Happy Tuesday everyone!

I hope that you had a great weekend.  I’m back to trying to post again regularly.  How was your Superbowl weekend?  Mine was quite relaxing.  This was Kristian’s weekend with her dad and I was determined to spend most of my weekend in the house.  You see  not only was it Superbowl weekend, but it was also rent weekend.  Everyone know that during mortgage and rent weeks there is not a lot of spending going on.  There may be those of you out there where this week is not a concern, but for most of the people that I know it is.  Add to the fact that it was rent week, the weather here in Indy has been VERY uncooperative and did not lend to getting out much. 

My plans for this weekend were to cook good, fun food, watch some great movies, and read, read, read.  Did I accomplish these plans?  Reflecting on the weekend, I have to say… yes.  Yes, I did. 

Friday I made pulled pork sandwiches with homemade bar-b-que sauce and coleslaw served with my weakness, French fries.  I had slow-cooked the pork Thursday night and Friday morning in garlic, onion, red peppers and a little beef broth.  I got home and quickly made a bar-b-que sauce (I added some North Carolina sauce that I received from a coworker…thank you Larry).  I made some coleslaw on top of the sandwich and man was it good. 

Saturday I did something that I rarely do…I slept in.  Typically I’m up early on Saturdays and I get to the grocery store and hurry back home to finish out my day.  Not so this weekend.  I woke up early (around 4 am) but went back to sleep (around 6am) and finally got out of bed at 8:30.  First, I sat down and updated my coupon book (it’s a thing of beauty I tell you and I will have to show you a picture of it in another post I promise I’m going to write about meal planning).  Then I made out my menu for the upcoming week (again another blog coming soon), a lot of which was centering around the Superbowl menu.  From this I made the grocery list.  It was snowing like crazy, but my Mom and I braved the elements; and 3 hours and 2 grocery stores later we were done.  I came home and had a light lunch.  For dinner I made steak (and chicken for my brother) tacos.  I had marinated the beef (and chicken) in a mixture of lime juice, canola & olive oil, jalapeño peppers, minced garlic, and cilantro for about 7 hours.  I cooked everything hot and fast in my cast iron skillet (I consider it a kitchen essential).  When you have steak tacos you need Margaritas.  My brother, his girlfriend and I had wonderfully delicious margarita’s that had to be made with my immersion blender because my blender was cracked and everything was running out of it.  OMG!…the margarita’s were great and they went perfect with the tacos.  I finished my J.D. Robb book, Indulgence in Death, and started the short story that follows it from the anthology, The Other Side, which had Possession in Death.  

Superbowl Sunday…I got up and pulled out the things required to make my dinner treats.  I went back to bed (can you believe it!!!) and finished the book.  Be still my heart, I finished the book.  Both books were a great read.  It was a lot better than the previous book, Fantasy in Death, it flowed faster and better and I wasn’t left waiting for the next big thing to happen or unfold.  For the superbowl menu I made buffalo chicken dip with homemade pita chips,

TGIFridays brand potato skins (they were only $1.66 a box), another fabulous pulled pork sandwich and pig cake.  The pig cake was a recipe that I got from The Pioneer Woman blog.  

Can’t figure out why it’s called pig cake (actually I can…Kristian had some last night and she had the topping, made from whipped topping, crushed pineapple and vanilla pudding, was all over her face and hands – like she was pigging out on it – hence the name, I think) but man was it good.  Everything was good.  My brother complained that I didn’t make enough pita chips for the dip (cause it was really good), but I was completely satisfied.  I read some more of the book we are reading for counseling, The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  I updated my book list and began reading the first book of a Susan Mallery series.  Now…I also watched two really good movies, The Social Network and Red.  The Social Network is about the creation of Facebook and Red is a good action-packed, romantic-comedy that included great actors (Helen Mirren is the best, I want to be built like her when I’m her age.  My hips will be slightly bigger, but oh well.)  It was a great weekend…I don’t watch the game, so I can’t comment on it, nor the commercials, or the half-time show.  But I do know that congratulations go to the Green Bay Packers.  How about you?  How was your weekend?  What was your superbowl menu?