Foodie Friday: Tortilla Roll-Ups

It's Food Friday and we've got a classic easy entertaining recipe. We've got company rolling into town today from different directions and at different times. So, I whipped up some tortilla roll-ups that are now chilling in the fridge waiting to be cut up.
I started with a burrito sized tortilla and spread it with cream cheese. (I let the cream cheese sit out for a bit this morning to make it more spreadable. I should have let the tortillas sit out for a bit, but instead I gave them a quick zap in the micro.) I topped the cream cheese with chopped black olives, green olives, roasted red peppers, and pickled banana peppers in various combinations. I rolled the tortillas up into a log and wrapped them in cling wrap.
Once we are ready to serve, I will cut the logs into pieces and serve with salsa. (Maybe once I get to that point I will post a picture.) For now it is off to the liquor store for some beer and wine.
Have a great weekend!



Here are some photos. We ended up having them last night with supper. They were a little soggy by then, but still delicious.

The Tarnished Arches

On my way home from a productive day of school prep work, I decided to treat myself to an iced coffee treat from Mickey D's. Just as I angled my car toward the drive-thru, three other cars appeared. Seeing as the parking lot was all but vacant, I decided that it would be quicker to just park and go in. Hind sight being 50/50, I now know that wasn't the best choice. And here is why:
I step inside to see one other customer at the counter. So far, so good. The helpful McDonalds' employee does her job and enters the order into the computer. As I step up to the register she calls out, "Who is going to ring if I am supposed to be in the back?" And by calls out, I really mean shouts in my face.
As she heads to "the back" a very nice and helpful young man steps into take her place. Until this point he is the only employee that I could see working. I am wondering why he had to come over when I could clearly see three other employees engaged in other non-work related activities. (i.e. looking at a teen friend's iPod, leaning against the counter and contemplating life, and standing still waiting for a cheeseburger from "the back.")
As I place my order the manager steps into sight. She is a middle-aged woman who--how to say this nicely?--is young at heart. I can only assume that her eyebrow piercing, tongue ring (which I saw later), and unnatural hair color are attempts at relating to her staff. Now that the manager is here, maybe some work will be done, I think to myself. Maybe I will get my coffee. Nope. First she starts bragging on her gaming skills to the teen with the iPod. Then she tells another teen to hide and jump out and surprise someone who is on their way in the door. (Kinda glad that someone wasn't me.)
It may be at this time that she notices there are actual customers in the restaurant. In order to show us that she is the manager and can run this fast food place she shouts to "the back" that she wants good work tonight with everyone getting along and no whining. (What is this--Hell's Kitchen?) To follow up that great display, she sees my order and quickly mixes up my drink and hands it over to me apologizing for the wait.
Yeah, I think that she has more than the wait to apologize for.

The DMV . . . What's Not to Love?

Why is it that no matter where you are, the Department of Motor Vehicles is never a fun place to be. Is it the long lines? Is it that no one really wants to take time out of their day to be there? Is it the rubbing of elbows with the Creme de la Creme of society?

We were privileged to spend a good chunk of our afternoon at our local DMV recently. We needed to get new plates for the cars and new driver's licences for ourselves. (This is what happens when you buy a home in a different state than the one you rented in.)

Before leaving, we gathered up almost all of the important documents that we would need. We almost cleared out the entire fire-proof safe. We would need to prove who we were, where we lived, that we owned our cars, that our cars are insured, that I am indeed married, and that we aren't martians. (Okay, we didn't have to prove the last one, but they may want to look into that one.) Of course we couldn't find our up-to-date insurance cards which meant a stop on the way to pick up new ones. Grrr.

We got to the DMV which is located in a part of town that I didn't even know existed and there was a line out the door. It got better once we got inside and realized there were two lines, one for plates and one for driver's licenses. We tackled the plates first as our old tabs expire at the end of the month.

Once we got through that line we learned that we would have to take a written test to get our licenses. (Never mind the fact that we both took driver's ed and got our first licenses in this state.) But wait--the written exam portion of the office closed at 3 and it is now 3:15. Sorry, you will have to come back and repeat the process. (Oh, and we only allow for that Wednesday through Friday from 12 noon until 3 p.m.)

No worries, though, I will have some good reading material in the mean time--the good old driver's manual.

CYO Pillowcase

That's right folks, it's a Create-Your-Own day here on the old blog. This weekend I had laid some grand creative plans. (You do know what they say about the best laid plans? I woke up with a slight head cold, but decided to push on through.) I wanted to tackle the curtains that I have been planning for the bedrooms. I had been searching for just the right fabrics for a few weeks and ended up finding them right under my nose in my very own fabric stash. (Imagine that, liking what you already have?!!) I had also found some fun cowgirl fabric that I think I had bought to make myself a pillowcase. (Ever since I lived in Montana I have been a little bit obsessed with all things western. Jenny's grandpa even bestowed on me the nickname of Montana Molly.)
Anyway, I decided to start on the pillowcase as I would be making use of my new-to-me serger and wanted a test project. Well, I got the pillowcase done and then promptly decided that I needed to make use of it for the rest of the day. (That slight head cold had turned my nose into a non-stop faucet and had inflated my head to three times its normal size. At least I could be sick in style with my brand new pillowcase!!) I think that M is relieved that I am the one who makes use of this and not him. He was a bit concerened that it was going on our bed. :o)

My Husband (aka "The Ox")

With a title like that, you may think that I am getting ready to brag-up my husband. But one look at the pictures will show you otherwise. (Don't worry, I love my husband dearly and will proudly brag him up on many occasions.) And now for an explanation. When we bought our home, the final cost did not include grading the yard. Since M has landscaping experience, we figured we could do it ourselves and save some money. One day M was talking to a friend at church and the friend brought up the fact that he graded his own yard with a contraption made up of a couple of landscape timbers that were lashed together. Our friend would drag the timbers around his yard with a long rope attached to the front. The farm boy in M thought that this was a great idea. And so we went and picked up our friend's contraption and M began dragging it around the yard. I do have to admit that the yard is starting to look really good. I told M that it was his project and therefore he could do it whatever way he wanted to. I did warn him that he may forever be known as Ox-Boy in the neighborhood, though. If you look at the pictures you can see the neighbors and some of their friends at a recent party looking out at M. (You will have to determine what it is they are thinking.)
The engineer in M thought that a few modifications were in order. At first he looked at attaching rake heads to the timbers but settled for sinking some screws in. Later he found a scrap piece of wood the builders has left behind. You can see him attaching it in the pictures. As he was out working last night I heard one neighbor offer him the use of his riding mower to drag it, but M declined. He figures this way he is also getting a work out. :o)