Mini Filet Mignons and Adulthood FAIL

Have you ever, on occasion, wondered how you manage to function effectively as an adult and (allegedly) a semi-productive member of society?  Ever wondered how you get through day to day life without completely screwing everything up and failing at all of your adult responsibilities?  Hmmmm, so its just me, eh?

I'm 31 years old.  On August 13th, I'll be 31 and a half.  And sometimes I still feel the above sentiment.  I'm like, hold UP!  I'm a grown up with major responsibilities and control over life-altering decisions and adult money and to-do lists that can't be ignored.  When did that happen!??! 

I can tend to be a little bit ridiculously scatterbrained.  I forget to do things like mail stuff that needs to be mailed, changing my address at the DMV, turning off the oven when I'm done cooking, getting my oil changed (ask my Dad about THAT story), and getting milk at the grocery store.  You know, basic day to day things that are part of being a grown up.  I've still managed to stumble through my life with this handicap, although I DO tend to do better in my professional life (thank goodness!).  This is due to meticulous planning and list-making, and is NOT an indication that my personality flaw is diminishing in any way.

Today, I wake up excited about a busy Monday.  I've got my to-do list all ready to go (and color-coded with my rainbow pens!), schedule planned, notes for conference calls on my desk, the works.  I'm like, I AM AWESOME AT LIFE!  After my work is (mostly) done, I look up recipes for the best roasted whole chicken on the face of the earth!  I've got a bottle of wine breathing, the dog is nice and calm, chewing a bone and behaving for once.  Again, awesome at life.  Then my husband comes home and our conversation goes a little like this:

Hubs: "Did you drive anywhere today, Ann?" 
Me (a little defensively): "No!  I didn't have time because I had back to back conference calls and like 3 Powerpoint presentations to finalize!  Why, was I supposed to go somewhere??". 
Hubs: "No...I'm only asking because your car isn't out front."
Me: "What?!!?  Stop kidding, that's not even funny and why wouldn't my car be out front??"
Hubs: "So....you didn't see the signs saying 'No Parking on Monday - Street Cleaning, Towing Enforced'??"
Me: "That was TODAY??"
Hubs: "Ugh, call the city and find out where your car is and how much it'll cost to pick it up from the towing company.  Idiot (he didn't really say that, but I KNOW he was thinking it!!!)"

Here's the sad part.  I HAD seen the signs for the last week, and I even made a note on my iPhone to move my car on Monday so I didn't get towed for street cleaning.  But I never use my iPhone for my to-do list (because I prefer using my rainbow pens in my awesome moleskin notebook), so that was a stupid move.  My car got towed from outside of my house while I was at home all day long with all of the blinds open and a dog that barks at everything under the sun.  How did this happen?  Why can't I remember things like this?  Its like taking $95 and flushing it down a toilet sponsored by the "irresponsible adults club".  Gah!

Anyway, I kind of need my car because I have to drive to Philly tomorrow.  So I get to wake up extra early to go give someone a bunch of money to give me my car back that was towed away right under my nose.  Sigh, sigh, sigh.  Guess I'll have to continue working on this "being a responsible adult" thing and start hanging my to-do lists around my neck.


Anywho, the recipe of the evening is a pretty simple one, and I'm actually sure its not a recipe at all.  I bought pre-packaged filet mignons (gasp!) and served them with roasted green beans and cauliflower mashed potatoes.  I've posted the cauliflower mashed taters before, but I used different accent ingredients, so I guess I'll post what I did there.  Broiling filets with salt and pepper on them isn't really note-worthy, but if you're wondering, broil them on high for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temp reaches 135 degrees.

Garlicky Goat Cheese Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Source: Me!

1 head orange cauliflower (or white will work, but orange is prettier)
1 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons Garlic and Herb Boursin cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cauliflower into florets and boil in salted water until fork tender.

Transfer cooked cauliflower to food processor.  Add goat cheese, Boursin, sour cream, chicken stock, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.  Puree until smooth.