This Post is So Random

in All Posts

Note:  Sometimes, it is so hard to think of post titles, especially with posts as random as this one.  I cover: the Shark steam vacuum, my sore biceps, a delicious dinner, my purple dining room, and Ashley Judd.  How to tie that all together… I just don’t know.  Read on, friends.

 

When we moved into the new house, I bought this Shark steam vacuum for cleaning the hardwood floors.  First of all, it is an amazing cleaning tool and makes my floors all pretty and shiny.  But secondly, it is a serious bicep workout. 

71onDYZLHLL._AA1500_

(Source)

It took me a while to figure out how to use the Shark – instead of long pushes as you would do with a regular mop, you do short, fast pushes to pump up the steam, which cleans the floors without chemicals (hoorah for saving money and the environment!).  However, this motion is hard to do – or maybe my 7-month baby bump makes it seem so difficult – and I end up with sore arms after doing the floors!  Psssh.  Who needs a gym?!

 

Dinner:

IMG_8436

This was one of those “throw ingredients into a bowl without measuring and be surprised when it turns out delicious” dishes. 

 

The idea behind the dish was a makeshift crust quiche – instead of creating a real crust, I used chopped-up pieces of Udi’s bread.

IMG_8440

IMG_8423

To prepare, I combined the following in a cast iron skillet.  I laid down the bread first and then mixed the other ingredients together, and poured the eggy mix on top of the bread.  The goat cheese went on top (some quantities are just guesstimates; make at your own risk!):

 

Four pieces of Udi’s bread (which are small, so I would use three pieces of regular-sized bread)

6 eggs

1/4 cup soy milk

1/4 cup shredded carrots

8 large pieces of asparagus, chopped

1/4 cup corn

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

 

Actually, I only put the goat cheese on my side; the Husband wanted his cheese-less.  It turned out good both ways.

IMG_8426

Baked at 415 for 40 minutes… and then it was ready to eat!

IMG_8432

Oh, and guess what?

 

We’ve done a rather good job at eating dinner in the dining room and NOT in front of the TV.  This was one of our big goals for the new home and something we want to instill in BabyHTP.  Having a sit down meal feels like a real luxury.  I love it.

IMG_8448

You’ve Got to Read…

 

Heather passed on this extremely well-written piece by actress Ashley Judd on the media and women’s worth, and I simply had to share it with you because it so relates to some conversations we’ve been having on HTP lately.

 

The photo comparison and article that prompted Ashley’s piece:

Ashley Judd's Puffy Face Explained

(Source)

In the piece, which is entitled Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance (by the way, an amazing title), Ashley asked questions such as, “Why was a puffy face cause for such a conversation in the first place? How, and why, did people participate? If not in the conversation about me, in parallel ones about women in your sphere? What is the gloating about? What is the condemnation about? What is the self-righteous alleged “all knowing” stance of the media about? How does this symbolize constraints on girls and women, and encroach on our right to be simply as we are, at any given moment?”  

 

Intense, right? Trust me – it’s worth reading and worth passing onto your friends! 

{ 40 comments }

 

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats April 9, 2012, 8:30 pm

    You are so good at throwing things together and making something amazing for dinner! I need this talent!

  • jessica April 9, 2012, 8:34 pm

    Both links go to the US mag original article. Can you update? I’m curious to read it!

  • Laura April 9, 2012, 8:34 pm

    Hey Caitlin! It looks like you linked to the original story twice and didn’t link to her reply, which I would love to read!

    • Caitlin April 9, 2012, 8:36 pm

      Post updated – sorry Laura!

  • kathleen @ the daily crumb April 9, 2012, 8:38 pm

    your dining room is beautiful! off to read this article 🙂

  • Earthy Nicole April 9, 2012, 9:09 pm

    Oh, I had a Shark too but it broke. I did love the way it worked and I agree, it can be a workout. I’d like to shop around for a different steam mop before I buy another though.

    I liked the article Ashley Judd wrote but the comments on it made me angry, lol. It’s amazing how brave (and cruel) people can be when they’re behind a computer screen.

    Where are your dining room chairs from? I love them!

    • Caitlin April 10, 2012, 8:38 am

      World Market – they come in blue, too!

  • Kelly April 9, 2012, 9:30 pm

    I love Ashley Judd. And she looks amazing! I think the only difference in her face is her hair. Shorter hair makes your face look rounder. And her face looks great. I am so ready for the skeletal look to be out.

  • Cheryl Mosley April 9, 2012, 9:51 pm

    One day I will throw ingredients together and they will turn into a lovely quiche! YUM!

  • Laura April 9, 2012, 9:59 pm

    What a great article! And yet, should you happen to glance at some of the comments, it is still SO shocking how people respond to this issue. So sad that people can’t see the insight of Ashley’s piece and still choose to be snarky. Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!

    • Caitlin April 10, 2012, 8:39 am

      Annnnnnnnnnnd that is why I never read comments on news stories.

  • Michelle April 9, 2012, 10:22 pm

    I love my shark! Enjoy it! Also, no matter how crazy life gets with the baby, always take time to make dinner special! I have two girls and we have “fancy dinners” in the dining room all the time. It’s the best part of their day!

  • Kris April 9, 2012, 10:24 pm

    Your crustless quiche is actually a strata. We had one for Easter dinner. The big bonus is they can be made up to 24 hours ahead of being baked. An hour before dinner, pop it out of the fridge into the oven and you have a lovely instant dinner.

    • Caitlin April 10, 2012, 8:40 am

      Nice! Now I know what a strata is 🙂

  • Marla April 9, 2012, 10:31 pm

    I actually found Ashley Judd’s piece to not ring true to me-I found her angle quite phony and even a tad narcissitic a la Hollywood celeb in denial.
    I am all for women’s rights and not critiquing
    people on their looks etc, but I think it’s
    time Hollywood gets off the face plumpers/fillers/botox and surgery bandwagon.
    That is much more of an affront to me than anything else-not the speculation of surgery but the gazillions of actresses submitting themselves to this.
    Interesting to read (to me still came off as a denial of having done any type of work, which is fine for her to insist upon whether true or not,
    but please don’t veil your protests as pretending it’s feminism and there is something to be said for “though doth protesteth too much”!
    Just my two cents and perspective 😉

    • briana April 10, 2012, 10:29 am

      Wow. Reading this comment is just incredibly sad to me.

      • Marla April 10, 2012, 10:35 pm

        I actually feel sad that you feel that way.
        Perhaps my point came out in the wrong way-
        my point was I basically I didn’t feel authenticity from her article( about WHY she truly was writing the article).I feel very strongly about women’s rights and feminism.
        I think Ashley Judd is a very respectable actress and I admire her involvement in the democratic party.I just have some question marks about the roots of her WRITING article,and it is simply based on the strong feeling from reading it that somethibng felt off to me, that’s all.But I will revisit the article to reread it again and see if my personal reaction is changed at all upon a second read….

  • Marla April 9, 2012, 11:02 pm

    Excuse my typos above ,
    thanks!
    🙂

  • Leslie April 9, 2012, 11:04 pm

    You ” MUST”do a post about your new furniture and house decor. I too love the dinning room chairs and am dying to know where to find them. So glad your enjoying your new home. You remind me that we need to eat in the dinning room more often.

  • Leslie April 9, 2012, 11:13 pm

    You ” MUST” do a post about your new furniture and house decor. I too love the dinning room chairs and am dying to know where to find them. So glad your enjoying your new home. You remind me that we need to eat in the dinning room more often.

    • Caitlin April 10, 2012, 8:40 am

      I’m going to do a big post on everything soon – but I can tell you the chairs came from World Market!

  • Jen April 10, 2012, 12:22 am

    Love, love, love Ashley! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she’s a UK alum and fan (and not just a casual one – this girl seriously KNOWS her stuff!), but I have always admired her character. I had seen one of the articles speculating about her “puffy” face, but didn’t realize that she had responded. Thank you so much for sharing!

  • Marissa C April 10, 2012, 12:49 am

    I used to love my shark. And then it died after 1 year and not really heavy use. 🙁 Apparently a common problem.

  • Laura @ She Eats Well April 10, 2012, 12:55 am

    I LOVE the idea of using Udi’s bread as the crust. So simple and practical, especially since I have Udi’s in my freezer! I also love eggs for dinner. Always.

  • Elisabeth April 10, 2012, 4:28 am

    I love that Shark steam mop! I’ve had it for 2-3 years with no probles. I also have one of their bagless vacuums – love that, too! 😉

  • Simply Life April 10, 2012, 7:53 am

    We sit down together for dinner every night- no phones, TV (don’t have one), etc. Whether it’s even to each have a bowl of cereal for dinner or something more elaborate it’s my favorite time of day and when we often have the best conversations. Obviously, this can’t work out EVERY night, but it’s a habit we’ve started from day 1 that I hope never changes!

  • Mari Bury April 10, 2012, 8:49 am

    Love your purple dinning room! Where did you guys get your dinning set? I have been on the hunt for one and that one fits the bill perfectly!! We sit down and eat dinner with the kids every single night, it is a great tradition and it opens up the way for so many great conversations and memories!

    • CaitlinHTP April 10, 2012, 11:21 am

      The entire set is from World Market – AKA the best store in the entire world.

  • Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction April 10, 2012, 8:52 am

    That quiche looks delicious! I’ve never heard or thought about creating the crust with Udi’s bread! Good thinking, have a great day!!! 🙂

  • claire! April 10, 2012, 10:21 am

    Going along with the “Random” theme, have you read (or heard of) the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy? I think you would love it..it’s basically like Twilight for (horny!) adults. Anyways, I’d love to hear you thoughts on it if you do end up reading it. I’m obsessed!

    • CaitlinHTP April 10, 2012, 11:20 am

      haha i’m a horny adult. i should check this out!

  • Elizabeth @ reads recipes runs April 10, 2012, 10:34 am

    Um it’s not you, Shark mops are intense yo! My sister has one and I want one so bad! You’ll LOVE it when the little bean starts crawling around 🙂

  • Lauren April 10, 2012, 10:53 am

    Fabulous article by Ms. Judd!!

  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat April 10, 2012, 10:55 am

    I love your dining room chairs!

  • Kaitlyn April 10, 2012, 11:30 am

    I was reading Glamour on the treadmill this morning at the gym-a mag I don’t normally read. I was amazed by how deep the content was. They did a couple of different articles on airbrushing and photoshopping and if it has gone too far. A great article from all perspectives-celebrities, normal people, mag execs.I feel that it fits in well with Ashley Judd here.

  • Ashley April 10, 2012, 12:54 pm

    Thank you for posting the article about Ashley Judd. I really love her so much more now!

  • Patti @ This Starts Tonight April 10, 2012, 1:15 pm

    That article was AMAZING. I’m sending it to my Mom right now, because a couple of weeks ago we watched that episode of Missing and were marveling at how beautiful, fit, and strong Ashley Judd looks! As an actor, I’m grateful for her comments about looking how her character is supposed to look, too! I can get fed up with actors (both male and female) who let ego get in the way of serving the story. She’s a great role model for women and artists!

  • helene @healthyfrenchie April 10, 2012, 2:37 pm

    I read this article this morning so I was glad you posted it too…
    I watched missing a couple of weeks ago and all I could think was how beautiful she is!
    I did love reading her perspective and her answer though

Previous post:

Next post:

Healthy Tipping Point