Kitty Deschanel | Food, Wine, and Travel Adventures Across the USA

Has this ever happened to you? I was bored earlier and began browsing through cruise sites. I found an 11 night cruise with a terrific itinerary on a great cruise line for only $499. Intrigued, I did a little more searching and found the same cruise for only $399 ($36/night!) While it isn't the best cruise deal we've ever booked, (we ditched everyone for Thanksgiving a few years ago to go on a 5 night cruise for only $150 with a $50 ship credit!) it was great enough to warrant pricing airfare. ABQ to (mystery city) was also a great price. (Why so vague? Sexy Nerd is one of those paranoid people who thinks a criminal will rob us while we're away based on the info I've posted on my blog. Six years together and his paranoia is rubbing off on me. We'll have a house-sitter like always, but good luck getting them to come back if someone breaks in!) Although yesterday I had no intention of going on a cruise any time in the near future, now I feel like I simply have to ...

These are perfect when you're craving a quick, sugary treat. They work equally well in a toaster oven and a convection oven. Best of all, compared to eating an entire bag of Oreos (something I have never  done), they're quite healthy. What's that, you say? You already know how to make s'mores in the toaster oven? Well then, sit back and enjoy the ooey-gooey marshmallowy photos. (And if you're someone who works with me, please keep the "I've seen her polish off an entire bag of Oreo cookies" nonsense to yourself.)  Step 1: Put desired amount of graham crackers on a toaster oven/convection oven-safe pan.   Looks like it's time to clean this pan, Sexy Nerd Optional 1st step, which is Sexy Nerd's favorite: Spread peanut butter on each graham cracker (I'm not much of a peanut butter fan - WHAT?!? - so I skip this step.) Cover with yummy marshmallows. Top with chocolate chips. Place in the toaster o...

One of our favorite changes made during our kitchen remodel was repainting the laundry room door with chalkboard paint. We decorate the door for each holiday. It has had a Christmas tree, fireworks, pumpkins, and all sorts of other holiday designs over the last year or so that we've had it. We've been lazy lately and, up until this morning, it was still decorated for Valentine's Day . I casually mentioned to Sexy Nerd that it's about time we erase all the hearts and put up an Easter design. I was thinking that it would be funny to draw an easter bunny wearing a Pope hat, like on South Park. Surprisingly, Sexy Nerd said that he was way ahead of me and had already updated our chalkboard door. This is not what I'd had in mind: Weirdo.

Woman's Day Magazine Did you know this is a religious publication? You may recall my rant a while back ( Woman's Day Magazine Irks Me ).  For the record, I'm not some crazy devil-worshiper who gets offended easily and tries to censor every little thing. I just don't feel that it's appropriate for a non-religious magazine that intends to appeal to all women to have a bible verse as a feature in every issue. An inspirational quote? Sure! An article where a woman talks about her faith? No problem! But an actual bible verse that says to praise God? Errr...it seems a bit out of place amidst the recipes and life tips.  You want to know how to tick off a lot of women really fast? Mention your beef with Woman's Day Magazine on the Woman's Day Message board! Here is a sample of the feedback I received: " There is so much absolute filth out there. It's even in cartoons and shows, intended for kids." (True, but that really doesn't justify k...

First of all, I'd like to say another great big THANK YOU to all you lovely people who left comments for my last post! You've gotten me all psyched up to do some serious blogging! Also, instead of continuing to whine and complain about how my blog's button is way too big, I stopped being lazy for just a few seconds and fixed it. Okay, here is that list: 1. The weather in Albuquerque is bizarre during the spring. We took the dogs for a walk the other day and I was able to wear shorts and a tank top. Less than 24 hours later, it snowed. 2. Sexy Nerd and I have as many fruit trees as we can cram into our cookie-cutter neighborhood backyard. Last year, we didn't get a single cherry on either of our cherry trees because it froze after the trees blossomed. We already have blossoms on our nectarine tree this year. To prevent losing all the fruit, we covered the branches with trash bags. Pica went out her doggy door last night and freaked out , barking and running back...

Blogging hasn't seemed very worthwhile the last few days. After all, I thought, does anyone actually read this? I'm not writing this for money. There are zillions of better blogs out there. No one clicks my crappy ads or posts my button (it's too darn big!) or nominates me for a BlogHer award or to be featured on SITS or follows me, and why would they? LambAround sucks!  There are more productive things I could be doing, like working on that book I've been trying to write since...well...too long ago to admit. My house is trashed, (Sexy Nerd's beer brewing doesn't help) my head is congested from allergies, (I hate New Mexico sooo much right now!) and we had an insanely busy/short-handed week at work (spring break at a pediatric dental office is not fun, especially when 2 of the 4 other employees call in because of horrible family emergencies). I was ready to let LambAround sit idle for a few days (weeks? months?). Then, I signed on and read this comment: Amber s...

Years ago, Sexy Nerd and I had the brilliant idea to get a dog to keep me company while he was away at school in Michigan. We chose a Jack Russell terrier, which was the worst possible choice considering that I lived in an apartment, was a full time student, and was working a full time job, including a 6:30am-midnight shift every Sunday. Katie had energy to burn, and with no yard to run through and no companions, she put her excess energy to mischievous uses.   Example 1 (just 1 of many!): My Birthday Sexy Nerd was away in Michigan, so he sent me a bouquet of tulips. I set them in a vase on my dining table, then continued to study for a chemistry test I had that afternoon. It's baffling how bad I am at chemistry, especially when you consider the massive chunk of my UNM classes that involved it (including labs, I think I took 10 chemistry classes! I still know pretty much no chemistry whatsoever.) I said good bye to Katie, went to school, miserably failed my test that I...

Gosh da rn it! I had an entire post, pre-written and waiting to appear after the 2010 HGTV Dream Home giveaway, complaining about whoever won (you know, just in case I didn't win). It went something like: GET OUT OF MY DREAM HOUSE! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!! But then they awarded it to Dr.  Myra M. Lewis, a sweet, lovable old lady, who lost her house during Hurricane Katrina. I can't complain about her! I even tried. All Google did was reinforce how awesome she is (she helps the environment!) So, Myra M. Lewis, congratulations! And if you need someone to show you around Albuquerque or house sit, let me know :) Besides, the 2010 HGTV Green Home is more my style anyway! I'll tell you what, Myra Lewis. If you let me visit your 2010 HGTV Dream Home, I'll let you visit my 2010 HGTV Green Home. What a deal, right? :)

Sexy Nerd and I have been looking for new chairs for a while. My old Ashley Furniture glass dining table and metal chairs from college just weren't right in our new house. However, as the old dining set cost $200 for the table and 4 chairs, I was having trouble justifying $100 or so per chair for replacements. So, the glass table is now being used as a desk in my office, Sexy Nerd refinished an old dining room table to match our style, and the old chairs received a much-needed update, courtesy of a $3 can of burgundy spray paint (which looks pink when photographed, for some reason). Now to find cheap upholstery fabric that looks awesome! And learn how to reupholster a chair! And sew more of that upholstery fabric into matching curtains! And sand/paint those yucky cabinet doors! And rearrange all the furniture! And find 2 more chairs that will look good with these because we want to seat 6! And build a window seat in the dining room! Ah, good times. This Post is Blog Ho...

I sucked it up and attended jury duty this morning. It was not a pleasant experience! So, how did jury duty go? On my juror application, I stressed that I would not be a good candidate for jury duty due to problems with social anxiety.  I cited the college statistics final where, after being the only person in the class who hadn’t completed their exam, I had a panic attack and sobbed uncontrollably.  When I was in 6th grade, I was called up to the stage during an awards banquet for a story I had written. How I made it up has always been a mystery to me, as the only thing I remember was having the realization that my name might be called and being unable to hear anything else except my heartbeat afterward.  Sexy Nerd can vouch for my anxiety. Five minutes before our wedding, the officiant, Captain Howie, pulled out what I thought was a microphone (it was actually a tape recorder). Not only was I going to have to recite vows in front of everyone – I was going to have to...

I'm so frustrated right now. I've technically been on jury duty all this week, despite me making it perfectly clear that I am the ONLY person who can work while my boss is gone this week and my coworker is out of state. To make things extra fun, my boss doesn't pay people to serve on jury duty (honestly, I can't believe any employer would), so in addition to the inconvenience to myself, my employer, and our patients, I will actually be losing money. A lot of it. Luckily, my number hasn't been selected - until tonight for tomorrow morning. What exactly is so hard about giving people a little more advance notice? This is the exact crap in the link they emailed to me: ALL JURORS MUST CHECK THIS WEBSITE AGAIN THURSDAY AT 11:30 A.M. FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON INSTRUCTIONS. And when I wasn't selected (again) for that, they linked to this: ALL JURORS MUST CHECK THIS WEBSITE AGAIN THURSDAY EVENING AT 5:30 P.M. FOR FRIDAYS INSTRUCTIONS.  ALL JURORS ARE ON CALL UNTIL M...

The reason I decided to make taco salad for dinner was so I could take a photo of the awesome tortilla taco salad shells I make for my blog. I've heard that you should always be sure you have all the ingredients you need before you begin making a recipe. I discovered halfway into cooking that Sexy Nerd had eaten the last tortillas. Taco Salad Recipe Serves 3 Step one: Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook some meat. In this example, we are having steak. Step Two: Add 3/4 C of marinade. No marinade? Use the juice of 1 lime, cilantro, garlic, and 1/2 C of salsa. Reduce heat and cover. We did have marinade, but only because I found it in the clearance isle at Target. Cut up 1 head of romaine lettuce, 2 tomatoes, and dice an onion. Toss everything together in a large bowl. Add 1/2 a can of kidney beans and 1/2 a can of corn to the bowl. I always rinse my canned vegetables first, as I've heard it reduces their insanely high sodium con...

HGTV is going to announce the winner of the 2010 HGTV Dream Home in Sandia Park, NM in just a few days (March 15 at 8pm ET/PT). I'm sorry if you thought you were going to win it, but you're not. Who will the winner be? Sexy Nerd and I are going to win the HGTV Dream Home! WOO HOO!! What makes me so sure? How do I know?? Well, technically I don't know for sure ...but I've become attached to the idea and figure that sending "Sexy Nerd and I are going to win the 2010 HGTV Dream Home" vibes out into the universe can't hurt! You can help by repeating after me: "Sexy Nerd and Lamb are going to win the 2010 HGTV Dream Home. The LambAround blog is the best blog ever and I will visit all of the sponsors. Pica and Biscuit will look cute and happy in the 2010 HGTV Dream Home. They can share the kid's room." Don't feel bad about us winning instead of you. I will take zillions of photos and post them here! It's a win-win situation...

Kitty Deschanel Aloha! Hi there! I'm a blogger of Sexy (Nerd) adventures and a lifelong insomniac.  Yes, even as a baby! My family says I was a nightmare. Frankly, I think they're still a little bit mad at me all these years later. I was born in Australia, grew up in the bustling Bay Area, and moved to dusty Albuquerque shortly before high school. I have a degree in psychology from the University of New Mexico. Here on my blog, I started out writing about whatever random things interested me and have since narrowed in on just a few topics based on posts that performed well, such as cosmetic procedures, wine, and Amerisleep mattress reviews. Give your audience what they want, right? Also, I've worked in a pediatric dental office for more than a decade, so don't expect to see any baby posts around here any time soon. My job is the best birth control in the world! Favorite Book: Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien ...