The Life and Times of the Marshall's

Guide to Making a Filet Mignon & Lobster Dinner

2012-02-14T18:08:00.000-06:00

So you want to know how to make the perfect Dinner for your sweetheart? It is easy; I will take you step by step into the secrets of the culinary world.

THE MENU:

Cast Iron Seared Filet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Sauce
Maine Lobster Tails (I don't care for the Spiny/Rock Lobsters)
Home-Grown Asparagus (see our gardening section)
All-American Smashed Potatoes (also from the garden)
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

First, lets start with the BEEF!

Beef Tenderloin & Filet Mignon. What is the difference? Beef tenderloin vs Filet Mignon can be a little confusing if you're not used to selecting cuts of beef.

Beef tenderloin is a large cut of beef before it is sliced into steak, and known by it's french name Filet Mignon. I've seen beef tenderloin steaks in the market and these are the same thing as filet mignon steaks. However, you'll never see an entire beef tenderloin labeled as filet mignon. There are two types of beef tenderloin. The trimmed version of the beef tenderloin and the untrimmed version. The trimmed version has the fat off the sides largely removed and is smoothly cut with the side medallion removed. It is more expensive since it has less fat and waist than untrimmed. The trimmed version is my favorite since it doesn't require any preparation.

The untrimmed version requires more preparation since you have to trim it yourself. Go for it if your adventurous and skilled with a knife. You don't want to mange the prime cut of beef that you just paid good $$ for. To turn a beef tenderloin into Filet Mignon, all you have to do is take a very sharp butcher's knife and slice the beef tenderloin into 2 inch steaks across the grain of the beef tenderloin. Once it's is sliced, you have Filet Mignon.

Where to buy? Sam's Club or Costco and the Beef Tenderloin or you can go to any butcher shop and find the ready-to-go Filet Mignon. We found these at Kroger, actually, "Nolan Ryan All-Natural" so they say. Only $14.99 a pound. I got one pound; they where 8oz each PERFECT! How much would you pay at the restaurant; well much more than that!!!! At Sam's you can get the whole untrimmed tenderloin around $8-$10/pound. You can get around 8-10 steaks out of one, depending on the size you find. Save the rest for later!!!

LOBSTER: During Valentine's you will be able to easily find great Lobster tails about 4-8oz. We found these at Kroger at a great price for only $5 each! Also can find at any specialty store like Whole Foods too any time of the year. Or my favorite place Central Market! These I have here are about 5 oz. each. Easy for you, then you don't have to mess with a whole live lobster; for the scared ones-you know who you are!!!

Get your sides ready!!!

Don't forget about Dessert!!

TIME TO COOK:

Take you old Cast Iron Skillet to cook this cut of beef, very easy to do inside when it is Cold outside and you don't want to turn the grill on. Get the pan hot. About a medium-high heat and place in a 1/2 stick of butter. YES BUTTER!!! Don't over season the beef; a simple salt and pepper will do. Make sure not to overcrowd your pan. Use a big enough pan. We don't want to "steam the beef" Sauce coming soon....

After about 3-5 minutes you can turn it over. You should only need to turn the steak over once. Don't mess with it in the cast iron skillet leave it alone until you think it is ready to turn. You will know when you see some brown coming from the sides. If you like it more done "well done" shame on you: then it will take longer to cook!

For the Lobster I like to just add a little salt, butter, paprika for color. Cook them in the oven on BROIL, on high heat! They will only take about 1-2 minutes to cook. WATCH THEM!!!

Don't forget the EXTRA butter for Dipping!!!

GREEN PEPPERCORN SAUCE:

1 can/jar green peppercorns

1 stick of butter

1/2 of a yellow onion diced small

1 cup Beef Stock/Broth

1/4 cup Bourbon or Cognac or Brandy or whatever!

3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

Heat your cast iron pan to medium high heat. Add the butter and diced onions and saute until they are starting to turn brown. Don't over-stir them of they will never brown! Leave them alone. Add the green peppercorns, Beef broth and choice of liquor. Careful it might flame up! Do if off the fire. Let it reduce by half and add the heavy cream . WHALLA!!! you have your sauce!

FINISH YOUR DESSERT!

TIME TO EAT!!!

Aphrodisiac Foods To Eat This Valentine's Day!

2012-02-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

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Asparagus: An English herbalist from the 17th century, Nicholas Culpepper, wrote that asparagus "stirs up lust in man and woman." In 19th century France it was served to brides and grooms in copious quantities for its reputed powers to arouse and therefore propagate. It's light and full of vitamins.

Almonds: Almonds have been regarded as a fertility symbol throughout antiquity. It's said that their aroma can entice passion. The scent of almonds is thought to be alluring to woman, and eating almonds may increase sex drive and stamina in both genders. Added health benefit: almonds may reduce the risk of heart disease as well as lower your cholesterol.

Arugula: Documented as an aphrodisiac since first century AD due to its spicy nature.

Avocado: Have been considered an aphrodisiac since Mayan times -- when they were eaten to improve sexual desirability. The Aztec word for avocado translates to “sensuous”.

Banana: Not only is the flower and fruit suggestive but bananas are also rich in potassium and B vitamins which are said to be essential in the function of sex hormones.

Basil: It is said that basil not only arouses but also boosts fertility. Basil is a food that really does make you feel good. Some also say that it boosts a person's sex drive. It is still used in Haitian Voodoo love ceremonies. Regardless of its scientific effects, a meal with basil is a meal well done. And your partner will thank you for that alone.

Beets: High in iron thus energy givers with sensual colors.

Berries: All about the seeds and fertility.

Celery: Swedish lore refers to celery as being straightforwardly arousing. It contains androsterone; the powerful male hormone researchers believe is released through sweat and attracts females.

Chilies: They actually make your heart beat faster and can make you flush.

Chocolate: We all know of chocolate as an aphrodisiac, some even joke that it's better than sex. Scientifically speaking, it does release dopamine in the pleasure center of the brain. And for that reason, it makes a great food to enjoy on Valentine's Day, or any day really.

Cucumbers: The Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation has found that women actually become aroused by the scent ~ that must be why it’s so popular in modern day lotions and creams…

Dates: In the Middle East dates are used to increase stamina.

Fennel: Related to the licorice family, fennel has been thought to be a stimulant since ancient times.

Figs: Thought to be powerfully erotic for both sexes due to the numerous seeds. Figs are one of the oldest recorded fruits and were highly prized throughout history. The ancients Greeks associated them with love and fertility. Soft and sweet, they are a real delicacy of a fruit.

Garlic: Garlic’s heat is said to stir desire. Everyone says to avoid garlic at all costs when out on a date. But the truth is, if you both partake in it, neither of you will be bothered by it. And the spice of the garlic is said to get the blood pumping.

Ginger: Used stimulate the circulatory system; improve blood flow.

Grapes: Bacchus not only the god of wine, he was also the god of fertility.

Onions: Perhaps the most recommended aphrodisiac for thousands of years. Onions are featured in the Arabic and Hindu texts on the art of making love, served to newlyweds in France (after their asparagus) and Egyptian priests refrained from eating them due to their love inducing reputation. Not to mention they are really good for you and proven to actually thin your blood.

Oysters: We all know that these little molluscs are supposed to entice desire. But there's a good amount of the population whose stomachs turn at the sight them -- not quite the reaction you might be looking for. So what is it that makes an oyster an aphrodisiac? Well, they have a high zinc content, which apparently increases libido. Raw oysters are best served with a glass of chilled Champagne -- for a truly romantic meal!

Pomegranate: Loads of seeds to boost fertility.

Quince: Some believe quince is the true forbidden fruit. Greek mythology associates the quince with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. It is believed that the quince long preceded the apple, and that many ancient references to apples were, in fact, references to quince, including the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Red Wine: Red wine contains the chemical resveratrol, which is an antioxidant. Antioxidant work to protect blood vessels and increase healthy blood flow, which is good for all of your organs, including your sex organs. Red wine also can decrease inhibitions, which makes some people more relaxed. Added health benefit: red wine is thought to be good for your heart.

Truffles: Musky scent is said to stimulate the skin and arouse emotion.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Amy's 4th Birthday

2012-02-06T19:33:00.000-06:00

This past weekend our niece turned 4 years old. She is growing up so fast. Her Uncle Brandon had to work so Aunt Meredith took the day off on Friday to spend a day with her 4 year old niece. We started our day by having lunch and riding the Carousel at the Woodlands Mall. Then we headed to the Children's Museum and stayed for hours, where we had so much fun. The best part of the day was all the secrets she wanted to share with her Aunt Meredith. This is a day I will never forget. Hope to make this a yearly tradition.

Amy painting pottery.

Amy loved fishing for fish.

Amy learning about how wind makes things float.

I love you, Amy!!

Amy the firefighter.

Never to old to be a kid.

I also got to hang out with my handsome nephew Brett.

Uncle's Birthday!

2012-01-30T19:12:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated my Uncle Dwayne's birthday, turned 54. Acts like he's 20 and the energy of a 5 year old. Here are a few photos.

Nick & Dwayne

Ray & Ben

Pa, Ben, Ray: Hanging Pa's new bird house up.

He hopes to attract Purple Martin's.

First Planting in our Spring Vegetable Garden

2012-01-27T18:27:00.000-06:00

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This past weekend we went to two of our favorite places Covington's Nursery in Rowlett and our local Home Depot because vegetable plants had arrived. Brandon was sure excited to till up his garden and get his rows ready. We got our spring vegetable garden started by planting broccoli, sugar snap peas, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, yukon potatoes, and red potatoes. We can't wait for tomatoes to come in and get those growing. Our new sprinkler system is going to be great in helping our garden grow. Check out our short video below....

Getting his rows ready.

Planting Lettuce

Planting Broccoli

Our Supervisor Jackson

Our Supervisor Molly

Spring Vegetable Garden - Planning Time

2012-01-15T20:20:00.001-06:00

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It's that time of the year again. We are getting flooded with mail order gardening catalogs. So exciting!!

This year we are hoping to have the best garden yet; hoping that the water restrictions do not stay around! Now is planning time, design, layout, clean-up of the garden, till in the "Green manure" & prepare the rows.

~ The Plan ~

Our Garden Measures 20ft. x 22ft=440sq.ft. The Asparagus and Blackberry areas measure 4ft. x 10 ft. each. Total area is 26ft by 22ft. Will be adding some amendments to the soil also; including: compost, cow manure, and expanded shale. New this year we are changing what used to be the Herb Garden to Blackberries; moving the herbs to another area. Our new sprinkler system will come in handy also, no more dragging around 100ft hoses!

~ Prepare the Soil ~

Stopped by our favorite Nursery in Dallas Covington's Nursery and Landscape. We bought a load of Expanded shale and Cotton Burr Compost to add to our soil this year. Each year I add something to amend the soil. We also found us some thorn-less Blackberries. Bought three different varieties: Apache, Arapaho, & Navaho. We always go to the Merry Berry Farm in Balch Springs, TX -- time to grow our own! Check out more info from Texas A&M for growing blackberries. Local information cannot get any better!

1 cubic yard Expanded Shale

Back To Earth Cotton Burr Compost

Expanded Shale

Expanded Shale & Cotton Burr Compost

Check out our previous years' Vegetable Gardens

Spring 2011

Spring 2010

Spring 2009

Spring 2008 (first year)

More to come...Stay Tuned!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

2012-01-04T15:00:00.000-06:00

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Cookbook Review:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

So this book has been out for some time now, but Meredith received this for a Christmas gift this year. She learned out this author from her blog. I was quite impressed with the book at first glance. I really like the layout of how they show step-by-step with photos. Great for a home cook who is wondering if they are doing it right.

But then as I began reading it, almost like a novel. Tells a story of how she arrived to writing the book and living on a ranch, but from a big city (L.A.). It is charming, romantic, funny In each recipe it tells you a little back-story about the recipe and its origin, which I enjoy. Also the photography is great throughout the book as I can appreciate; another one of my hobbies. The book intertwines the authors adventure on the ranch, family, photography, and food.

This is a great book for a beginner or novice cook with some, little, or no skill. Easy to read and follow, non-complicated.

So Meredith tried out the Chicken Spaghetti Recipe. A classic.

She is very excited about trying more of the recipes throughout the book. You can find a great deal on this book here at Amazon.

Chicken Spaghetti

The "Pioneer Woman" is coming out with a new book soon in March called "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier" You can pre-order now!

Rotating Outlet - Best Invention!

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

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So this is the best invention I have found for our home yet!

First the problem: After we had our sprinkler system installed we could not plug in both transformers for the Electrical Dog Fence and the Sprinkler Timer Control. See photo below. I searched and search for something that we could do so that both could be plugged in. I did not want to put in another outlet; especially with copper prices these days.

The problem ( they both won't fit!)

The Solution....360 Electrical 36010-W Rotating Duplex Outlet

Comes with decorative screw-less wallplate I would have rather had regular wallplate for garage, you cannot use this with an oversized wallplate. Maybe I can find an oversized screwless one?

Fits standard size outlet box
Easy to Install - 15A Rated
Comes in different colors; white, black, ivory, or almond
Unlimited clockwise & counter-clockwise rotation
Powers devices even during rotation. You can only rotate in with something plugged in.

What it looks like out of the box.

Now we can plug in both together!!!
You can buy one here at Amazon

Cookbook Reviews

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

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So as many of you may know, I am a Chef by day. And I have hundreds of cookbooks. So I thought what would be better than share with you some incite on cookbooks and which ones I recommend you check out.

Most probably are looking for just some good recipes to try out, but for me it is more than just a recipe. I am looking for a cookbook that entertains, informs, inspires, and is unique. I can pull out the Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Meredith if I just wanted a recipe. No, for me I need more! Yes some of my cookbooks are more advanced in techniques, skill, and time required, but I want to learn about the recipe, its background, culture, history and why did an author decided to write this book and recipe to share with everyone.

So join with as as we travel through a variety of cookbooks and enjoy food along the way. I will be reviewing old and new books, and will guide you on where to find some of the hard-to-find or out-of-print books

Here are just a few on my shelf. Don't tell the wife, but it might be time for another home remodel project; built-in shelf's? I just keep outgrowing the bookshelfs

Here are a few places that I buy my cookbooks from. Use these link to help me support my addiction. I am always looking for the best deal for cookbooks as they are usually range in price from $30 to $100+ "List Price"

Amazon
Book Closeouts

Stay Tuned.....

New Year's Good Luck Foods!

2012-01-01T13:59:00.004-06:00

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Our guide for feasting for future fortune...

With ringing in the New Year there are many traditions each varies with each culture with food that promise good fortune for the next year. Why not try them all and we can have a great new year.

Legumes

Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils are symbolic of money. Their small seed-like appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they consumed with financial rewards in mind. In the Southern United States, it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas or cowpeas in a dish called hoppin' john. Us in Texas call it "Texas Caviar." There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. This Southern tradition is said to have begun during the 40-day Battle of Vicksburg, Miss., during the Civil War. The town ran out of food, but the discovery of a stash of black-eyed peas gave them instant luck.

Our pot of Black Eye Peas Cookin' with Fatback!

(and Meredith even ate some!)

Pork

Eating pork on New Year’s Day is a tradition in many places. Pork signifies abundance and plenty of food. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving, which symbolizes progress. In the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity.

Grapes
In Spain it is customary to eat twelve grapes at midnight-one grape for each stroke of the clock. Each grape represents a different month, so if for instance the third grape is a bit sour, March might be a rocky month. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but some take a 13th grape for good measure.

Cooked Greens

Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune; believed to bring money and prosperity for the new year. Did you eat your Greens?

Fish
For years, many different cultures ate fish (Cod) for the new year because it could be easily preserved back since the feast of the Middle Ages. In Chinese celebrations, it’s important for the fish be served with the head and tail intact to ensure a good year, from start to finish. Germans also enjoy carp and have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck. The silver skin of the fish is thought to bring good fortune. Depending on the country, it can symbolize fertility, a good harvest, long life or good fortune.

Pomegranate

Since ancient times, this fruit has been believed to have a role in fertility and abundance.

Cakes
Cakes and other baked goods are commonly served from Christmas to New Year's around the world, with a special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items. In certain cultures, it's customary to hide a special trinket or coin inside the cake—the recipient will be lucky in the new year

Noodles

In many Asian countries, eating long noodles on New year's Day will ensure a long life. It signify longevity, on New Year’s Day. Since the noodles are never to be broken or shortened during the cooking process, the typical preparation for “Long-Life Noodles” is a stir-fry. Udon noodles are a great choice for this tradition!

What Not to Eat!
In addition to the lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any Winged Fowl because good luck could fly away.

In Germany, it's customary to leave a little bit of each food on your plate past midnight to guarantee a stocked pantry in the New Year. Likewise in the Philippines, it's important to have food on the table at midnight. The conclusion? Eat as much lucky food as you can, just don't get too greedy—or the first place you'll be going in the new year is the gym.

What did we eat you ask?

So here is some of what we ate last night to celebrate and bring in the new year! We avoided Chick-Fil-A and ate more Beef! Texas and Beef - what goes better together?

New Year's Menu

Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce
Cast Iron Pan seared with a succulent sauce!
Texas Caviar
with fatback and onions out of our garden!
Greens (sub Broccoli) with Cheese Sauce
symbolize money and well...more Gold!
Home-made Rolls & Cornbread
a must have in the south with your black eyes


What can be better than cooking in our Griswold seasoned Cast Iron (over 100 years old)

A feast for Kings & Queens...well we're almost!

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year... hoping for a great year! Big D NYE!

A Modern Day Christmas!

2011-12-28T23:00:00.000-06:00

We finally had our Christmas with Meredith's Family at Mark and Marli's house. They were great host and it was nice to see all the new things they had done to their house. What fun it is to all be together as a family with our niece and nephew especially. Kids truly bring out the Joy in Christmas.

Reindeer Brett

Amy with all the presents. Boy all the Roberts' Family must have been good this year.

Brandon with his hedge cutter from my parents.

Thanks Mom and Dad, it will make his job easier.

My Dad is excited about finding treasure with his metal detector.

If you see someone on Galveston Island with a metal detector, it's probably my Dad looking for treasures.

Brett was excited about his Elmo Silly Hands Grams found him.

What a cutie!

Amy couldn't believe her Mickey Jacket, from Aunt Meredith and Uncle Brandon.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

2011-12-25T17:55:00.001-06:00

Christmas at Pa's house...Brandon's grandfather.

Dwayne & Jeff (not sure what Dwayne is doing?)

Nick, Nick's girlfriend, & Debi

Pa and all his gifts!

Dwayne-crazy as usual

Brother & Sister - crazy together

US!

♥ Christmas Together ♥

2011-12-25T08:31:00.001-06:00

Christmas Morning enjoying time together. Our dogs are loving their stocking suffers!!

Brandon's new camera bag for his new Nikon D5100

Meredith's new shoes

Hurry open the present...What could it be?

Dogs having a good time

Meredith's new watch

Time for Christmas Breakfast with our new waffle maker!!

Next Project for Brandon... installing the new gas logs...come to find out; it's going to be more involved than first thought...Of Course..whats new...no project has gone as planned yet!!! Stay Tuned adding & upgrading the gas lines to handle all the appliances in house.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:21:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Marshall's. We hope your day was merry and bright!

Here is our 2011 Christmas Card!

Thanks to Shutterfly!

Watercolor Ornament Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for beautiful photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Santa Came Early - Unwantedly

2011-12-18T23:00:00.010-06:00

Yes, isn't it sad when we get to an age when we are excited about a Washer & Dryer. Well our washer died, this weekend, and has been repaired enough times. So time to upgrade, there goes the tax return or bonus or both! We took some advice from Trisha and with help from "Mark's Deal" we got a great deal. Saved over 40% off MSRP! Then with printout in hand, Lowe's did a price match and so we got it the same day, no waiting for delivery or ordering.

Santa Came Early!!!

Santa took up the whole Living Room!!!

Whirlpool 4.6 cu. ft. Cabrio® Platinum Top Load Washer with Sanitize cycle

Whirlpool Cabrio® Platinum High Efficiency Electric Dryer w/ Static Reduce Option

They tell us that these just came out; the latest and greatest! Just cause, we got the dryer too! Time to Craigslist the old stuff! They are so much larger than to old ones, and more stylish too! Just glad they fit with our new cabinets that we had put in a while back! So many new features I hope they will iron the clothes too!!!

Washer Model: WTW8800YC

Dryer Model: WED8800YC

REVIEW: So far after a few days and 15 loads...

The Washer seems to take longer than the traditional washer machine, it it uses noticeably less water. But you can shorten the time based on temp, spin speed, and soil level. Love the light for the washer and the glass top very cool to see in while it washes. It spins the clothes very dry also.

The Dryer is much faster than old one, just maybe mainly because the washer spins the clothes much dryer. Have not needed to try the steam in the dryer yet, but sounds interesting for wrinkles. Just ordered the rack for the dryer so we can dry the shoes on or sweaters than you don't want stretched out!

Where to Buy... Right here... for Washer and the Dryer.

Autumn at White Rock Lake

2011-12-17T21:50:00.005-06:00

Went to White Rock Lake this evening to use my new Nikon D5100 dSLR. You can get one here! These are a few of my favorites. One of our favorite places to go; great for a bike ride or stroll down the paths with our dogs.

www.brandonmarshallphotography.com

2011 ICE! Shrek The Halls @ Gaylord Texan Resort

2011-12-03T18:55:00.008-06:00

We had to go to the new ICE! at Gaylord Texan Resort featuring DreamWorks' Shrek the Halls. We have been every year the Gaylord has done this.

Master carvers spends nearly a month of 12-hour shifts inside a 9-degree freezer, transforming two million pounds of ice into a breathtaking winter wonderland This is a truly spectacular 14,000-square-foot ICE! exhibit that features a variety of magical scenes and sculptures hand-carved by 40 visiting artisans from Harbin, China. This winter wonderland created with Two Million pounds of ice and kept at a wintry 9 degrees.

Here are a few of the photos we took as we froze! If you have never been you should go at least once, as it is a bit steep in price.

This year they have recreated Shrek and all the characters from the movie. We are amazed every year we go at the attention to details the ice artisans do. What a wonderful hotel and resort They truly know how to get you in the Christmas Spirit.

Check out the previous year links below to see the different themes...

2008 ICE! Gaylord Texan Resort

2009 We Froze the Grinch! Ice

2010 ICE! Gaylord Texan - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas Decorating!!

2011-11-27T20:46:00.006-06:00

We have been working on putting up all of our Christmas decorations for the past few weekends. And we finally have finished!!

Our house all lit up!!! Can you find our house Santa??
(click photo for larger picture)

Brandon on roof!!

Need lots of power to runs all of these lights...may need to add another breaker.!?!?!?

Watts = Amps x Volts

4800 watts= 40amps x 120 volts

Just the C9 Lights on house and yard totals 3857 watts!!!

(551 bulbs x 7 watts each bulb = 3857 watts)

Not much power left for the rest!!!

Our Living Room all decorated

Our doggies enjoying the cool weather outside in front of our flower bed.
- Stay out of the flowers!

Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-25T13:29:00.002-06:00

This weekend I had a fun time taking some family photos for Meredeth's Aunt & Uncle and Cousins. Here are a few of my favorites.

If you are looking for an affordable family photographer and would like to book your photo shoot, please email with questions!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T23:38:00.002-06:00

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This Thanksgiving we went to Houston to spend time with Meredith's family. We started out at Matt and Trisha's house so we could hang out with our precious niece Amy and adorable nephew Brett. We had fun baking with Amy. Her Mom had found a great idea to make turkey cupcakes and Amy really enjoyed decorating them with Aunt Meredith and Uncle Brandon. Later that evening after the kids went to bed we watched Mark and Marli's new wedding video as well as Matt and Trisha's. What a fun day. Thanksgiving day we went over to my cousin Karen's with 40 other people in our family to eat wonderful food and enjoy each others company. What a fun day which included a bounce house of the kids and watching the Aggies play the Longhorns one last time. The house was truly divided between Aggies and Longhorns. I am so thankful for the family I have and the wonderful blessings they bring to my life.

Turkey Cupcakes

Pumpkin Bars made by the Chef

One of Meredith's Favorites

My Mom's early Christmas gift: A Birdhouse replica of the Clary House

Thanks Aunt Velma for finding this in Michigan, what a fabulous idea. She was in total shock.

Bounce House Fun

Aggie Family Photo!!

Sprinkler System Install

2011-11-05T20:36:00.001-05:00

We finally have our sprinkler system being installed after waiting over a month. After this disastrous Summer it was nearly impossible to keep the grass alive, let alone green.

(Above) I am also running power to the shed so we can have lights and POWER!!

Nice upgrade for the Garden, cannot wait until next spring!!

Precision Watering at its Best!

FINISHED!!!!

These are the Hunter MP Rotators in photo

Finished our Huge Tree Project!!

2011-10-01T14:30:00.003-05:00

BEFORE

For years we have been wanting to cut down the ugly Mulberry Tree in our front yard. Every year we look at it and more limbs are dying. We finally decided it was time to destroy the old tree. So Brandon got his chain saw out and gave it an old Tim Allen grunt and cut it down.

Mass Destruction Complete!

Time to plant the new 95 gallon shumard red oak tree. The more we looked at it the more we realized we were in over our heads and hired someone to grind the stump and plant it. It took 3 guys less than 4 hours and would have probably taken us all weekend. They did a marvelous job.

Putting it in place.

What a glorious looking tree. We love it and this is just one more reason we are never leaving our house.

Fall is for Planting - Ginormous Trees!!

2011-09-25T20:55:00.003-05:00

So we have been shopping around for a few weeks looking for the best deal on the largest tree that we can afford. We have been to the local Nursery's, Tree Farms, and the Big Box Stores.

Large Nursery's - small 30gal; puny stick of a tree $200 & 100gal $1200

Tree Farms - nicer 45gal; you let them plant $450 & 100gal $1500+

Home Depot - Huge 95gal Gorgeous tree! priceless (less than $300)

We happened to see a tree (huge) at a Home Depot but as we looked closer it was already sold! ( Last One) So we had it in our mind to find another store that had a 95 gallon , Shumard Red Oak tree for less than $300. That is a huge deal if you have ever been shopping around for trees! This size will usually cost you $800-$1200+. No one had any. We then decided to check out a tree farm in Frisco; wow $$$. And they would not sell me a tree, I had to let them plant it! I was going to give them Money, but they would not let me take a tree! What?

I am too cheap to pay someone to dig a hole in the ground for hundreds of dollars when I have two good hands...and a shovel! Then my wife thought "lets call a Home Depot around here" (25 miles away from home!) JACKPOT Yes they say we have 2!!! One is plenty for now.....

Our Tree being Loaded!

Ready for the long haul home! What have we done?!?!?

Yes It looked much bigger once we got it home!!!

Now the real fun begins...Stay tuned.

Tree Planting Party Next Weekend!!

They told me it weights 500lbs.

( Bring you Shovels Haha!)

The Circus Came to Town!

2011-08-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

The circus came to town, so we had to go see what the greatest show on earth was all about. We went a couple of years ago and were not that impressed, but this year we were truly impressed. The circus was put on by Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey who Brandon and I both saw as kids. Now we got to experience it as grown ups and loved it. The acts they have in the circus now are so cool! Between caged motorcycle riders, contortionists, aerialists, performing elephants, a lion tamer, tight rope walkers and the crazy acrobats it was a really great show!

One of the crazy clowns.

The Elephant!

The Lion Tamer, I would be a little scared to be in a cage with 8 lions.

7 Motorcyclists in a ball all riding at once, AMAZING!!

Elephants, how amazing.

Bicycle Acrobats.