years ago, and removing it, even to move it to another car, was not allowed. The Rockets and Spurs fans I work with talked mad shit to me about the Lakers for weeks because of that thing. So I was pretty happy that they won too. I guess it can hang there as long as I drive the car. : )

Back from Vegas

No, we didn't just get back from Las Vegas. Joseph got home Wednesday evening, after an exhausting 4 days with the guys in Sin City. I have been supportive of this trip from the beginning, after being a little pissed about having to change plans for an August trip, which has turned out to be a good thing. I was thoroughly excited for him to be able to spend time with his brothers alone, undistracted and on vacation. It's just precious that Joseph invited my brother to join them and I know how much he enjoyed the time with good friends able to be there too. I will admit to still being a little annoyed that he was in Las Vegas drinking by the pool while I was working my ass off and taking care of the dogs, the plant watering and garbage day all by myself. I'm mostly kidding because he does it all the time when I travel to Ohio and Florida, but it sucked nonetheless. Maintaining a garden in Texas without a watering system is time consuming and he usually does it, which I appreciate a lot more now. I missed him too, and that's never fun.

I haven't inquired too deeply about the raucous they caused. I know they consumed much alcohol, gambled many dollars, won many dollars!, ate delicious food while drinking good wine, acted inappropriately for the sake of hysterical laughter, swam at a cool pool with water slides and caught up after not enough time together for too many years. The text messages I got were awesome, he was super happy about everything around him.

Everything is back to normal again and we're happy to have nothing going on for two weeks until the end of the month, when Mama Lisa is coming to visit! The rest of the summer will hopefully include visits from at least three Higley siblings, one with an adorable nugget baby in tow and one with a whole family with him. :) We like house guests, so bring it on! The question is, do people really like coming to visit because of the food and the lake or because we're as awesome as we think we are? We still speak regularly at dinner about our desire to share meals with our families. It's one of our favorite things to do, cooking and enjoying a delicious feast with people we love.

Men they are, not a single one had a camera. I think they could have gotten some great pictures that they would have very much enjoy having. Saying that makes me sound like a nag, but I'm leaving it because it's true.

Catch up- Food Pictures

These are in no particular order and with very little description. I'm always willing to give up the goods, so ask if you want any recipes. :) These were the "pretty" dishes or just particularly good ones that we wanted to remember from February until May.

Grilled NY strip and shrimp scampi

Spicy shredded chicken, which we used in burritos, sandwiches and enchilada soup

Brunch! Waffles & berries, bacon, country potatoes and veggie fritatta

Massive (2000 calorie) baked potato, seared ahi tuna and a filet

Giant crab cake with lemon aioli

Red & green heirloom tomato & fresh mozzarella salad with pesto, basil and basamic reduction

Seared cod with grapefruit buerre blanc and green beans

Blackened chicken, white wine shrimp and dirty rice (that I finally got right after several not totally successful attempts to meet Joseph's description)

Mini banana bread loaves, with chocolate chips and almonds

Pad Thai prep

Spring rolls, pad thai and fried rice

Cousin Erin frying won-tons and shrimp rolls, and loving it!

Shrimp Pad Thai, ala Amy

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Chicken Parmesan

Cheese

Cooking Easter Dinner by himself, because I had to work. He always uses his butt as a towel when he cooks.

Easter by Joseph, smoked chicken, green bean casserole (with homemade mushroom soup, no shortcuts here), roasted potatoes & garlic sourdough

Spaghetti and Giant Meatballs

Making ice cream in the kitchen aid

Baked Spinach Artichoke dip

Marinated grilled tri-tip, rice, veggies and wine

Tres Leches cake and homemade strawberry ice cream

Pot roast for 10