cooking for two tuesday: tin foil dinners

So hmm... lately I'm not really feeling the whole blogging thing, but I am trying to at least keep up with my cooking posts.  I think I feel a little cynical about the whole thing after spending an hour or two reading the archives of seriouslysoblessed {a spoof blog making fun of Mormon women}.   I don't really think I'm like that girl, but, yeah, I also kind of am. 

At first reading it was pretty funny, and then it just seemed kind of rude.  I do think TAMN is ridiculous, but there's no denying that I (as well as the authors of many of my favorite blogs) have things in common with her.  I think we women tear each other apart enough as it is without taking all of our negative traits and rolling them into one absolutely atrocious person to represent all of us. But consider the source, I take everything in life too seriously.

I obviously need to lighten up.

Moving on though...tin foil dinners.

You need: tin foil, potatoes, carrots, beef, onions, salt & pepper, and any other vegetables or seasonings you are feeling adventurous to try.

Wow, this photo makes the beef look really gross, but I promise it wasn't.

Every time I make this I can never get the time and temperature right.  So let me know if you have any tips.  I found a recipe online that said to bake it at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes on each side, but after that it still wasn't cooked completely, so I upped the temp to 425 and put it in for another 25 minutes.  Usually the carrots are the main issue, but I feel like I cut them small enough.

PS I know nothing is wrong with my oven, because I don't have this problem with any other recipe.

On a somewhat non-cooking related note, I made this apron for my niece's 3 year old birthday. Turns out it was a little too big, but I guess that's what happens when you don't use a pattern and instead hold up an 8 x 11 sheet of paper to your niece's chest to get a general idea of her size.   

ramble ramble ramble

here's the thing; I really hate it when people start off a blog post by saying, "I have been so bad at blogging lately." So this is me NOT saying that. Although the thing is it's not like I've been bad at blogging, I'm always bad at blogging. Instead of being bad at blogging I've just not been blogging. Let's count how many times I just used the word blog/blogging: 8

PS I also hate when people use the word blog in their blog. It seems I hate my own blog today. (Now we are up to 11 uses of the b word and it's getting out of control.) Just one more though, in an effort to scrounge up some ideas I google imaged the word, "blogging," and here are some of the more entertaining results. Please enjoy.

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okay no one really thinks it's time for me to update my blog, even my computer could care less I still use it plenty to read others' blogs and play tetris, jeopardy, and wheel of fortune on facebook

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shakespeare, you are so right!

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Umm yeah, let's be honest this is the epitome of me writing about nothing.


Lately I've been: running, taking naps, watching golden girls, lots of church stuff, yoga, running, cheering for Lee when he fixed our TV, playing board games, feeling bad for Ben on the Bachelolerette, being embarrassed I even watched that show, running, did I say taking naps?

Am I excited to start school in less than two weeks? You bet I am. and You bet I am not. so bittersweet.

Right now I am reading "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton, it was hard to get into at first, but I am enjoying it.

What are you reading? / Are you on goodreads?

y to the blog

Okay, so I admit it; I have no life.

Illustration of this point: The other day I say to the husband, "You know how you said you would take Biff on a walk with me? Well, you don't have to go. I'll go by myself because I want to live life and you want to live couch."
First of all, how rude is that, "you want to live couch." Second of all, what does that even mean? Last, and most important (to the point I am trying to make here)is... Since when is taking a dog for a walk living life?

So point made. I really am boring and don't really, "live life."

But, back to the side story (if you were wondering)Lee did walk the Biff with me; he just wanted to watch some clip coming up on ESPN about Jimmer Frasomething and I did not; hence my bratitude.
What was I talking about? Right, I have no life. Which brings up the question of why I am starting a blog. Good question right?
So why am I starting a blog? First here are all of the reasons I have never had a blog before:
1. I once had a class where I was required to write in a blog every week about school and it was part of my grade and it kinda made me hate it.
2. I am boring or if you must argue with that I will say too busy for fun/excitement.
3. Now, don't be offended here world of bloggers, but I have kind of felt that having a blog is sort of pretentious. Sort of like saying, "Hey! I am awesome! Read my thoughts! Look at my photos! Who isn't interested in me?"

That seems like some pretty good reasons for not blogging. So now I'll explain what has caused my change of heart.
1. The first time I wanted to blog was after watching this: Let's bet honest, who didn't want to blog after watching this? Or cook up a storm (a french storm) in the kitchen for that matter.
2. Having a blog could force me to actually TRY to be more interesting and exciting.
3. Reading other friends blogs makes me want to blog just to be able to have a list of awesome blogs on the side of mine for easier perusing of blogs.
4. This goofy article someone posted on facebook written by a self proclaimed feminist/atheist who can't stop reading blogs of mormon housewives. You can read it here.
5. And that article led me to an awesome blog that I have been reading like a book (literally read it for hours on end) That is her below; to read it click on her face.

So there it is. The scoop on y to the blog.