Man pleads with wife: Please stop with the laundry

It happened. Again.

As you may recall, M has asked me on several occasions to stop doing his laundry.

So I may have shrunk a t-shirt or 20. And sorta broke the laundry machine. And still call it a laundry machine. Does that really disqualify me from doing the laundry?

I like to sleep in M's t-shirts. Their big and comfy. So I think it's only fair that after I sleep in them, I wash them. Am I right?

Well, last night, M came home from work and went upstairs to change.

M: "Hon! Seriously?" side note: we have a bajillion nicknames for each other, none of which are anything normal like, babe, honey, etc. But I get "Hon" when M's exasperated with me.

Me: "What's wrong?"

M: "Did you wash my Guns & Roses T-shirt?"

Me: "Uh, maybe, why?" Never admit guilt immediately...

M: "Because now it's really tight in the shoulders and way too short." M. was now standing at the top of the stairs in a t-shirt that was indeed hilariously too tight and short. Opps! "Didn't I ask you to stop washing my t-shirts?"

Me: I burst out laughing and started to explain, "I thought it was only the WHITE t-shirts that shrunk. I didn't know the regular t-shirts would also shrink...." The look on his face was enough to make me stop and listen to myself.

Ok, but in my defense, I really thought his white undershirts shrunk because he didn't buy the "preshrunk" kind or something. My regular t-shirts never shrink, so I'm not sure why his did. M said it was because it's a cotton shirt and cotton shrinks in high heat.

Please let the record show: There is an absence of malice in the case of the shrunken t-shirts.

And I'm really, really sorry!

Who knew the Irish could cook

Last week was my first St. Patrick's Day as an Irish woman (by association). So M and I decided to host an Irish Feast for both of our families at the cabin.

My mom made the appetizers:
Smoked Salmon New Potatoes
Blarney Stone Appetizer

I made our side dishes, with some help from my sis:
Turnip Slaw
Potato and Onion Casserole

M handled the meat:
Irish Pork with Red Cabbage
Homestyle Corned Beef and Cabbage

My M.I.L. made dessert:
Irish Cream Cheesecake

The turnip slaw was a huge hit (and I'm not just saying that because I made it). At first, it seemed like it might be a fail, since I had nothing to shred the turnips with. In the end, I had to settle for a potato peeler.

As it turns out, the potato peeler was an accidental win! The flat, think slices were way better, adding texture and more flavor. In fact, I think I'll always use a potato peeler when making slaw from now on. A new Domestically Deficient trademark, I suppose.

It's always so much fun when our families get together. We're really blessed that our parents and siblings not only get along, but they actually all enjoy each other. I'm just sorry to report my camera battery was dead and I have no pictures from the weekend. It's really a shame, because the food looked (at tasted) delicious. Not to mention M was sporting quite a festive outfit, complete with green suspenders.

Does anybody have an incredible Irish recipe? If so, please share! I'll save it for next year.

A new twist on an old classic

Last night M made delicious tomato soup. I pared it with the ultimate grilled cheese.

Ingredients (per sandwich)

• 1 cup of sharp white cheddar and fontinella cheese (shredded)
• chopped chili peppers
  
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• a dash cumin
  
• 2 slices of bread (don't skimp, get something thick and fresh)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
   
2. In a bowl, so soften butter. I used about 2 tablespoons per sandwich.
   
3. Mix cheese with butter, I used about a cup of loosely packed, fresh grated cheese per sandwich.
4. Add chili peppers and cumin to the butter and cheese mixture.
   
5. Spread more butter on the outside of all slices of bread. I used Brummel and Brown for this.
   
6. Spread the butter, cheese, chili pepper and cumin mixture on the sandwiches.
   
7. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. I recommend flipping the sandwiches about half way through. Use a baking stone if you have one.
8. To finish, I bumped the oven to broil at 475 -- about 2 more minutes per side.

I think baking/broiling was key. I'm not sure I can ever go back to pan frying my sandwiches.

In addition to adding chili peppers, I've also made grilled cheese sandwiches with:

• a slice of tomato (obviously)
• pickles (is that weird?)
• mayo (not normally my thing, but surprisingly tasty)

What do you usually put on yours?

Brie in a Bread Bowl

Seriously one of M's best creations.

All you need is a loaf of sour dough bread, a chunk of brie, butter, jam or preserves, and fresh fruit.

M and I use this recipe for dinner. It's perfect with a little side salad. I think it's enough for two -- we can never finish ours.

I've never served it as an appetizer, though it could probably be used as one. The only issue is that sometimes it's a little messy to cut. Perfect presentation would be challenging, but not impossible.

1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Remove the center of the sour dough bread to form a bread bowl. Save the top!
3. Place the bread bowl and top on a baking tray, or a baking stone if you have one.
   
4. Melt butter and coat the inside of the bread bowl, as well as the top that you removed.
5. Spread jam around the outside crust. I've used my homemade strawberry, blueberry and raspberry. I've also used store bought raspberry preserves and mango jelly. All have been delish. This step is really personal preference.
   
6. Toss the brie in the center. Remove the rind if you wish. If your chunk is triangular instead of circular, you may want to cut it into two or three pieces for even melting.
7. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. Then watch it from there.
   
8. When the brie is melted and the bread is toasted, it's good to go!
9. Serve with fresh fruit. Apples, grapes, mango, papaya all go well. Berries are a nice addition.
10. ENJOY!
    

No use crying over spilled milk

I won't name any names, but (A) I don't drink milk and (B) that's not my side of the bed.

Does anybody have any tips to ensure our carpet won't soon start smelling like spoiled milk? Ugh, the thought of it makes my stomach turn. Please share!

Hey, Now Blogger

What were you thinking?

carriechiz posted a comment on Girl Scout Cookies and got this word verification:










Just thought I'd share for your entertainment.

Girl Scout Cookies

Turns out, M and I both bought girl scout cookies at work this year.

He bought four boxes. A box for himself (Samoas), a box for his mom (also Samoas), and two boxes for me (Tagalongs & Thin Mints).

I got three boxes of cookies -- two boxes of my favorite (Tagalongs) and one box of my second favorite (thin mints). All for me.

Thoughtfulness fail.

Tortellini: The Symbol of Love & Support

Nobody does more to support her family and friends than my mom. She's a giver. It's just her nature. It's something I admire and try to emulate.

Last week and into this week grad school has been particularly terrible. I was treading water for the beginning part of the semester. Then the clouds aligned to unleash one heck of a storm. And just like that, I'm drowning.

Before the storm, I had committed to visiting my youngest B.I.L. at college for his last basketball home game of the season. I probably should have stayed home and worked 24/7 all weekend, but putting family first, I still went. And my in-laws answered right back by creating an incredible support network for me while I tried to squeeze in work between our weekend activities.

Then there's my mom. M. & I returned from the trip to see our fridge fully loaded with food for the entire week. Not only do we not have to grocery shop, we won't even have to cook.

I love pasta with cream sauce, but my lactose intolerant stomach disagrees. So I never get to eat it. Well, I opened the fridge to find that -- among about 5 other meals, fruit, veggies and snacks -- my mom had made me lactose free cheese tortellini in a cream sauce. It certainly hit the spot!

I'm also really lucky to have the world's greatest dad & sister, plus a couple of especially fantastic friends. And I can't forget the hubs.

Last night I thanked M. for letting me lean on him. He replied: "You have to lean on me, otherwise you'd trip and fall down." He meant literally. I am abnormally clumsy. But in that moment, I was just thankful to share a little laugh before bed.

Sorry for the cheese, but family and friends really are the most important things in life. I can't imagine what life would be like without them. I know it definitely wouldn't be any fun.

--
P.S. Any lactose intolerants out there, let me know if you're interested in my mom's recipe. I'm sure I could convince her to share.