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

***My tip in the Kenmore Genius Tips Facebook contest is now up to 4th place! Vote for my tip, Cheap Molding and Magazine Pages!, and I'll love you forever. Well, I'll love you even MORE forever! Vote once per day and I'll find you downright irresistible.*** Let's take a brief breather from this week's blog party (bottom of this post if you hate to breathe) to announce the nominees for the Best in Show award. These bloggers linked up to some fanciful posts during the Not "Baaad" Sundays blog hop last week. Now, they get to compete for the fame and recognition that comes along with the Best in Show award! I Heart Toys   - I don't often nominate things made to sell in an Etsy shop, but these Prairie Doll Laura dolls are just too sweet to resist! The Mustard Ceiling - Blogger Elizabeth is a fellow New Mexican! Sometimes, it seems like there are so few of us, that alone should warrant a visit to her (elegant!) blog. To top things off though, this post...

I had never realized just how Blogger-obsessed I am until last night (and this morning) when I'd check Blogger every 5 minutes and receive the same error and apology from Google for it being under temporary maintenance. Then again, I am writing this from work (lunch break!) so I guess that says something. It seems like everything in Bloggerland is back to normal, but my post from yesterday morning isn't appearing! Is anyone else experiencing this problem? Blogger maintenance pending, stay tuned to LambAround for the next Not "Baaad" Sundays blog hop! My plan is to post it tomorrow morning. See you then!

I promised you some hot, naked action in my last Camp Blogaway Sleeping Arrangements post ( Click here if you missed part 1 ). Okay, maybe not quite as exciting as that. Geez, can you imagine the Google results LambAround is going to come up in after this? Oops, maybe I shouldn't write "come up". There are going to be some very disappointed perverts out there. At camp, I found it difficult to fall asleep. Being cramped up inside a sleeping bag is not my style, especially when you throw in bunk beds that squeak if you so much as exhale too forcefully. Spiders, roommates, and bloggers drunk on wine, laughing it up outside the window, all decreased the likelihood of me getting any rest. Still, I tried. Traveling to LAX had made me pretty sleepy, as had the hours long drive to camp. Sleep was overtaking me. Then, a panicked thought. You see, (*TMI ALERT*) I don't do pajamas. Never have. They're great for lounging around the house, but for sleeping, I've never un...

Yesterday's meal of Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce was a big, lemony failure. I set out to jazz up the leftovers today, but half expected the entire thing to end up in the trash. Yuck, c old leftovers! Add a couple handfuls of spinach. *Nifty Tip* Storing rinsed spinach inside a Tupperware or glass container with a paper towel on the top and a paper towel on the bottom keeps it edible and slime-free for a long time. Add a few splashes of coconut milk Another "by the way" moment: I love our can opener! Not only does it leave a smooth edge around the lid so that your cooking isn't interrupted by running off to find a first aid kit, it also creates a great way to re-seal the can if you don't use the entire contents. Ta da ! With the added spinach and coconut milk, as well as some homemade "french fries", this was actually a pretty tasty meal.  If you're going to buy Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce, disregard the directions ...

*Update* Since posting this, I have found a way to modify the Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce recipe on the bottle into a masala recipe that tastes good. Click over to enjoy that recipe instead. It's even better than the Mini Masala Meatballs recipe from the Trader Joe's website. (Unless you enjoy lemon in your meatballs - yuck.) Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce What the heck is a masala? (Google and you shall receive. It's 'any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in Indian cooking.') I wasn't in the mood to prepare anything elaborate tonight, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to try the Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce that has been sitting in our pantry. I poured the contents of the jar, some small pieces of chicken, and a cup of water into a pot and covered it, then let it heat on the stove. Easy enough. I also added some carrot, celery, onion, and peanuts. Sexy Nerd made some instant brown ri...

*Update* My post, Easter is Over , is being featured in the BlogHer list of links this morning. Now, more of the world will know what a nut I am! You want to know more about my experience at Camp Blogaway? Well, okay. Let's start with a confession. Remember how I told you that the bunk beds are close together? Like, crazy close together? Squeeeeeze in there! The first time I met my bunk mates, I put my foot right into my mouth. I carpooled over (no driving in LA traffic for this gal!) and we were one of the last groups to arrive, driving up shortly before dinner (courtesy of that glorious LA traffic! Who would have guessed it would be so busy driving from LAX...during rush hour...on a Friday...into the mountains?) Each camper had been assigned to a room. I noticed while unpacking that some rooms had crammed in four people. My room had just myself and two roommates, so I considered myself lucky. Fast forward to after dinner and after the highlight of the evening (Joy the Baker...