Bison. The Other Red Meat.

Sometimes the only thing that gets me through the day is planning dinner. I love coming home after a long day at the office and spending the evening in the kitchen making a delicious meal. During the week it's usually something simple that doesn't require a lot of effort or prep.
Friday night Chris had to work on his last project for his business law class, so I decided to make him some brain food:

Bison Meatloaf
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans

Bison is a very lean meat, so I added a little bacon to step up the flavor.
FAT=Flavor! I sauteed the veggies - carrots, onions, celery, leeks, green pepper and jalapeno with the bacon. It's important to take time sauteing and let the flavors build.



After the veggies cooled I mixed them with the bison, an egg, Worcestershire sauce, a little ketchup and some bread crumbs. Since we are all about portion control in this house I decided to make individual meat loafs. Breaking things down into proper portion size has really helped me maintain my weight loss.



While the loafs cooked in the oven. I worked on the mashed potatoes and green beans. I'm usually my worst critic when it comes to my own food, but this time it was perfect. The meat loafs were moist and bursting with flavor; the sides were fabulous, too. Delicious dinner for a rainy, cold Friday night.

Busy Fun

Hello internets...it's been a while. Things have been good with us. Lot's of social obligations over the last month:

Halloween - Chris and I decided to dress up this year. A few of our friends had a party. I'm not big into wearing full costumes or painting my face, so I found a cute and easy birds nest headpiece to make on Martha Stewart's website. Crafty and me usually don't mix, but the headpiece came out awesome. Chris went as Frank from 30 Rock. You know who that is? Frank? Watch 30 Rock, people! It's the best comedy on TV!



Wurstfest - 10 day salute to sausage which involved many encased meats, BEER, polka, fried food, carnival games and rides. Highlights of the night include - conga line to zippity do da, tilt-a-whirl and giving myself awful indigestion from eating too much sausage.



Fun Fun Fun Fest - Gah...it was the day after Wurstfest. Hopefully next year they will make these two fests on different weekends. With a name like Fun Fun Fun Fest you expect a lot, and they always deliver. FFFF is a small indie music fest. This year one of my favorite bands, Les Savy Fav, played. They never disappoint. I also got to see The Jesus Lizard. Chris loves them and now I see why!




Les Savy Fav - Tim Harrington

Eklhart, TX - Took a trip to the piney woods of East Texas to see myGrandma and Mom. It was nice to see them. My Grandma is the sweetest lady in the world. Seriously.



E.A.S.T. - East Austin Studio Tour. 10 days, tons of art studios all rightin my neighborhood. This was the first year I attended the studio tour. Some friends met at our house and we rode our bikes all over East Austin. Bloody marys, art, beer and biking...makes for a great Saturday.



Next up Thanksgiving! I'm so excited about cooking! A few of our good friends are coming over for a nice, laid back turkey day. I have been working on the menu for over a week and still can't decide on the side dishes. Off I go to read more recipes and find more inspiration even though I'm already overwhelmed with choices.