Rib-Eye Steaks and Caprase Salad

John and I were getting all romantic, and ate a dinner all by ourselves. Well, really, he had volleyball and wasn't home till 9, so we had dinner with out the Connor. But I did break out the place mats!

I like my steaks pretty natural, just fresh cracked pepper with kosher salt. Rub in an extra amount, and I let them sit for a few hours in the refrigerator, then on the counter for a half hour or so. I don't like throwing cold meat onto the grill. I grill on preheated medium-high for about 4 minutes on one side, and another 4 on the other. I would recommend more if you like yours more than medium!

Caprase Salad:

• Roma Tomatoes
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Fresh Basil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Cracked Pepper

Assemble it cutely. Goes very well with the steak. And wine. Of course.

Fried Egg Salad

As I was running out of food last week, I made up these.
Just a basic green salad with cucumbers, red and yellow tomatoes, green peppers, romaine lettuce. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Topped with a fried egg, with I managed NOT to break the yolk. I know, real simple, but sometimes the simple recipes with fresh veggies are the best.

Blue Cheese, Lettuce and Tomato Pizza

I made this from a Rachael Ray magazine. So, check out the her's here. Of course, minus the onions and PLUS bacon. Even Johnny liked it.

Just standard crust, with blue cheese and mozzarella baked on to it. Topped with romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes that were soaked in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and basil. Then sprinkled on cooked bacon.

Bathroom Fix

Husband Johnny was away at a convention for a few days.  I couldn't sleep.  The bathroom wallpaper HAD to come down.  So over 2.5 days, I did some changes to the bathroom.

Let me break down the supplies I used:

• White Semi-Gloss Paint for trim $14.97
• Summer Memory Paint $25.74
• Trim Tray Set $2.89
• Paint Tray Set $2.77
• Vent $4.89
• Wall Paper Scrapper $6.97
• DIF Remover $4.97
• Outlet $2.95
• Switch $1.88
• Covers x2 90 cents

TOTAL: $68.93 + tax (but I did use a $10 Menard's rebate check)

The blue paint I used was leftovers from the living room. Menards had a big paint square with several colors on it that they say match and look nice. So I just keep using colors only from that square. They are the experts.

BEFORE:
Hunter green sponge paint, rusty vent, dark trim, icky hinges.
AFTER:
I painted the trim white, painted the walls Summer Memory, painted the cabinet Merced Blued. I bought 8 hinges (at $10.99) to replace the icky ones, but after removing them I noticed they just needed to clean them.  After a good cleaning, they were fine. Which was great, since it saved me $11, and saved me from having to measure and drill new holes.
BEFORE:
Connor removing the wallpaper.
AFTER:
Removed wallpaper. The walls aren't in the best shape, so there are all sorts of bumps. Sigh. Replaced the old tan/off-white/cream colored outlet with a white one. My first time doing that. My good buddy Joel helped me, by guiding me through text messages.
BEFORE:
Connor removing more wall paper. He helped me peal it off. I had to soak it with the DIF spray and scrap off the gluey residue. It was hard work, but the spray worked great. About 90 minutes to get it all down.
AFTER:
No more wallpaper, doors painted white, and light switch replaced with a white one. My first light switch replacement too.
BEFORE:
I forgot to take a picture with the wallpaper still on, so I drew what it looked like in. When we first looked at the house, we were like "Oh my god, we have to fix this bathroom before we even move in!" 5 years later..... Also, notice the weird brown rusty spots under the mirror. I tried to cover those with paint too.
AFTER:
And here I am. Pretty much done. I do need to touch up some spots with white paint, but i am always needing to do that.