Tiffany's world

Dinner

2011-01-23T21:49:00.005-05:00

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo over Green Pepper Rice with Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Baby Potatoes.

MPM 1-24-1-1-30

2010-01-25T07:35:00.005-05:00

:) Sunday London Broil, carrots, onions, potatoes, Hiya's gravy, Yorkshire
Pudding, Blackberry pie and cool whip!
(My husband asked for Swedish pudding!!!!)
Monday Fajitas
Tuesday Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
Wednesday Bruschetta Chicken
Thursday Pine Valley Eggs, Biscuits,
Friday Nana's Chicken Soup with Rivlies
Saturday FFYS

Stuffed Yorkshire Pudding

2009-12-07T07:25:00.003-05:00

Pretty Much The Ultimate Comfort Food!

It takes a bit of time to make, but it is well worth it!

SO easy, but you have to let it 'rest' (I am always too impatient!)
And be ready for some smoke in the kitchen!!!

1. Fully cook 1 roast... Crockpot, oven, it's up to you.
2. In a bowl, whisk 1 3/4C flour with a couple dashes of salt. Make a well and crack 4 eggs into it, add 1 1/2 T beef drippings from cooked roast (or use melted Crisco for dessert popovers).
3. Beat in 1/2C milk, til well-mixed.
4. Add 1/2C milk and whisk completely.
5. Set aside to REST FOR 30+ MIN!!!
6. Preheat oven to 450.
7. In muffin tins or custard cups, add 1/2-1t crisco. Place in oven til smoking lightly.
8. When shortening is hot and smoking, ladle batter into cups, 3/4 full.
9. Bake 10-15 min (do not open oven, even to peek, until after 10 min....)
10. Prepare Mashed Potatoes while you wait... And make gravy for roast
11. When golden on top and puffed, remove from oven...
12. Crack open on plate, add mashed potatoes in center, top with shredded roast beef and gravy.
13. Try really hard not to eat ALL of the leftover popovers with jam!!!!!!
*Sometimes they rise in the middle, sometimes they fall. Either way, they are DELICIOUS!

Makes 7 or so larger size popovers, or 14 muffin size popovers

BBQ Pork Quesadillas

2009-10-28T18:46:00.001-04:00

Dinner was great!

I cooked a pork roast (or 2) in the crockpot the other day. I put the leftovers in a covered dish with BBQ sauce. Today when we came home from work, I made Quesdaillas and stuffed them with the BBQ pork! It was delicious! (After Nicole cleaned her plate, she said she didn't like it.... Then she ate some more!)

Caldo Tortilla

2009-10-08T17:55:00.002-04:00

In a frenzy to replace burrito and tacos, I created a magnificent tortilla soup! Perfect for a nice, chilly day.... And The Clone Wars! We enjoyed the warming soup while huddling together in the living room.

Here's my made up soup:

1. Cook rice.
2. Saute onions in EVOO, add pepper, drained canned chicken, 1/2C salsa, and 2T crushed tomatoes. 'Stir Fry' til warmed through.
3. In soup pot, add 1qt chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Stir salsa mix into chicken broth.
5. In bowl or mug, add 1/2C rice, ladle soup over top.
6. Garnish with choice of avocado, diced tomato, cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips.
7. Enjoy!!!!

16 years.... And counting

2009-09-17T10:50:00.003-04:00

It was 16 years ago today that I collapsed in gym class. A ruptured AVM in my cerebellum. I find it hard to swallow that one tiny detachment of vessels caused so much change in my life. Some for the good, some difficult to swallow. I am even more thankful to experience the gratitude that others have had in their own lives because of this one instance... It truly is a miracle from God.

Some of my life is better than before and the rough patches are smoothed out with love from friends and family. I couldn't be more grateful. It hardly seems fair for me to begrudge anything because of the differences.

So, I've been alive for 16 years! I should go out and celebrate a 16th birthday!!!

But I am off to go thank those who deserve my continuous gratitude!

When I grow up

2009-09-10T20:49:00.004-04:00

I want a sail boat.

I cannot sail by myself, you know. I choose not to fully understand every element so that I cannot be responsible for anything.

Except for maybe the food.......

(Do you see Tink helping me with the Carne Asada?)

We obviously sailed at sunset.... Can you see the moon?

We sailed completely by moonlight and radar. And shadows. And sound.

MPM 9-6-9-12

2009-09-07T09:46:00.002-04:00

9-6-9-12

:) Sunday Subway
:) Ground Beef Stroganoff TTOO SALTY

Monday Pine Valley Eggs
Carne Asada, Pico de Gallo
Tuesday Polska ‘n veggies, alad, fruit
Wednesday Stromboli, salad
pizza crust
Thursday King Ranch Casserole, beans, salad
Friday ...not sure yet
Saturday Swedish Pancakes

Check out for more!

Montreal

2009-09-02T22:35:00.016-04:00

It was a QUICK trip, and a long trip. We were driving, driving, driving, and all of a sudden we were there... Okay, after 4 or so hours of driving, we checked into an adorable little bed and breakfast in Montreal! It was a B&B that was located in an old post office. It was actually the first Post Office in MOntreal, built a LONG time ago and had been abandoned (sold to) some nuns in the early 1900's. The previous owner worked for the current owner and told us stories of those nuns who would leave anonymous gifts at peoples' doorsteps and leave baskets of food and clothing on their front porch when they went to bed. Isn't that a delightful story? We had a nice suite with a view of the street. The terrace had a view of the city and the 'Mount' behind us. It was so cute and quaint with the views and the architecture, but quite weird to think that we were possibly staying in the sorting room and eating in the storage room!

We were so hungry after we arrived, we went to a little diner called 'Bercy's' I ordered an iced tea that the doc and his dad told me it looked like a beer. No other way to describe it! Then we walked all over the city, on the cobblestone streets, and Nicole told us over and over that she wanted 'to go back to the Post Office!' It was funny and cute!

We had a very French continental breakfast, oui, and left for the Botanical Gardens. They were beautiful! And seemingly endless! First there were gardens, then Japanese gardens called 'the garden of weedlessness', then zen gardens, etc.....

And finally we went to the Insectorium. I like that word. Insectorium.

It was beautiful! Well, as far as I could see, from the back seat!!!

Anyway, we went to the Olympic center
, a Mandarin buffet, toured downtown, went to the Basilica, Notre Dame and saw the light show! It was actually like a history lesson. They taught us all of the reasons the French came to Canada and started their own colonies and created the Notre Dame. It was actually an architectural masterpiece! And I have to say, it was beautiful!!!

We checked out early in the morning (er, early as can be for some night owls!) and had breakfast at a cute little cafe down the street. It was like a Starbucks, but with a French name. The language barrier was very frustrating, but I managed to escape with a cafe au lait and a REAL elephant ear! (I crave them all over again!) Nicolee had a croissant with mango juice instead of orange juice!

Back to the car, we drove through an old French-Canadian cemetery and the 'ritzy' communities while grandpa and Nicole played slap jack and war. Occasionally I would hear Nicole say, "Grandpa, you're disturbing me!" I'm not quite sure what that was all about! She gave up the card games and focused on finger weaving!

We stopped at the Upper Canada Village and saw a glimpse of colonial living in Canada! Very similar to farms and communities I've seen reenacted here in the states. But the doc got to milk a cow! That was a site!

We got back on the road, went through border patrol, and then we were back in the states. So, to end our little French-Canadian trip, we celebrated with some good ol' american cheeseburgers!

What a great trip!

(Now, if only I could get my house back in order!!!)

MPM 8-30-9-5

2009-08-30T20:06:00.002-04:00

My last week before school starts.......

Did I tell you that my gorgeous crock pot (a gift from my mama) couldn't handle the pressure, gave 1 shooting spark, and DIED? It also popped the circuit, left a burn mark on my counter, and wants me to spend another $30 to replace it.... I am sad. That's it, just sad!!!

Sunday Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Monday Summer Squash Pasta Salad, grilled chicken
Tuesday Hamburgers
Wednesday Bruschetta Chicken
Thursday Polska ‘n veggies
Friday Ground Beef Stroganoff
Saturday Pine Valley Eggs
Stromboli, salad

Menu for the Week... And more!

2009-08-16T23:03:00.006-04:00

Sunday Chicken Tacos
Out to Ruby Tuesday's!

Monday Grilled Caesar Chicken Salad and Texas Toast

Tuesday Tamale Pie

Wednesday PDub’s steak and either salad or Caprese Salad

Thursday Hot Dogs and Hamburgers

Friday ????

Saturday ????
(Visit http://orgjunkie.com/ for more inspiration!!!)

Today is just Sunday. This is always the time I stay up waaay too late trying to finish all of the plans I had for the weekend!

And I slacked on the snacks of the week, but in retrospect, we had fresh fruit every single day this week! I LOVED it!!!

Friday night the doc and I enjoyed a (little bit) late anniversary dinner. GOOOOD Italian food!
The first wine I have loved, down to the last drop (gotta love those Italians), Fettuccine Alfredo, and a lemon tart.
All to celebrate 8 years of wedded bliss! Then we decided to go to the drive in! A double feature! GI Joe and Transformers 2! It was fun... And I stayed up waaaay past my 'bedtime!'

Saturday Nicole and I wanted to have a tea party. Instead it turned out to be a breakfast run for the whole gang at PAnera! (I brought it home) After brunch/lunch, we went to the park. A birthday party, swimming, the driving range, an art fair, birthday cake, and live bagpipe music. All within 3 hours! WHEW!

Now it's Sunday. It's almost over, but it was a well-used day. Church, lunch, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, movie, out to dinner, scenic drive, ice cream at home, laundry, and baking.

Er, yes, baking! I can't bake, remember? Except for the open-and-insert-in-oven kind of baking! I turned 1 gallon of blueberries into pie filling, baked a pie crust and it turned out like this: That's one whole pie and a LOT of filling! I invited the 'rents to make pancakes, waffles, tarts, crepes, whatever they can to use up this stuff! OH, and to EAT the pie, too!

Ooh, and I got to chat with one of my bestest friends! What a sweet way to end the day! So. Let the week begin, I will be well fueled with blueberries and humor.

An anniversary, the snack of the day, the craft of the day... I'm sure there's more

2009-08-12T22:06:00.006-04:00

No craft today, we had 'theatre night' instead... I'll explain.

After we eat.

Today I made 120 Quesadillas. It was supposed to be veggie quesadillas, but the shredded carrots had turned, and who likes carrots in their quesadillas anyway? If I were in charge of the menu, I would have added sliced bell peppers, or green chilies. Oh, how I love green chilies! (I love food, remember???)

Then I made 2 pans of cheese enchiladas! I sprinkled then with olives, cheddar cheese, and served 'em with sour cream and salsa. The kids loved 'em! Then it was on to theatre night. The performance was a collection of choreographed beach songs, but they were so CUTE! Every heard of Pineapple Princess? Oh, the kids were adorable in this song!

We went home (and Nicolee was still singing!!!)

(Dave and I had subs. And he had fudge. And I got daisies! I love daisies!)

Oh yeah,, and I went to the Farmer's Market on my lunch break and I came home with all of this treasure! And I have noticed that I have NO cash left after I visit the Farmer's MArket!

Oh yeah, and today is our 8 year anniversary!

Flying Things, Snack of the Day, Monday Monday...

2009-08-10T20:17:00.004-04:00

Japanese Beetles.....
Birds, sometimes...
Airhogs

What do they all have in common? They all seem to fly through the house and run into EVERYTHING around you!!!! Not only is Doc pretending just to be a big kid, Nicolee hs received a mini air hog for her birthday and she is flying all over the living room! Pop-Pop would have been proud! Until then, there's all this buzzing in the living room and Tink and I are both ducking!!!!!

And onto Snack of the Day..... We had these wonderfully awesome Sundae Cones! But instead of ice cream in our oversized waffle cones, I filled it with a fruit salad of diced strawberries, bananas, and grapes sweetened with honey. They were delicious! And I was SO distracted, that I didn't take a picture!

MPM 8-9-8-15

2009-08-09T18:18:00.000-04:00

:) Sunday Church Picnic
Tamales, Lo Mein

Monday Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

Tuesday Hot Dogs, chili, etc

Wednesday Cheese Enchiladas

Thursday L&B come in

Friday King Ranch Casserole
• Beans
• Salad

Saturday Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Garlic toast
• fruit

I am a LITTLE bit behind!!!

2009-08-04T21:08:00.013-04:00

My mama flew in to town and took us to NYC for a Broadway show (and to celebrate Nicole's bday!)! We saw Phantom and it was AWESOME! I feel an entirely new draw to the city, a new craving that needs to be satisfied!
....Not that I ever wanna give up this new endeavor! We enjoyed a classy Starbuck's breakfast right before we headed to the theatre.

We also went to Alice's Tea Cup. Last time we went to the city with Myra, she took us here and I LOVED it! It seems Nana enjoyed it, too! We had tea, peach for me, I don't remember what Nana had, sandwiches (BLT with Bleu cheese!!! To DIE for! Nana had something curried.), scones, and dessert cookies! It was delicious. Nicole had her own ginger tea, sandwiches, and scones, too. The doc had something great, but mine was better ;)

Our hotel was awesome! We stayed at the W. It was beautiful, pristine, modern, and classy. Their decor theme was 'water' or something like that!!! Down the elevators and into the street, it was awesome!

There was a street fair right in front of us. My favorite sight at that point was the smoothie bar! I just wanted to eat all of the produce!

The day we were leaving the city, we walked through central park and it started pouring! The city was under flood watch! We made it halfway through and found a 'shelter.' Once we finally made it through the park, we decided to take a carriage ride all the way through the park again! We were a little soggy by then ;)
But memories are memories!!!

We also visited the library. It's the scene of one of my favorite movies! But I loved the detailed marble-work and the endless books and the HISTORY inside!

I could have spent all day in the library! (But we were headed out of town!)

P.S. I finally met up with my sweet friend Ange! I haven't seen her since 1993! It was fun, introducing her to family, catching up, discussing dreams and future plans.... And reminiscing about old friends! I think that hanging out with her was the best part

MPM 7-26-8-1

2009-07-26T19:59:00.005-04:00

Sunday BBQ with the new residents and Med students. We had BBQ burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chili, pasta salad,
Strawberry Pretzel Salad, grilled corn, Ga Ga's cucumbers, and lots of desserts! It was good!

Monday Hiya’s Roast

Tuesday Leftovers

Wednesday Chicken Lo Mein

Thursday Nana comes.... Maybe Mac 'n Cheese

Friday Train to NYC

Saturday NYC

If you'd like any recipes, just ask ;)

For more menu inspiration, please check out

Snack of the Day

2009-07-23T21:43:00.003-04:00

No pics of the snack, it was Trail mix again. Granola, cheerios, raisins, pretzels, um, and I think that's it.

But our crafts were interesting! We made sidewalk chalk. It was MEESSSSSSSSY! I will be chiseling plaster from the floors for days! But the kids sure thought it was neat!

And I went running again today, I've been running between the time I get of work and when Nicole gets done with swimming. By the time I pick her up, I am beet red and exhausted!

So I've been exhausted alllllll evening!

Since SACC started.

Snack of the Day

2009-07-22T21:25:00.006-04:00

Remember this slime I made yesterday?
It made this tart, sweet jello jiggler of snacks'-sorts.
The verdict? The test-tasters were divided. Some of them loved it. Some of them thought it was just okay. Some of them wouldn't even try it!

Craft! We made mini scrapbook keychains! The kids made these out of empty cereal boxes, paper, wall paper, hole punches, and key rings. Aren't they neat? They can write notes, draw pictures, whatever they want.... On the go!

Tomorrow we are making sidewalk chalk. And Trail mix.

Snack of the Day

2009-07-21T19:40:00.005-04:00

Today we had a really yummy snack! I took a slice of cinnamon raisin bread, slathered on some peanut butter, and topped it with thinly sliced apples! I brought my Miracle Blade from home so that I didn't have to use a plastic knife to cut the apples! (My kitchen is less than adequately stocked!)

I started making tomorrow's snack! It's called 'sparklers.' A gelled-like jello jiggler. It's made with sprite and OJ concentrate! It should be good, but it looked kinda like ecto-slime from the Ghostbusters!!!

For crafts, we started making a TON of pictures. 1,000 to be exact (hopefully we'll get that far!). They are to be included in the invitation for a fundraiser in October.... Something like that! I'll take a pic tomorrow, it slipped my mind. I had a zillion things to do today!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-20T18:47:00.008-04:00

I made my first batch of granola today! And the 2nd... And the 3rd... And the 4th... And the 5th!!! It was delicious! I decided to throw in a handful of raisins in the last batch and it was really yummy!

The theme of this week is Kitchen Chemistry. Our first art project this week was an experiment to find out which ingredient was in the paint! Red paint had flour, Orange paint had salt, yellow paint had sand (mmmm, NOT an ingredient!), and pink paint had dish soap in it (ALSO not an ingredient, but definitely used in the kitchen!) The kids had fun painting with various substances!

We also went to the fair this weekend. Military days! With our Military ID, we got into the fair for FREE, plus a discount on the ride-armbands! We had a blast! Nicole had her face painted and my kiddos had a great time!

We were going to go out to dinner with a friend tonight, but she forgot, so we saved some money and had dinner at home! A DELICIOUS dinner! I thought I'd make grilled chicken Caesar salad, but I had no Caesar dressing. I coated the chicken with a poppy seed dressing, put it over lettuce, and topped it with bleu cheese, shaved parmesan, and grape tomatoes! Plus a side of fresh baguette! It was delicious!!! My palette is ever bored!

MPM 6-19-6-25

2009-07-19T19:12:00.003-04:00

Sunday Hot Dogs, grilled corn
Tacos, taco salad

Monday Grilled chicken Caesar salads
Dinner with Peggy

Tuesday Mini Pizzas

Wednesday Chicken Enchiladas

Thursday DeJa Vu Buffet

Friday Polska ‘n Veggies

Saturday BBQ with the new residents
Hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, Ga Ga’s cucumbers, Strawberry pretzel salad,

Just request a recipe, if there's something that intrigues you!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-16T21:39:00.003-04:00

Today's snack was yummy! Honey-wheat English Muffins (toasted) with whipped cream cheese and raisins on top! The kids loved 'em! But it was served with water, which was a little disappointing!

In crafts, we made 'fake stained glass' pictures! I covered a piece of cardboard with foil and the kids drew a picture or pattern with a sharpee and filled it in with paint! Some of them were very interesting!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-15T19:48:00.001-04:00

This snack was okay. Kinda simple, but still filling.

I made a 'smoothie' with vanilla yogurt, milk, frozen strawberries, and bananas, served with Ritz Crackers..... Even though we had those yesterday.

Craft of the day! This week's Theme is Arts Alive! Each group is making tons of art! Today 1 group did jello painting, yesterday, 1 group tried painting with 7 different medium! (pudding included....) Today, we made a picasso-like portrait. I tell ya, these kids have talent!!!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

It was depressing. Not appealing in any way! Fruit Fizz and crackers. Plain old Ritz crackers. And a fruit fizz made of fruit juice concentrate and seltzer.

So no pics.

But in art we painted portraits! Some of them were very abstract!

Anyway, let's hope snack is better today!

Snack of the Day!

2009-07-13T20:24:00.005-04:00

I know you missed my daily posts over the weekend.....

And the snack of the day was called 'pretzel paddles.' They smelled really good as I was making them! I dipped pretzel rods in peanut butter, then rolled them in fruit loops. When those were gone, I rolled them in a fruit and granola cereal, and that looked REALLY good! And when I ran out of that cereal, I rolled them in cheerios... But I might go back and make some rolled in that granola for myself! The kids loved 'em! Well, except for those with peanut allergies!!! One staff told me they were wicked good!

In craft time, we attempted string painting. Pieces of yarn were cut and placed in paint, then folded between paper. The kids liked it! ...But it's amazing how many kids don't like to make messes!

And we now harvest wild blackberries in our backyard! Nana, did you know these were here? Well, this is what we would consider an ABUNDANT harvest in our backyard! Maybe I can serve these as a garnish!!!

Here are the doc and Nicolee playing with army men.... I'm not quite sure what that's all about!!!

Menu for the Week

2009-07-12T17:17:00.004-04:00

Sunday Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Monday Taco Salad

Tuesday Stuffed bell peppers

Wednesday Subway and Salad

Thursday Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Friday Philly Cheesesteaks

Saturday the BEST Marinated Steak

If you want any recipes, let me know!
Check out http://orgjunkie.com/ for more recipes

Snack of the Day

2009-07-10T19:33:00.006-04:00

Today we had a unique activity for all of the classes! The theme of the week was Jungle Week, each team selected an animal from the jungle to be their team 'mascot,' and served a teaspoon of something they think that animal would eat to all of the other kids. For example, the Turtles served lettuce, the monkeys served bananas and blueberries, and the other monkeys made monkey bread....

Then for snack, the menu said 'Food on a Stick.' I had to refer to the shopping list that C gave me and assembled salami, green olives, cheddar cheese, and grape tomatoes on a stick. There were also 7 cantaloupe, I cut them up and served them on the side!!! I didn't think they belonged on the skewer!

My crafty kids made these egg-carton-caterpillars. They decorated them however they wanted! They sure are cute, aren't they???

Snack of the Day

2009-07-09T17:33:00.006-04:00

Mmmmm. This snack was yummy! We had Fake S'mores, no campfire. I assembled 92 graham cracker sandwiches with nutella and marshmallow creme in the middle! This was a snack that NONE of the kids passed up! And for some reason, they were all hyper afterwards!

For crafts, we made 'flower petal fish.' We cut out a TON of flower petal shapes from construction paper and glued them into the shape of a fish! How cute;)

And dinner is already in the oven! King's Ranch Casserole. I might have to look up why it's called that.... There is no ranch, no king, but it sure is a casserole!!!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-08T18:51:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's late, Ginny!!!

So here it is! We were to have baked nachos. But, 1) the cheese came from the supplier in a large brick (I'm talkin' 10 lbs!) and I have no cheese grater at work, and 2) the oven does not work. Does not turn on, does not pass go, does not collect $200. I decided to stick with chips and salsa! I'm sure I will get an earful from Lady C at work tomorrow......

Since this is jungle week, we did leaf painting for crafts. The kids loved it! It surprises me that so many of them are afraid of getting dirty and messy! I think that's what crafts are all about! (Lady S should know, she cleaned up after me all the time! Note to self: I will have to change my art repertoire next year!) Anyway, aren't they pretty?

Craft of the Day

2009-07-07T18:24:00.004-04:00

Tricked ya, huh?

Snack wasn't that appealing, er, great, er... I did not partake. I made a mock apple crisp. Spiced apple sauce (with nutmeg and cinnamon) with corn flakes sprinkled over the top..... Tomorrow will be better!

But the craft was great! We have a Jungle theme this week. Today we made giant lady bugs with paper plates, paint, googly eyes, and pipe cleaner antennae! The kids loved 'em!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-06T19:10:00.003-04:00

Our location has changed, we only have grades K-3. Since our numbers are smaller, I find myself making fewer snacks. But 79 is still quite a few bagels with cream cheese and sliced strawberries!!!

Snack of the Day

2009-07-03T17:08:00.003-04:00

I assembled 100 cookie sandwiches. Nilla wafers (til I ran out and used graham crackers) with a whipped cream cheese/grape jam filling. It was deeeelicious! All the kids told me so!

Milk Run, anyone?

2009-07-02T16:33:00.002-04:00

I was hired to be the crafts and snack lady. Make snacks, create crafts, go shopping for said supplies, easy enough, right? WRONG! I am the snack lady, the craft lady (which I don't really get to start until next week), the moving company muscles, the errand runner, the unofficial secretary, the milk man, the substitute, a warm body, the jester, and the keeper of the peace. And so on...

2, 963....... 2, 964.....

2009-07-01T22:03:00.003-04:00

This is what I did at work today. I made a MILLION of these! Okay, it was really 171ish. But they took a long time to put together! And I skewered my poor fingers, too! But look at how pretty they are!

MPM 6-14-6-20

2009-06-14T19:20:00.004-04:00

Sunday Hiya’s Roast, broccoli, peaches, strawberries

Monday Spinach Salad

Tuesday Philly Cheese steaks

Wednesday BLT’s

Thursday Tacos

Friday Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Saturday MYO Pizza (Boboli crust? Pillsbury crust?)

It's a simple week, food-wise. School and jobs ;) are winding down and I need to empty and defrost the chest freezer! The funny thing is that we have 1 more year in this town, I guess I need to start thinking of cleaning out the freezer, anyway!!!

MPM 6-7-6-13

2009-06-08T07:30:00.006-04:00

We went to Maine for a Medical School Graduation.... The Doc got to hood one of the graduates! What an honor! And Nicolee was SO well behaved for the long trip! I was proud!

Here's what I plan to eat this week!

Sunday- On the Road, we picked up Burger King......

Monday- Taco Salad

Tuesday- Bruscetta Bake

Wednesday- Irv-meister's Ribs

Thursday- Pollo Bowls

Friday-the Doc's Internship Graduation (even though his internship was last year.... It doesn't make sense to me, either!)

Saturday- FFYS

Pollo Bowls Recipe

1. Prepare rice.
2. In saucepan, in 1T EVOO, add 3 thawed chicken breasts. Cover with salsa, add dash of cumin, pepper, garlic salt, lime juice, etc.... Simmer til chicken is cooked through and easily shredded. Shred and set aside.
3. In 2nd saucepan, add pinto beans, taco sauce,
4. When all is finished cooking, place rice, beans, and chicken in 1/3 of bowl (imagine dividers, even though there aren't any!).
5. Serve extras on the side or on top of dish: Pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, cheese, tortillas, etc...
Plan your own menu with help at

MPM 5-31-6-6

2009-05-31T19:50:00.006-04:00

This week is a little odd. The doc has been honored and was requested to 'hood' someone at her Med School graduation! We will be traveling a bit, so 1. I am cleaning out the fridge, and 2. a few days, I have no IDEA what we're having for dinner!!!

Sunday Orange Chicken

Monday Empanadas, salad

Tuesday BBQ Grilled Chicken Rollers, salad

Wednesday Grilled Shrimp

Thursday

Friday traveling...

Saturday traveling...

And visit $5 Dinners for a chance to win some yummy spices or pasta!

And see more menus....

It was the best of salads and the worst of salads

2009-05-29T21:11:00.006-04:00

Tonight was Ladies' Night IN at our church. A volunteer from the local 'University Co-op' came to teach us about Container Gardening (perfect for my soon-to-be patio, in the backyard!). We learned about the importance of a portable container in the harsh weather!! Herbs, veggies, fruit, flowers, trees.... Anything except a potato! I hope to grow a pico de gallo garden soon! Or maybe a lasagna garden! How fun does that sound?

We always have a 'potluck' night at our 'in church' nights out, tonight's theme was the garden, so we all brought salads! I made a deLICIOUS blackened chicken salad with a creamy honey mustard dressing, the best taco salad, and a strawberry pretzel salad for dessert. But that blackened chicken was awesome! And the spicy and creamy mix? To die for!!!

Have I mentioned I love food???

Oh, and I forgot to tell you we went golfing this weekend! Well, not really golfing, just to the driving range.
And biking.

Grilled Carne Asada

2009-05-25T15:57:00.003-04:00

GOOOOOOD Mexican food has been hard to come by, since we left SoCal! I've taken to MAKING MY OWN!!!

This Memorial Day, we're having Grilled Carne Asada with Pico de Gallo and the rest of the good stuff!!

Carne Asada

1. If you can't find skirt steak, find a nice roast with almost NO fat. Stand it on its side and slice WITH the grain. You should have quite a few flat steaks with long lines running through it. (It's easier to cut when partially frozen, but your fingers will pay for that later!!!)
2. Add meat in glass bowl with minced garlic and onion, S&P, and lots of cilantro. Pour Squirt soda over the top. Stir every hour or so.
3. Remove pieces of meat and grill to desired doneness. Serve with tortillas, pico de gallo, sour cream, etc....

And here's my Pico de Gallo!!!

1. Dice 4-6 Roma tomatoes, 1 onion, 2 jalapenos, and 1 bunch cilantro.
2. Stir with S&P and drizzle with 1 lime, juice. Don't forget to zest the lime! There's SO much flavor there!
3. Cover or use ASAP. This stuff doesn't keep well in the fridge.

MPM 5-24-5-30

2009-05-24T19:12:00.008-04:00

Sunday
Lunch
"Tiffany Sandwiches" with Pastrami, Balogna, mustard, lettuce, tomato, provolone cheese on french bread, served with T marzetti's Honey French Dressing to dip in.
Dinner
Chimichurri Beef, Pasta Salad, Roasted Potatoes, Strawberry and Kiwi

Monday Grilled Carne Asada, salad

Tuesday Ham and Cheese Stromboli, salad

Wednesday Fajita Kebabs, salad

Thursday Bruscetta Bake, salad

Friday Homemade Mac n Cheese, salad

Saturday Orange Chicken, salad

Check out more ideas....

Stay awake for this late-breaking news!

2009-05-20T19:35:00.002-04:00

I DO have a menu for the week! It takes me so long (I rolled my eyes there) to get my menu posted!!!! But here it is...

☺ Sunday Domino’s!

☺ Monday Tomato Soup and grilled cheese

☺ Tuesday Brinner: biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs,

☺ Wednesday Chicken Stir Fry

Thursday King Ranch Chicken

Friday no school
Grilled Carne Asada

Saturday BBQ Grilled Chicken Rollers
Taco Salad

J, this one's for you!

2009-05-18T08:18:00.001-04:00

Cilantro Crusted Roast

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Rinse roast, pat dry, and season with S&P.
3. In food processor, process 1 bunch cilantro, ½C walnuts or pine nuts, 6T minced garlic, 1t celery seed, S&P, and divide in half.
4. Rub ½ of pesto all over roast. Place in roasting pan and roast 1½ hours at 325.
5. To 2nd half of pesto, whisk in 1t horseradish, salt, and ¼C EVOO. Chill til needed.
6. Remove roast when finished, let rest on counter.
7. Slice VERY THIN against grain.
8. Spread pesto on sandwich rolls and add slice of meat!

MPM 5-10-5-16

2009-05-11T07:44:00.011-04:00

This week's Menu

Sunday-Tico's Mexican Grill
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Monday-Cobb Salad
Layer bowl with lettuce.
In 'sections,' add chopped tomatoes, chopped hard boiled egg, chopped avocado, crumbled bacon, sliced olives, and sliced green onions.
Serve with your favorite dressing!

Tuesday-Fajitas

Wednesday-Taco Salad

Thursday-Chicken that Makes Its Own Gravy (called Chix MIOG)
Bake cubed chicken breasts at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with sliced mushrooms and canned pearl onions (drained).
Combine sour cream and cr chix soup, and shredded cheddar.
Spread over chicken and sprinkle with paprika.
Place back in oven to melt cheese and meld flavors.
Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, etc.....
Even better as leftovers!!!

Friday-Philly Cheesesteaks

Saturday-Cilantro Crusted Beef

Need more menu ideas?

Visit Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday!

A Brilliant Girl!

2009-05-07T10:01:00.004-04:00

This is Teacher Appreciation Week. Nicole and I decided to make a jar filled with reasons she loves her teacher, plus some chocolate! Nicole came up with this awesome list!

50 Reasons I love Mrs. Roux
1. She shares
2. She helps us
3. She inspires us
4. She reads to us
5. She makes us laugh
6. She loves learning
7. She loves teaching
8. She loves kids
9. She plays games with us
10. She knows everything
11. She knows everyone in our class
12. She loves books
13. She’s good at teaching
14. She listens to us
15. She guides us
16. She gives us information
17. She smiles a lot
18. She is creative
19. She is a kind person
20. She wears pretty skirts
21. She is fair
22. She is fun!
23. She tells the best stories
24. She is never bored
25. She does fun projects
26. She is nice
27. She is kind
28. She gives us something other than homework
29. She believes in us
30. She is a leader
31. She respects us
32. She works with us
33. She is patient
34. She is a good friend
35. She is happy
36. She is good at her job
37. She is confident
38. She is prepared
39. She makes learning interesting
40. She is organized
41. She likes teaching
42. She is easy to talk to
43. She makes me feel important
44. She shares with us
45. She remembers a lot!
46. She is firm
47. She is calm
48. She makes me want to do my best
49. She is a blessing
50. She is AWESOME!

Lee gets the best sunsets!

2009-05-06T21:27:00.003-04:00

Afterall, she's right on the water!

Here's our new yard!

2009-05-06T20:27:00.002-04:00

Well, kinda new. A little... Not really.

Okay, a bit of landscaping!

Home Improvement

2009-05-04T09:15:00.004-04:00

Since last summer... Or maybe the summer before, I have been dreaming of putting in an outdoor-bistro-like-patio in my backyard. Somewhere with a table and chairs with big flower pots and an oversized patio umbrella. My first thought was to put it in an obscure corner, near the garage, but it would be next to nothing.

THEN the doc pointed out a corner behind that house where grass doesn't grow and the sun doesn't come near it!

I also wanted to plant a 'hedge' in the front yard with flowers, stepping stones, and a border of some sort to separate it from the lawn.

Well yesterday we began these two projects!

Mmm, not so much, the patio!

We purchased 5 cherry blosson trees that will stand up to -40 degree weather (for some reason our hibiscus trees didn't make it through the winter!) and some daisies and other potted plants to pant inbetween. Plus soil and mulch (my preschool kids used to call it munch!).

Last night the doc ripped out the grass (in a neat and orderly fashion) and I brought in the baby trees! I can really imagine them near the front picket fence with mulch all around and stepping stones inbetween!

We also visualized our plans for the backyard and 'eyed' some of the products at Home Depot! This summer we will accomplish more!!!

Breakfast in 'bed'

2009-04-10T18:32:00.003-04:00

This morning I actually had a chance to sleep in... By 8:00, Nicolee and I were downstairs taking care of Tink, etc..... AFter finishing the morning rounds, I collapsed on the recliner and Nicolee ran into the living room and asked if I wanted breakfast in bed.

I answered, 'yes, honey, but I'm not in bed anymore.'

She said, 'that's okay.....'

Then she ran in and asked for the stool.

Then she came and asked me to get the bread down for her.

Then she came in and asked me which jelly I'd like.

Then she came in and asked me where the toaster was.

Then she ran in and asked me to plug it in for her.

Then she gave me a knife and asked me to spread out my own jam.

Then she came in and asked me if I was enjoying the breakfast she made for me....

Then she asked me if I would do the dishes.

Don't you love breakfast in bed?

This is how I found my kitchen upon 'waking up.'

Cocinando

2009-04-09T07:47:00.007-04:00

Last night I made a clever little soup. I was craving some creamy basil chicken, but it was very cold yesterday. I cooked the chicken in the crockpot with onions and sweet bell pepper, topped it with chicken broth and lots of basil. I let it cook for hours. (I also added mushrooms, but don't tell the doc! Nicolee loved 'em!) By lunch time, it smelled a little weird in my house. (Hint, don't use raw onions and bell peppers next time!) But at dinner time, it smelled heavenly! I stirred in some FF cream cheese to make it creamy and served it in a bowl over mashed potatoes! It was awesome! Like I said, next time I will sautee the onions and bell peppers first and maybe add carrots to make it more flavorful.

Early this morning, as I was quickly styling Nicolee's hair and making lunches, I also made breakfast AND dinner! The doc and I had Pine Valley eggs for breakfast, and we will all have a keilbasa-hash for dinner! I diced potatoes and put them in the crockpot. When I get home, I will saute the keilbasa, carrots, garlic, onions, etc, and toss them all together, and pan fry in the skillet.

I sometimes wish I had more time!!!

FREE is the magic 4-letter F-word

2009-04-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

We went to a FREE Easter Egg hunt at a local church the FREE building craft at Home Depot, the FREE Monsters vs. Aliens craft at Michael's, and then we were SO disappointed to find that the easter egg hunt at the historical Society was not FREE. (ten bucks instead!) I'll just have to find something else FREE to replace it... Like the FREE redbox code on Monday... Or the FREE coupons I have for tomatoes, peaches, and frozen dinners!!!

I like FREE!

Last Minute

2009-03-31T20:52:00.002-04:00

I hate waiting til the last minute. I need to plan, to prepare. But not tonight!

I had nothing on the menu, but lots of leftovers in the fridge. The doc doesn't do leftovers, this eliminates plenty of my options. Luckily, almost everything is good in a taco! A new, reinvented taco. AND I had just the right ingredients to make pico de gallo! It was perfect. That's all I'm eating tomorrow!!!

Pico de Gallo

1. Chop tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and fresh jalapenos.

2. Toss in bowl, sprinkle with S&P, drizzle with lime juice.

3. Enjoy it on EVERYTHING!

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T13:10:00.002-04:00

And it's 30 degrees outside with a chance of snow this weekend.

My Dinner Rocked!

2009-03-01T19:27:00.003-05:00

I made the best steak ever! (I totally copied The Pioneer Woman! I think she's my kindred spirit!)

I marinated a flank steak in a concoction of teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and ginger, a few spoonfuls of brown sugar, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. It was delicious! I wanted to lick my plate clean!

THEN Irving brought over THE BEST potatoes au gratin. I tell ya, I couldn't decide which one I liked better, but I definitely overstuffed myself trying to decide! The spinach salad on the side simply faded in comparison.

Have I ever mentioned that I love food???

I like cereal

2009-02-28T21:25:00.005-05:00

A boy in my SACC group used to say 'I like cereal' at the drop of a hat.

T: How are you today?

K: 'I like cereal!'

T: What'd you learn in school today?

K: 'I like cereal!'

T: What do you think we're having for snack today?

K: 'I like cereal!"

My uber-creative mind wanders to when I, too, loved cereal enough to recall my infatuation in every instance... And I can only long for those days when I was more concerned about the awesome toy inside, rather than the fiber content and insertion of whole-grains into my diet....

But I still like cereal!

Guess what we had for dinner!

A bit about me....

2009-02-25T18:48:00.000-05:00

25 random facts about me......

1. I look younger than I am. My students think I'm 18 or 19. (Who am I to correct them?)
2. I am seriously dyslexic. But I am too much of a perfectionist to let it come out... too often...
3. I am a type A person since my accident, but I was a 'type B' person (or whatever you call the opposite!) before my accident.... And the two collide, wrestle, and occasionally one will win. Right now I am trying to get back in that type A mode!!!
4. Yo pienso en el espanol antes de puedo hablar en igles! You tengo que traducir las palabras, pensando por muchas minutas, entoncesyo miro muy muda!
5. I LOVE to watch movies! Correction. I love to let movies watch me! (I can't watch a movie and do nothing. I have to type, write, draw, build something, etc.... The theatre doesn't appeal to me anymore!
6. I still think about some things in terms of basketball principles. It's not too bad to not quit til the game's over, or be unselfish with statistics and assist others, or to try to predict the next move but be ready for anything, but it is kinda silly to jump to the triple threat position when I am ready to get started or use some courtside lingo to describe how to tackle a certain task... Basketball in in my blood.
7. I am not addicted to facebook. Or e mail. Or IM. Or the internet. I am addicted to the computer. I could get my 'fix' by creating a spreadsheet or database, just as easily as I could by reading entertaining e mails or headlines!!!
8. I still remember Mitosis from high school biology. The 5 phases are1. Interphase, 2. Prophase, 3. Metaphase, 4. Anaphase, and 5. Telephase. I know it's pointless, useless information to you and me... At least Miss Wagner would be proud of me!!!
9. I am a goof. Not a secret, but there are secrets as to why!
10. I am a klutz, too. You can't tell because I am a goof, remember?
11. My hands can touch my knees when I walk, so I keep them up near my face as much as I can!!!
12. I judge the grocery stores in town by their produce display. I am in love with the produce department!
13. I eat salsa out of the jar.
14. I LOVE coffee ice cream, coffee flavored goodies, the smell of coffee, etc. But I won't go near the REAL stuff!
15. I don't think I could be content in one job forever... One day I'd like to run a B&B, own a tea/breakfast shoppe, write a book, be a personal assistant, be a basketball or team coach, paint or draw for some job, and who knows, there may be plenty of other things I'd like to try!!!
16. I LOVE to sing! Sing at the top of my lungs! I don't think the doc's ever really heard me, cause I have major 'performance fright.' I am pretty embarassed to sing in front of other people... And I have scar tissue in my vocal chords, I am certain that I don't have that vocal quality everyone is looking for! Luckily, I can wail to the Phantom of the Opera at work and no one has to hear me!!!
17. I hate math, but I am pretty math-oriented. I do weird math in my head, averaging, multiplication, etc, things that don't really need to be done. Who wants to know what the square root of my street number is? Who wants to know how many more hours of tutoring I have in ratio to blah blah blah.....?
18. I once saw the movie Waitress, which was a pretty lame story.. But I pinpointed a new train of thought!!! She (whatever Keri's character was named) daydreamed in pies. She created an 'I hate my husband pie' with caramel and dark chocolate and dark cherries... Then some other good mood quiche/pie with chicken and gouda cheese and eggs..,. My meals have this feel to them. I have begun creating plenty of these "I-had-a-great-day-can't-you-tell" recipes, new combinations, etc. And it's FUN!!!
19. My persona changes often. Almost every day. Today I wanted to be a little on the athletic side. Yesterday, I was the intellectual type, the day before I was the prissy goody goody and didn't want to get cold and wet in the snow... Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
20. I second guess myself all the time. Not just my answers and decisions, my math, my directions, my wardrobe choice, my....
21. I sometimes wish I had named Nicole 'Caroline' instead.... And every time I wish that, I remember that the doc would NEVER go for it...
22. I hate country music SOOOO much! I get mad at the doc every time he turns it on.... But I'm not sure why. Part of it MUST be the way my dad hates country music. He got SOOOO mad at me once when I turned the Judds on in his work truck! I almost walked home that day! Or maybe part of it was that I liked it for a time, then I was in the hospital, and my mom would turn it on, tie me into bed (yes, you read that right), then leave me to fall asleep at 9:00..... The next morning at 8, when the nurse untied me, THEN they would turn it off... It just reminds me of being tied in bed. Sheesh.
23. I lost my taste while I was in the hospital. There are still a few things that have no taste in my mouth.... so I usually douse them with hot sauce, salsa, etc. Maybe I just shouldn't eat them.
24. I miss the ocean! Swimming, skiing, visiting the lake just isn't the same. And to pair it with a sunset! That's just the West Coast, baby! I crave it!!!
25. I LOVE looking at the sky! Sunsets are one of my favorite things to watch... And I LOVE the clouds.... And I LOVE the different colors of the sky! Simply, I just love the sky!

And #4 says "I think in spanish before I can speak in english, I have to translate my words back to english, it takes me a few seconds, then I just look dumb for taking so long to respond!!!!"

WHEW! I finished! But this one didn't take as long as the '100 things about me' I once filled out!!!

Eureka!

2009-01-23T07:47:00.006-05:00

Usually that word is used for a discovery of tangible sorts... I have just made a psychoanalytical discovery that has pieced together the varying definitions of me!

My strange cooking goal is life has been to never make the same thing twice, minus exceptions of our favorite dishes, the easiest meals, and classics.

When I was in the hospital, I couldn't taste anything. The chicken, steak, pizza, shrimp, and refried beans all had the same flavor. Different texture, same flavor. Same with sodas and fruits and veggies and sweets. My life (or tongue specifically) was bland.

Since recovery, I have discovered new flavors (that I had obviously had before!) and combinations and types of food. My love for their flavors has shaped my goal to taste them all at least once! And my fear of reverting to the no-taste-zone has forced me to collaborate creativity and culinary creations!

So, normally dinner at my house is exciting and daring! (But I'm stuck in this food rut again, I can't figure out anything that sounds good to make!)

A Giveaway!

2009-01-11T16:14:00.002-05:00

I love delicious food.....

And delicious books....

Ever heard of a delicious lunch tote?

Check these out:

And you can win, too. Check it out here!

Good luck!

What a weekend...

2008-12-22T10:06:00.002-05:00

Ever hear of the Trojan virus? It ate my whole computer yesterday. I am now on the montrous desktop upstairs becuase it wiped out my entire laptop! Everything! I now have to plan Christmas dinner from scratch again.... Reinvent my recipes and creative writings. And not only that, I have nothing to sit and fiddle with when I come home from work!

Well, I have 2 more weeks til I have to go to work AND there are plenty of other things I should be doing!

So, my dearest Gateway, I feel lost.

But maybe I'll get some housework done this week!!!

My favorite toy

2008-12-03T19:26:00.003-05:00

when I was a kid was my sit 'n spin. I remember never wanting to get off. And then one day, I was so big that I broke it......... I was just reminiscing!

And there's a competition about YOUR favorite toys from growing up! You can enter, too!

I did it and I did it well.

2008-11-27T21:29:00.005-05:00

We truly miss having family in the area.... All coming together, helping each other out, spending time with each other...

This year, the turkey was all me. And it was my first whole turkey. Ever! But it was awesome!

Everyone loved my sweet potato casserole (no surprise there!) and thought the turkey was perfect (the gravy was a little salty), and I even s

ent home little microwave dinners for tomorrow!

And this is my Thanksgiving decor EVERY year.... Minus the snow!

Lunch!

2008-11-20T08:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday a dear friend came over for some devotions. Our own little D-group! Anyway, I provided lunch (we usually go to her house). As I raced home from work, I picked up some ham and turkey. I was planning on making Monte Christos.... The turkey was actually mush, so I used the leftovers from my Rotisserie chicken. (Improvising). The layout was like this. French bread, dipped in egg nog (my cheater recipe for french toast) and fried on a skillet, then pepper jack cheese, ham, chicken, and to dip it in, we had raspberry syrup and raspberry preserves. We ate it all! It was really yummy! And chances are, I'll make it again!

Dinner tonight

2008-11-18T20:51:00.004-05:00

was what I like to call 'Deja Vu Buffet." A little of all the leftovers! Nicolee had mac n cheese (the yummy homemade kind), the doc and I had some cardboard pizza, but I dressed mine up with that awesome garlic sauce! Tomorrow night will be better, we're having hamburgers! But not just plain ol' cheeseburgers.... I am having a fiesta style hamburger with avocado, salsa, and cheese.... And I don't know what the others are having!

My own Rotisserie Chicken

2008-11-17T18:17:00.004-05:00

without the Rotisserie!!!

Love those $5 rotisserie chickens at the grocery store when a plain ol' whole chicken costs $4??? Here's my own...

1. Thaw and deftrost whole chicken and remove innards.

2. In a bowl, mix 3t kosher salt, 1t paprika, 1t onion powder, 1/2t pepper, 1/2t cayenne, and 1t Italian seasoning. Rub the seasoning all over the inside and outside of the chix.

3. In the cavity, add 3 garlic cloves (or a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic) and a quartered onion.

4. Plop the whole darn thing in the crock pot, crank it up to high for 4 hours (NO WATER), and let the magic be done by itself!

Now, the flavors aren't exactly like the store, they may need to be tweaked a little. I'd suggest some chicken boullion or maybe some poultry seasoning, but it was SOOO moist and tender and tasty! This is a keeper!

I served it with asparagus and these interesting brown sugar/cinnamon peaches I found at the store!!! Mmmmmmmmm

Get this....

2008-11-14T13:13:00.009-05:00

My new Pomegranate Chicken!!!

I was actually contacte by POM to create this recipe and enter their contest......... So here it is:

3C POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1/2 C sugar

1 whole chicken

Salt and Pepper

1. Remove innards from whole chicken, leave skin on.

2. Rub skin with 1T EVOO and cover with salt and plenty of coarse grated pepper.

3. Bake in oven at 450 for 20 minutes. Make glaze while waiting.

4. In skillet, add 3C POM Wonderful, any pomegranate flavor you like, and 1/2 C sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until juice reduces to a syrup, appx 20-30 minutes.

5. Reduce to 350, and bake 1-1 1/2 hours or until juices run clear when poked. (I use my George Foreman Roaster for 1 hour)

6. 15 minutes before done, remove chicken and cover with glaze. Baste once in the last 15 minutes if deisred.

7. Remove to counter and let rest 1o minutes to allow the juices to settle.

*For even more flavor, try removing and coating chicken with glaze UNDER the skin after reducing heat to 350.

Brinner

2008-11-11T18:50:00.003-05:00

Last night we had the infamous Pine Valley Eggs for dinner... That's the recipe that throws healthy measures out the window! Well, sort of.

First, I fried the bacon in a little EVOO to render the fat, then I drained the bacon on paper towels an wiped a little of the grease out of the pan. A little. I like to think that I was making some good-ol' souther cookin' last night, that's why I threw health out the window! Anyway, I scrambled the eggs in the same skillet and it was soooo tasty! I served those Pine Valley eggs with pancakes and OJ.... We called it Brinner.... Breakfast for dinner!

But tonight I made Chili 'n cornbread! It was so good and so filling I think I will be heading to bed soon.......

FINALLY done!!!

2008-10-23T18:28:00.008-04:00

My 'new' kitchen!
3 months?

Took long enough, huh?

And there's Vanna Tink again, showing off our handy work. Credit for the redesign goes to Nana and cooperation, thanks to the Doc!

I know, still more work to do!
....Now we need some color on those walls!

A Fool's Ball Day

2008-10-12T08:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, a friend gave us tickets (great tickets) to see a college football game! The Dragons won, of course, swaying our opinion of this team! We traveled to a small town outside of Syracuse, dressed in warm Fall weather clothing, ready for the cold (and it wasn't! We were sweating instead!) and snacked on chocolate covered pretzels and apple cider while we cheered for this unknown team.

But I love football!

I retract that statement. I love offense and defense!

I was a basketball player, but I still love the elements of the game. Any game. Hockey, basketball, football, soccer, you name it! It was exhilerating, watching the intense discipline, know-how, and foresight that the players displayed on the field.

I miss it.

(Nicole's favorite part was when the cheerleaders did their dances and the mascot [someone in a dragon costume] danced along with them.... And the free donuts, cookies, and apple cider!)

It wasn't that long ago... I CAN'T think of myself as old, yet, right? But as we were watching the game, these girls were sitting behind us and gossiping. (They were loud and made it hard to pay attention to the game!) Gossiping about judging boys they see at school for obscure traits (being a good kisser is a rait) and other 'cheerleader' talk. An interesting encounter, for sure!

On the way home we saw the most beautiful fall colors! Doc cringed as I whipped the camera out of the moon roof to snap a pic (don't worry, I put the band around my wrist!)... I saw a Jewish cemetary on the steep side of the hill... Never seen one of those before! And an exit for a mall in some place called 'Shoppingtown.' Fitting, I'm sure!

But the most comical element was the ride home. On the radio we switched over (or the the lack of reception switched us over) to a 'story hour' kind of station. He told a story about a cult-ish group of people in the US that travel North to Canada at the end of summer, then slowly travel all the way to Argentina by the end of the Fall just to see the leaves change. They named themselves the Autumnal Devil Trees Association (And I found nothing on the web!). Still, it was interesting to hear of such a common-interest group! I admit, Missouri is gorgeous in the Fall, even WV... But I doubt I will be making such a trek!

A recent dinner

2008-09-17T10:59:00.002-04:00

Sorry, no pics, but it was delicious!

Thanksgiving Pot Pie

1. Line pie pan or muffin tins with pie crust.
2. Layer with shredded turkey breast, stuffing, and top with gravy.
3. Top with pie crust and pinch edges to seal.
4. Bake according to pie crust directions.
5. Serve with cranberry sauce, or better yet, add cranberry sauce in filling!!!

It was the 5th day in the 3rd grade...

2008-09-10T18:34:00.005-04:00

...And the 4th grade... "You could buy a zoo with all the doctor's bills he paid" Just kidding, that's a Veggie Tales song.

I am working in the YMCA SACC program and this year I have the 3rd AND 4th graders... All 18 of them! It's quite a mixed group. I have half intellectuals who want to do homework and creative writing, and half hyperactive linebackers who want to run around and don't know how to sit still! But I LOVE being with kids! I am so happy to be connecting with them n a personal level, impacting their lives and education. I feel a constant struggle between being where God wants me and being in a comfort zone. And Nicole being in her comfort zone, too! Poor girl comes to work with me SO early in the morning, goes to her school, goes to her SACC, then comes home for dinner, a bath, and bed...

But today was a rough day. I had to battle the 3rd graders who wanted to go outside and play and the 4th graders who wanted to finishe their homework before they went home. I really can't stand those opposite-type struggles. So many times I have considered leaving this job, then something pops up that I love and adore (and that's mainly the kids!).

So for now, I'm paying my dues and hitting the daily grind. Some days I enjoy it more than others...

Firsts

2008-09-04T13:01:00.002-04:00

1st day in the 1st grade

Miss me???

2008-08-27T21:08:00.005-04:00

Well, all 3 people who read my blog did!!!

I have been busy. When Nana was here, she got me to start painting my kitchen cabinets. (Addendum: She and her creative 'get-up-and-go' motivated me and my lovely laziness to rennovate the apperance of my otherwise boring kitchen) I have complained plenty of times about how dreary my kitchen is!!! I don't have a finished picture yet, as the doors just got their first coat of actual paint... (You see, I sanded, primed a few layers,then painted a few layers, sanding inbetween each coat, but the doc came behind me, sanded everything really well, and is spraying on the coats all over again!!!) Poor doc!

We also celebrated our anniversary! 7 years. With a hundred more to go!!! I surprised the doc with a little picnic dinner (I took forever to decide what to make and decided on steak at the last minute!) I prepped this wonderful meal, my sinister drove me up the hill to the park and dropped me off. Nicole and LJ got to hang out for a few hours! It was lovely! We had steak, french bread, wine (er, I had cream soda!!!), and strawberries with whipped cream for dessert. We talked about lots of stuff and even watched the sun set. I was so much fun! (But I think my favorite part was that it was a surprise! I love surprises!) It ended with the moon and the sun being in the sky at the same time. Unfortunately, I can't upload the pic of the moon!

We also visited a friend who lives on the lake, tye-dyed some socks and tees, went to the zoo, rode the ski lift at Old Forge to the top (it was beautiful and we were glad we thought to bring Subway with us!), visited with the doc's fam and they left, and now I have a house FULL of mess! I just need to clean! Unfortunately, I invited some friends over tomorrow morning, so I think I'll plan a little outdoor tea party for the girls and the moms and I can sit out there and chat! Let's hope it doesn't rain!!!

Anyway, the summer is coming to a close, although it has barely reached over 70 degrees more than once in the past 2 weeks... I wonder what the winter will be like? And I received phonecalls from 2 of my jobs, stating that I will be re-instated as school resumes.... Gotta love the city school district! Cutting corners wherever possible!

What can I do in a week?

2008-08-11T10:14:00.005-04:00

We found a new church (I love being a part of a church family!)
we went huka-diving... This evening we're going to try it at the lake! (We practiced in a pool!!!)
we went sailing on the lake! Doc got a sailing lesson and he 'drove' the whole time! We also BBQ'd while we were on the water, learned some geography and history, and I had the best seat... The one at the back of the boat, watching everything!!!
I PAID off a student loan 100%. Poor Doc has a long way to go for that! (Come on, a doc, seriously!!!)
Nicolee had a bday party in the park for fairies and pirates, it was a blast!
Nana and LJ came and Nana already left.... LJ is here for the rest of the week!
We saw Mama Mia! It was so much fun! (But how often in life do we realy burst out into song to express our feelings??)
And this morning we are headed to the local Science Museum.

Wow! This has been one busy week! Not to mention plenty of sewing, cleaning, cooking, laundry-ignorning, and movie watching! Whatta bum, huh???

An ode to.... something

2008-08-01T22:22:00.003-04:00

Oh, to be doing anything other than the task ahead of me,
I could consider bliss.
But as I marvel at the amount of work I have avoided,
I wonder what I WILL miss
when that time finally comes.

The cabinets sit all dingy and dirty,
the hardware stands firmly and gummy, also dirty,
while the cans of paint weigh heavily on the floor.
I wish there was someone who wanted to do it more!

All laid out in four easy steps,
I realize I am missing some pep,
And nana becomes the home-improvement rep
while I researh something else of depth.

Tink lays of the floor having no clue
of the things I must ultimately do
and the doc, he helps avoid the chores, too...
Oh, what is this family going to do?

The cupboards, they lay in out-of-style-wait
for the man (or woman) who changes their fate
to change them to a color they will no longer hate.

(But those cupboards might just have to wait
or me, I make myself stay up late
and another day will be another past date!)

Guess Where I went this Summer!

2008-07-24T08:15:00.006-04:00

Well, first we visited Nana and Pop-Pop in the midwest. It was a long, restless flight with a longish layover in Cincinatti, but we made it safe and sound. After settling in a bit (and getting a good night's rest), we drove hours and hours to pick up my sinister.

They introduced me to Cargo Largo (A thrift and bargain hunter's jungle paradise.... Seriously! The other customers are actually like wild animals! But at less than half of retail price, who could blame them?)

And we visited the Bodies Revealed Exhibit. That was amazing! I could summarize it as 401 ways to view the internal structure of the human body! I do wish that I had access to this incredible, artistic display of our miraculously created bodies to study when I was taking anatomy in high school, but I made do just fine!

Sleeping on the air mattress had to be my least favorite part, but I was grateful, just the same! 6 of us crammed into LJ's apartment, which is half bare (the roommate's room is still waiting for a roommate!), but left for J&C's house the next day!

After hours and hours of driving to J&C's, we loaded all TEN of us in 2 cans, I mean vans, and we drove to St. Louis! The last time we were there was in 1998, we made a family trip! It really hasn't changed much, but because of the recent rains and such, the first level of the parking garage was under water.... And the first 11 steps! We just didn't go too far that way so it didn't effect us!

Isn't that an amazing pic? Actually, I took a picture of a PICTURE in the lobby of the hotel we were in! Still looks great! The Olde Spaghetti Factory was to die for, as always. I only wish I had an entire factory nearby, to generate the most perfect Creamy Pesto Dressing whenever my heart desired so! P.S. That stuff's good on everything!

We also went to the City Museum. We ALL played on the exhibits (although as adults we were afraid we might get stuck in some of them, but they still allowed it!) and I was mesmerized by the railings and the bright paintings and colors and decor everywhere! We were ready to leave after a few hours, but when we got home we looked on the web and found that there were so many other things to do! Like visit a giant thrift shop upstairs and do some hands on crafts! I guess we'll save THAT for another visit (wink wink, nudge nudge)!

Eventually, we came home and my dear friend Tiffany came down to visit us, show us some Mary Kay goodies, and share her family with us! We were roommates my last year at SBU, and NOTHING is more fun than when two Tiffany's get together! We had fun, but they had to leave for their own 4th of July celebrations! Most our 4th of July was spent at home, hangin' around the house, kinda like we always used to do. But THIS year, we didn't have to clean out the garage! (Remember that on Mulgrew St? EVERY year!!) We even went to a friend's house for a casual BBQ/get-together! It was quite enjoyable.

In my mind, the 4th of July guarantees fireworks, but not so! We viewed them on the 5th! An entire city (ok, minus some!) crammed onto the new school grounds to watch a pyrotechnic display set to music! It was great! We were SO close to the front that we could actually see the men lighting the goodies.... And feel the smoke in our faces when the wind shifted near the end of the display. But it was great! There were even a bunch of carts, like at the fair, dealing hot dogs, sodas, and more goodies for the like-sardine-packed country folk! LJ and I headed for the Mexican (er, Tex-Mex) fare!

Then the doc got ready to return home while Nicolee and I got to play for one more week... But as we were taking him to the airport, we received some sad news that I'll never forget. I was in shock the whole trip to the airport. He had a safe flight home and Tink was there to take care of him while I was gone!

A few days later we drove back to J&C's and went out to eat at a place called Shakespeare's Pizza. A bit medieval, but no jousting. Sounds eloquent... But is more like a local pizza joint with a fancy name! I longed for the cashier to spin an olde english accent, addressing us as lads and lasses, but instead we ate pizza with rootbeer, which was actually pretty good! Yet a funny sight waited for me in the bathroom! I have never taken for granted the locks on the stalls and the ample amount of toilet paper, but humor stretched these efforts a little far!!! Anyway, the announcer was hilarious! When he announced that my bother's order was ready, his announcement was like this: "J, your order is ready, J, you may come get your food, J, any time now, J, earth to J, JJ J J J J J J..." Notice there were no periods? He was on a roll!

We went back to LJ's apartment and I called a really good friend of mine from college... She came to visit me and I was SO glad to see her! She was 'Mamma Lu' to me in college. This was the girl that made sure I wasn't out too late OR else she made me carry her mace!!! I introduced her to my sister, as, now they are in neighboring towns! She'll be a great friend for LJ! (A pseudo-big sister!)

Back to Cargo Largo, saying good bye and good luck to LJ (first year of OT school, good luck, little sis!), and back to Nana's house...

Nicolee and I delivered Nana to a nearby dentist and we explored the city.... We went to Wildcat Park, where I had my senior pictures done in 1996 (my mom was the photographer!) and we visited the Audobon. I actually didn't know what that was, but it was beautiful! It was in the heart of the park with a mini museum inside. A large fish tank with some live specimens of the fish, local to this area. Then there were quite a few displays of the different animals, reptiles and mammals, living in the park, plus signs to recognize them, where they live and hide, what they eat... Nicole was very well-informed for the next time we head out that way! AND I would love to head out that way, they have miles of trails along the river. Places to picnic, just walk, bike. ( good family activity for next trip, Nana!) And the BEST thing was that it was FREE!!!

And when I came to pick up Nana, the skies were a bit ominous, but nothing happened. I have a pic of that, I'll edit this post later...

Finally I got to meet up with my old college gang (and LJ came with us). (Literally, My friend Jsin and I were IN a 'gang' called 'The Blades!' Before you worry about my character, let me explain that we were all college students, on rollerblades, at a Baptist school. The only kind of 'gang activity' we could think of was helping old ladies carry in their groceries and making sure kids walked across the street safely!) Plus my good friend Douglas. These two guys are great! And old friends, yopu know how it is.... Typical college friends, telling 'old' stories, laughing about everything.... We may never change! There is never a shortage of laughter when we're together.... And for some reason, it's all at my expense! (Well, most of it!) We met at Bella Peppers! I've driven by this restaurant many times, but never actually ate there. After that night I could at least say that I had been there! It was like an inexpensive, still nice and classy, version of Olive Garden.... It was all good.

The next day I spent doing laundry, getting ready to return home, and mentally noting all of the things I needed to do, like reform my eating habits (as if just being at someone else's house gave me the right to throw out all of the rules!) and spend some more time with Tink!

Sunday was another loooong day, church first, then travelling again. We had a layover in Cincinatti again, but made it home safe and sound.

My next move is to get the pics of of the Doc's computer and finish uploading picsWhew. Now it feels like just a few more weeks and a) Nana will be here to visit US for Nicolee's bday, b) school will start again, and c) we'll be ready to travel again next summer!

Not one, but TWO!

2008-07-22T20:12:00.002-04:00

Heel spurs, that is. No wonder the diagnosis of one didn't satisfy me!

To Kill a Mockingbird

2008-06-25T15:10:00.002-04:00

would be a crime against nature, a great wrong to beauty and nature, a morally absurd thing to do... Unless that mockingbird is right outside your window... And perches on your window sill to sing at 5:30 every morning... And pecks his beak on the glass of said window... And sings the same song over and over and over... At 5:30... Every morning... Right outside your window...

I think I'll name him Rumplestiltskin. He needs an annoying name!

love.love.love

2008-06-23T18:20:00.008-04:00

thedoc.nicole.godandhislove.bestfriends.happiness.ny.sunsets.sunrises.chocolatechipcookiedoughicecream.myfamily.Tink.warmbed.roof.income.creativityinmyjob.food.music.grandparents.laughing.funnystories.hugs.softtshirts.newbabies.juniorhighers.kidslaughing.cooking.sunshine.rainydays.worshipping.hugs.kisses.tacos.peoplewhosmile.hope.longdistancefriends.packagesinthemail.heatanda/c.thesmellofgasoline.skipping.laughter.twirlingpickyouoffthegroundhugs.grace.waterfalls.clouds.hikes.basketball.movies.roadtrips.havingacar.inandout.thebeach.rubberchickens.campfiresmells.brownsugarclumps.penpals.reading.hotshowers.christmas.blanketforts.theabilitytowalkandrun.celebratingwithpeople.cryingwithpeople.listeningtotheocean.funnyemails.fallleaves.howthenortheastsmells.electricity.limegreen.swimming.barefeet.runningwater.fuzzywarmclothes.latenightshopping.goodwine.flipflops.ponytails.art.eatingicecreamstraightfromthecontainer.freshlycutgrass.hammocks.daisies.crafts.flood.flickr.teachers.foggynights.skipping.clearbriskmornings.marbles.redvelvet.waterskiingonglassywater.snowshoeing.snowdays.lazysummerdays.longbikerides.memoriesofPVBC.howmyfriendslovemymom.barefeetinthegrass.homemadebaskets.momanddadscompassion.spanish.books.stories.receivingmail.takingwalks.naps.homemadecake.trials.smellsofoliveoilandrosemaryandbasil.birthdays.findingnewfriends.maps.rememberingoldfriends.wrestling.ingenuity.resourcefulness.brickhouses.cows.eyes.sandiego.midwest.ca.coronado.love.italy.slidingacrosscleanhardwoodfloorsinsocks.rememberinghowfari'vecome.love

catching up on randomness

2008-05-26T12:14:00.009-04:00

After a quick trip to MO to see a sister graduate from college and visit fam, returning to the daily grind, finish 2 weeks' worth of laundry in 3 days, and taking a Wii fit test, I now realize I am more than 'just a little behind.' My e mail and blogging communities have 'missed me' (although that e mail community didn't make me feel happy to be home!)...

On top of all of that, I have delved into a new creative endeavor... Altered Books. Kinda like scrapbooking without the cookie-cutter rules. (I think I may have found a new favored creative niche!)

I also invited a beloved friend over for BREAKFAST this morning! It was quite fun to host and it featured some of my favorite foods! And it was a totally random, earlier time, too!

Here are some random facts to add to my profile:

-I LOVE the bells in the themesong for Futurama, but I am quite annoyed by that show!

-I got more exercise and cardio and muscle-strengthening in my 15 minute Wii session this morning than when I had to bike all over town! I WANT to fit it in every day.... But we'll see how that goes!

-I really wanna do some Tae Bo right now, though.

-I had some leftover orange chicken, but I ran out of sauce. And I ran out of OJ to make the orange sauce.... So I used diet orange soda. Surprisingly, it was really good! And low sugar!!!

Curso Particular

2008-04-29T20:58:00.003-04:00

Now I know that title didn't sound so great, or even 'clean,' but that is the job description of my latest position. Tutoring... Spanish. For the Watertown City School District. I'm ready. Excited. Nervous (why). After spending a little time visiting an online translator, I am feeling much more confident. Porque tenemeos jucicio fangoso primero?

Wish me luck! Tomorrow is my first session!

P.S. That statement is "Why do we have cloudy judgement in the beginning?"

Paint, Canadia, and Beef Stew

2008-04-23T10:31:00.008-04:00

On a whim, we decided to head to Ottawa during our Spring Break (except for poor doc, he doesn't get Spring Break, he just got a few days off due to the law mandating medical residents to have at least 24 hours off every 10 straight days of work... So he earned it).

Ottawa. Our neighboring nation's capitol. It was a very European city. No direct route anywhere. (Thank God for Nicole's new best friend, Tom-Tom!) After circling the city 5 times due to no seeing the turnoff for our hotel's parking, and having no side streets, and touring the ancient roadways of Canada, we finally found our hotel. In the middle of the city! It was pretty cool! Our room had a view of a little bit of the canal, the streets, the people... It was lovely. And the hotel butted up against the mall. Pretty convenient for food and commodities access... But it was a little strange to take the elevator in the mall and press the button marked 'Westin Hotel.' We toured the Canadian Mint and the Contemporary Arts Gallery. In the art gallery, we were greeted by a 40 foot sculpture of a just born infant. Interesting. (But most contemporary art is) They also had an exhibit for children to attempt their own art. Nicole made a beautiful 'bug' perched on a coffee filter (I couldn't think what else to call it!). We also dined in a restaurant called 'Elephant & Castle.' Not sure of the name, but I loved the food! It was a cozy little pub. Dave and I both ordered the Stuffed Yorkshire Pudding. (I crave it now, perhaps that's what I will make for dinner this weekend!) But as we were seated, we noticed we were next to a table of college girls. By eavesdropping, we concluded they were all 'travellers' of sorts and were trying to 'one up' each other with their stories and experiences. Kinda funny! We giggled a bit at their comparisons of belongings and adventures! But the thing that threw us over the line of giggling and straight into rolling our eyes was the invitation to the other girls to come and visit her house. "No, better yet, come to my cottage, you'll love it." This girl owns a house and a cottage? Listening a little more, we discovered the house, the cottage, both belong to the 'rents and all of their travels were family vacations! Yes, cool to visit so many places with family, but not cool to brag about your solo travels and personal properties. We enjoyed out meal much more after the afore mentioned party paid for their meal...

But the beginning of the week, I was determined to paint the office. I have had the paint IN the office since August... Same time I painted our bedroom. I had even taped half of the office in September. I also invited some of our previous house guests to take a whack and the paint job themselves.... However, after the doc became disgusted to realize I have still waited this long and the week was coming to a close, I decided to tape the whole thing off and get started. It took 3 or 4 hours, but it wasn't really THAT hard! The office is now a gorgeous shade of barn red. That's how I describe it! I think the actual name of that particular shade is 'Sun Dried Tomato' or something like that. It's lovely, but I will have to post pictures later.

So now that things are back to normal, I am the car-pooling, lunch-making, hard-working mom again that I was before break. But something seems to have died in my car while we were gone! It smells. (That is as graphic as I will get!) Nicole tells me it smells like Beef Stew (a reference to the movie 'Benchwarmers' with John Heder) The Beef-Stew-mobile. The one that had a crack in the tranny's filter (I had that fixed Monday and now it's running...... better!), the black jelly bean has changed its name.

Dunh Dunh Dunh... And another one bites the dust.....

2008-04-16T19:43:00.004-04:00

I always wanted to play that song for my basketball warm-ups...

Why do I keep buying DYING cars???Time for us to face the facts. My little black jelly bean is dying. Which means, I have driven yet another car into the ground (or in the last leg of its life). That makes 4 for me that have given up on me before I was done with them. Four cars that were actually dying before I got ahold on them... The van, LeBaron, Cressida, now the SL-2. I don't pray for rain nor food on the table (well, yes I do, but not as desperately as) I pray for transportation. We need a miracle. Don't stop praying!

Random Acts of Kindness

2008-04-15T23:05:00.003-04:00

At the New Year, I decided I wanted to be a friendlier person. One who loves her friends and goes out of her way to do things for them. I've been praying for such opportunities in my life and this past month I have completed a bunch of them! A friend of mine is having some car trouble. Well, her car got into trouble and she can't get it fixed right now. She has been walking everywhere! Not just to the store, but to her jobs and back, the stores and back... And she lives close to me. This is a big help for me, too. So I don;t have to worry about not remembering to go get her, I see her on the same path as me! It feels good to help out a friend.

A Frustrating Frustration

2008-03-28T19:45:00.007-04:00

*Names have been changed for posterity's sake*

Frustration is not only frustrating for the frustrated, but also for the free-standing friend, Long division, although it can provide a fair amount of frustration, is not a conspiracy formulated for the sole purpose of instigating frustration. I bet *Caty* would disagree...

Yet, I seem to have a hard time comprehending the frustrations of long-division, since I am no longer in the 3rd grade. I, too, remember questioning the random remainders, the supposedly logical methods for dividing by some random numbers, but that was 10+ years ago (okay, 20!!).

As the free-standing, faithful friend, I find that factors of division in themselves are invaluable to daily life. Only if I stop to focus on it, that is. They are engrained, invisible, understood, even part of the daily mechanics in basal functioning. But for some, especially those in the 3rd grade, I sympathize. I have a hard time seeing the simplicity of a misunderstanding in the mathematical world. Don't call me callous, nor ignorant, simply simple-minded in approaching the frustrating factors of mathematics.

In essence, if you are frustrated at my attempt to help, I will most likely become frustrated as well. The world does not have to come crashing down for me, just because it does so for you. We simply need to take one math step at a time. Together.

Snow Bunnies

2008-03-15T19:14:00.003-04:00

Nicole was snow shoeing.

Dave was snow shoeing...

And I was, too.

Today we headed up to Thompson Park to do a little snow shoeing. Dave nd I got new 'shoes' a few weeks ago, but never had the chance to break 'em in properly. It was a little cold (and Nicole never ceased to remind us!) and we really did't go that far, but we sure got a work out.... And a lot of that workout was fixing Nicole's shoes, setting her upright again, and attempting to sprint through the slush and ice!

Can you guess where I am from my clues???

2008-03-10T15:41:00.003-04:00

Location #1. Pictoral Clue

Location #2. Fact. I received 56 phone calls (pages) from Nicole within 45 minutes just to tell me that she loves me. Or about the book that she's reading. Or about something that Tink did. Or that her cough is not getting better... Or or or...

The answers:

#1. Target parking lot.
#2. At home, on the couch. Nicole was home sick.

morning musings

2008-02-02T11:34:00.002-05:00

1. A drunken man. A few weeks ago we headed up to Canada. My awesome BIL came to NY so, why not head to another country? We shopped in the little stores (I was desperate to find an extra hat and scarf! Nicole needed some more goodies, too!) A lot of Canada isjust like the US. Well, for the most part. The differences are small and unique! The crosswalk is one of them! Not neessarily the crosswalk, but the crosswalk sign. See here. Bobb-o and I called him the drunken man. And he mimicked him quite well, too. The man does not look like he is walking, but rather, stepping in a grandiose-clownish manor, easier described as a bit tipsy. Which one???

2. Dave's best friend is here visiting, his name is Dave, too. Pretty cool, since one of my best friends (kindred spirits) is name Tiffany.... (What's more fun than two Tiffany's???) So it's like having TWO of my husbands around! Same personality, same sense of humor, and they BOTH get my jokes...

3. Tink's new favorite person is the mailman! Not only does he bring us large packages (and bills) and boxes, but he ALWAYS brings Tink a treat! He rings the doorbell to announce that the packages have arriced, and Tink wags her tail (so wildly that her whole body wags), barks at the top of her lungs, and leaps to the door!

4. Not only did I get a new desk at work (which is GREAT since the other one was wobbling and falling apart), but I got a new chair! I have officially upgraded from a 1970's dining room chair with no support or comfort to a brand spankin' new office comfort chair with wheels and arm rests! I feel pretty darn important in my classroom! Well, this is just a picture of the box, but this is my new joy!

5. We had a lot of snow lately. A lot of cold, too. But very icy snow, nothing that will pack into a snow man very well. We have made a pile with some rocks for eyes and a licorice for his mouth and a scarf and hat and named him Bill, but he will never stand. Nicole and I made these the other day instead.

6. This is a picture of Tink playing her new game. Keep away from me. She brings the toy to the closed door and removes it once it sounds like we are trying to remove it. Definitely goofy. Reverse keep away! She will always be entertaining!

7. Nicole has been taking swimming lessons for a little over a month. Se is at least brave enough to jump into the water (granted two peopl are ready to catch her), but we're not quite ready to have her put her face in the water yet! The water at the Y is like 90 degrees!!!! So f course it's foggy in that room! My camera fogs up as if I were under water!

8. AND that's about it! It's finally Saturday, I got to sleep in, watch movies, so I'm happy. I hate being rushed, but that's the life of a person with two jobs!!!

Sudoku Revelations

2008-01-26T20:09:00.001-05:00

Most of the time, I look like I'm staring into space... ACtually, my mind is running numbers, placing them everywhere! From what I can gather, Sudoku is the most logical pattern. So when I finally sit down and play Sudoku on paper, I've got tons of other thoughts going through my head! Here are some revelations of recent:

1. I only have 7 pounds left to reach my goal!

2. my tea only gets colder when I put it in a larger mug (but I get to drink more!)

3. the doc is lookin' finer and finer every day!

4. I now have 2 jobs. If the hours are counted together, I would just have a split shift. And now I have less time to do the things I didn't have enough time for before!!! But I get to be with Nicolee more! And I am going to be the head creative instructor of the SACC program (self-named title, of course)

5. I have a horrible headache. Mostly because I went to bed so early last night and slept in so late this morning. "My headache is this big." By the standards of the old Excedrin commercials (of the late 80's!) I am the poster patient for this miracle drug. But I don't even want to move my head to go find it!

6. I'm starting to remember a bunch of old home remedies for things that Nicole is experiencing. We're trying the hot water with lemon and honey instead of cough syrup.... And she LOVES it! It's probably a lot better for her, anyway. And she thinks she's ALMOST as cool as me, drinking tea...

7. T is for Tiffany and Tea is for Tiffany. I want to open a Tea Shoppe one day. A little corner shoppe, like a coffee shoppe with overstuffed chairs and couches and beatnick musicians and poets on stage. I would like to be a performer, too!

8. Nicole has been playing Sudoku recently... She has a little different strategy than mine... She puts what number she would LIKE to go in that square. So about a quarter of all of my sudoku pages have been randomly filled in with numbers... Between 0 and 963! I'm likin' it!

9. Since I am dying/dieting, I, of course, only want the foods that I am not allowed to have. I would KILL for some mint 'n chip ice cream or nachos that are dripping with processed cheese or life cereal. Oh, I just want life cereal for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! But writing is so therapeutic for me (which is funny since sometimes writing is hardest for me to do!), so I have created a document, listing all of the things that I want. But once I got 'em down on paper (or pixels), the desire has gone away (all except for the Life cereal... Mikey lkes it, I do, too!).

10. I HATE that anything regarding your weight is so personal and judgemental, whether intentional or not! Nicole and I were watching an episode of the Pink Panther (long live old school cartoons!) and he stepped on one of those scales that 'predicted' things and outlined your peronality, but since the machine did not know or see HIM, it called him '42 pounds' What a horrible identity! "I got news for ya, 42 pounds," it said. I am very glad that when people begine a conversation with me, they have enough respect NOT to say, "Hey *165* pounds" or "I got news for ya, *165* pounds!" There's more to me than just a number. And whether I'm embarassed by it or not, whether it is consuming my lifestyle or not, I am thankful we, as humans, function on a first name basis (Except for my friend Douglas and Gatrell.... We all go by last names. I am still called my by maiden name, only by them! It'll never change!).

11. And as my typing bores the intellectual type, I a becoming more and more entertained by the click-clacking of the keys. I've begn forming short stories while playing sudoku and elaborating later. It's definitely interesting, as most of my creativity is quickly forgotten as I wait to find the pen and paper or even open the Word document_ I need a mental tape recorder. Something to remember those creative sparks. So for now, I've got nothin'. Just a few VERY short stories to remind myself of the creativity I thought I had, but forgot about.

Tink

2008-01-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

Nicole is now self-entertaining.

The doc, too.

And I can hold my own.

That just leaves Tink. What does she do all day while we're gone? Sleep? Bark at the mailman? Play her usual games?

She plays this game with me while I am in another room ith the door closed. She sticks her paws under the door til I let my fingers crawl toward her and she moves her hand. So I stick a pen under the door and she tries to 'grab' it (p.s. she uses her paws like hands!).

But she has a NEW game! Now when I close the door, she takes one of her toys in her mouth, carries it to the door and drops it. She takes it between her paws/hands and pushes it under the door just a little bit. When I move my hands to grab the toy, she removesi t! Kinda like reverse keepaway!

Tee hee!!!

Iced Tea

2007-12-16T13:12:00.001-05:00

We currently have about 4 inches of snow on the ground and we expect a LOT more tonight! The weather team expects 6-10 inches of snow overnight! I could place a wager on no school tomorrow, but everyone would bet with me!

I did brave the roads, though, as I craved the newest cuisine in town! Less than a mile away they opened an authentic Mexican taco shop! I went in to order the much-longed-for carne asada and I came out with those awesome marinated carrots, authentic hot sauce, both red and green, and a chicken tostada that was to die for! Don't worry, Nicolee got a chicken quesadilla! Mmmm, but I have been craving some horchata and pollo asada! I am so glad they're in the neighborhood!

Anyway, as I was sitting at a table, the manager told me to help myself to a complimentary cup of coffee... Or tea... Or hot chocolate! This guy had it all! I filled my dixie cup with hot water and added a tea bag.... I love the smell of steeping tea! I sipped on it until my order was ready. I thanked the man and headed out the door. It was snowing pretty heavily (as I said before we should expect 10 MORE inches by morning!).... And my cup was dusted with snow! Not too much, though. I took a sip as I was driving off and it was COLD! Ah.... The other day I WAS wishing for hot weather and iced tea! I guess a snowstorm and iced tea will just have to do!

So the doc and I get to watch the Bourne Ultimatum (he's seen it already, but I haven't so please don't give up the story for me!)... The Bourne series has got to be one of my favorites! So cool! So action packed! Matt Damon lacks a little in the acting department sometimes, but I think the story line makes up for it!!!

Anyway, next week I will post my Christmas card letter for you.... You'll like it, it's funny. I mean, come on! You know me!!!

Difference is good

2007-12-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

NY is unlike any other place I've been.

Even Tink agrees, although she is a native New Yorker (and I will always be a California girl)! She is funny to watch in the snow! First off, the doc has shaved her again, this time a little closer to the skin. She's very soft, but not very well-insulated! She LOVES to go out in the snow, though!

First she pounces into the snow and digs her head in. Then she starts sniffing the frozen precipitation and begins rooting around. When she stands still, she looks like an ostrich with her head buried in the ground. Then she starts following whatever scent she can find under that blanket and chases it.... Like a lawnmower, moving everything in its path! By the time she comes back to the porch, she's covered in snow! And she loves it! We head inside to wipe off he snow, which is stuck in her fur like big, white, furry boots and then she takes off, tracking her wet prints all around the house. It's quite a chore AND a funny sight!

The doc loves it. He plans to start snowshoeing after Christmas.... Granted a certain something ends up under the tree! It's cold, yes. But he LOVES the fireplace, with all of the lovely firewood, compliments of ME. But on the cold nights, after dinner is prepared but not yet served, he discovered another way to keep warm. Dinner. My important job of recent has been to serve warm, filling meals...

Soups, stews, baked yummies..... For this reason!

When interviewed, Nicole even said she likes the snow. No, she loves the snow. She hikes through it, sleds over it, jumps in it, and she even admits to eating a bit..... Don't worry, I have taught her color that discrimination is alright, ONLY when it comes to snow! We have yet to make a snowman, but I don't think that less than 6 inches will be enough snow. No worries, we are in snow country, near the Adirondacks, close to Canada, further north than CA. Snowmen will come!I, on the other hand, love it and hate it. I love the cold, brisk sunshine with big puffy flakes falling from the sky! I love cuddling by the fire with hot chocolate and Ga Ga's afghans... I just can't seem to get rid of that perpetual chill straight down my spine. It never leaves. I'm always cold!!!!! (But Tink is my own personal temperature control unit! That girl is COOKIN'! And she loves to sit on my feet!!!) (pics to come) Now if only I could get her to warm my gloves while I am at work!!!So wherever you spend your winter months, stay warm!!!

Pet Peeves

2007-11-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

when moms lick their fingers and wipe their child's faces..... I never did this with Nicole (But she did it to me yesterday before we left for school!)
when Tink won't come inside after I let her outside... I call her and call her, but the lawn is covered with ice. I'm not walking out there to get her!
drivers that do not understand the 4 way stop. If you can't understand it, don't go that way! I don't just think you're being nice if you wave me on when it's your turn!
when a driver sits at a flashing red light in front of me for 2 minutes because he doesn't know what he's, supposed to do, despite the honking!!!

Tag - I'm it!

2007-11-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

I've been tagged!!

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leave them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1) I never want to sit on the couch in the living room..... But it's the best couch and the most comfortable couch ever!!! When the doc was in med school, he sat on the center cushion to study..... for like 5+ hours a day! Now there is a permanent dip in the couch. It's no longer comfortable. :(

2) I am an art junkie..... But I think I am an art supply junkie instead.... I seem to have a LOT more supplies than I have acual finished products...

3) I would rather shop in a thrift store for unique things than Target or Walmart..

4) I have become laaaaaaaaaazy. I park my car in the front now, then by the time I'm ready for bed, the ONLY thing that gets me moving to move my car to the garage is the fact that I WILL get a ticket for parking my car on the street between 11pm and 5 am..... Darn it!

5) I make lists every day. It's the only way to get my days organized! I make to do lists, shopping lists, and sometimes I feel like I make lists of lists. I ALWAYS have a list with me!

6) When I am talking on the phone or kinda zoning out, I like to draw daisies ALL OVER! All over everything!

Okay, now the almost ineffective part of my blog. Bobby, Ann, Shannon, Sarah, Shaybert, ah, only 5.... you're all it. And GO!

Band aids

2007-11-15T15:34:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling a little better..... After all, it's all about me, right? We fixed the external problem this afternoon. Nicole was pampered in the dentist's chair as they cleaned her teeth and then we headed to what Nicole called 'the barber shop.' She's just adorable, no matter what!

the barber shop next door

2007-11-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Nicolee is just like me. She's a people pleaser. We're both sad when other people are not happy. I just need to teach her to draw the line when that someone feels happy means cutting Nicole's hair! This is the 2nd time it's happened. I know Nicole's hair is too beautiful to resist, but please....

Isn't her hair beautiful???

Well, it was..... Now it's gone :(

Mmmm, sweet OJ. Tangy OJ. Rancid OJ.... WHAT?

2007-11-13T07:57:00.000-05:00

I love orange juice. It's a little too tart for me in the morning (especially since I don't like to drink it 'when I get up'... 5 for all you that don't know!), but I still love it! I especially like this orange, strawberry banana blend here in NY... But I'm the only one who likes it. I have to drink it ALL! It takes me a while to finish the entire liter!

That should be my first clue.

I reached into the cupboard for a small glass for the OJ and a coffee mug fell on top of it. The glass shattered in my hand!

That should have been a sign.

After cleaning up the shards of glass, I grabbed a 2nd glass and took a whiff of the pitcher.

That should have been a 3rd clue!

A little sip made my tongue fuzzy.

Clue # 4.

I took a BIG gulp.... And it burned all the way down.

That was 5!

After a sour face, a second whiff of the pitcher, and a churning gut for hours and hours, I finally deduced.....

It was old.

I'm in the City and the City's in Me

2007-11-08T09:56:00.001-05:00

We went to NYC this weekend and I LOVE LOVE LOVED it! It was a busy day, without a doubt. We stayed in Puqueepse (a little spelling help, please!) overnight and then rode the train in the early morning... After finagling a ticket out of the machine and scrambling into the subways, we headed to the Statue of Liberty. Even though I have already been there, it is still beautiful. Breathtaking.... And it bordered on being cold.... Jacket on, jacket off... But look at her standing in all that glory.... Who wouldn't be overwhelmed by freedom and liberty and the thought of hauling over all of that copper?

Then we went to Ellis Island and Dave and Nicole played peekaboo while the 'rents checked out their family history in the computers... Silly kidS! I looked at the wall and read my families names.... Wondering if I had heard of those individuals or not.... After a quick lunch on liberty island, where Dave caught a pigeon with his hands and Nicole begged to be able to do that all day, we left the island, saw some very strange dancers in Grand Central Station (One in particular played the drums and had a giant pole attached to the top of his hat with a VERY long ribbon tied to the top and waved it around to the beat! It was interesting for sure!), serenaders, begging for a buck, Arabs preaching about 9/11 not being their fault, but ours, and the giant construction site where the twin towers were.

Then we headed to the Empire State Building. I always feel a little cooler when I go there..... Since my dad grew up in NYC, I often asked if he went to the statue of liberty and the empire state building, and he always told me that he had never been, had no desire to go.... So I kinda felt like I did a 'first' by going to these..... But looking at the long lines, I know I really wasn't first!

Macy's caught our eye, of course.... Who wouldn't want to be in a 9 story department store that takes up a whole block? Well, I wouldn't, but I love shopping! I bought Nicole a Christmas present (shhh), omehow stumbled across the New Year's ball in the basement, you know, the one that they drop, and Nicole found a mouse running under all of the racks in the children's department! She named her 'Macy Mouse' and tried really hard to catch her!

By now, we were starving again.... New York City is quite the melting pot, eh? We found a Mexican restaurant right underneath the Empire State Building! (well, that would be on one of its corners, right?) Chipotle. Awesome burritos. Very filling, but a little more on the healthy side for fast food (as long as you don't eat the WHOLE thing!).

And then we were about done. We saw a little of this and a little of that before we got back on the subway and the train, but my dogs were barking the whole ride home! Sleeping in on Sunday never felt so good! I missed seeing my good friend Ange in the city, but we've got time, right babe?

You know me....

2007-10-24T10:07:00.001-04:00

I will do anything for a laugh.... And I usually find them everywhere, too! This morning, as I was taking Nicole to school, I was discussing some of the traffic laws,like understanding the lights. P.S. I have explained this to her a million times already! I believe that Nicole should understand her world around her, not just look at it! So her response? "I know, mom... I already know everything because I am in Kindergarten!" Maybe I should go back to Kindergarten!

Also, as we turned around the corner to jump into the drop off line, a little boy came around the corner on his skateboard.... Skateboarding to school! I haven't seen that in AGES!!!

a fatal attraction

2007-10-21T21:17:00.000-04:00

Today was the grand opening of a McDonald's in our town.... A Mc Donald's that supposedly burned down and then was rebuilt! EVERYONE and their mother was there! I went with a friend, Nicole, and her kids... We walked into the playroom and let the kids GO! As soon as they kicked off their shoes, they were gone! We looked around for a table, a bench, A chair.... Between all of the customers and onlookers, there was no room! Finally we snagged the table right next to the jungle gym.

After a good 15 minutes of marveling at the insane amounts of energy contained in our children, I finally took an 'order' and headed to the front lines! From the moment I stepped into line to the moment I actually walked away with my tray, 35 minutes had passed. You read correctly, 35. You see, I already told you everybody and their mother was at this place! This local yocal town has a great turn out for every occasion, be in small or grandiose...

This McDonald's happens to be a cuisine of choice. Most of those 35 minutes were spent behind 14 other members of the line. Plus I had a large order to place! And after consuming my drenched snack wrap and fries, which now sit like a sack of wet rags in my gut, I still consider whether or not the endeavor was truly worth it.... Is it worth it to fill my system with saturated whatchamacallit and preservatives just so that we can follow the crowd and play on the indoor playground?

Next time I will make my own chicken nuggets, place them in a brown paper bag with a smiley face on it, call it my own happy meal, and save a LOT of calories.....

Next time I'll order a grumpy mel from Mickey D's!

I am Batman

2007-10-13T19:06:00.001-04:00

Seriously, not. But every morning on my way to work, I turn down Gotham. They pronounce it a little differently, which makes me giggle inside and think about Batman a little more! But Gotham street is a little more familiar now.... Can't say that about the rest of the grid, though! I can find my way around, though, just give me a little time, I'll pull off some random turns and FIND a street that I know! I think my sense of direction is getting a little better! Yesterday I was coming home from work and my car started to act little funny. It was acting like it didn;'t want to drive.... And then it shut off. Luckily I had pulled over to the curb, so I coasted out of the MIDDLE of the street! I would start and roll over fine, but then it would DIE! I gave up on it. I turned it off, grabbed everything out of the car thta I needed, and started walking home... But which direction was home? I turned down a couple of streets.... I was thinking of knocking on a door and asking which direction was State Street.... But did it! I found my way! I was pretty stupid, though. I grabbed EVERYTHING out of my car. The soup cans I just bought, my bag full of books, my jacket, a few other random things I had left in my car, and I carried them all the way home. At LEAST a mile! Okay, maybe JUST a mile.... But that's enough for me! My car is fine, just finicky, now.... I need to learn the streets better! However, if I WAS Batman, I wouldn't have to worry about the car OR the streets so much, would I?

Pavlov's dog...

2007-09-28T09:59:00.001-04:00

... Her name is Tink.

I never had to condition her, but there are certain sounds that cause her to come running. Some of those sounds: keys (makes sense), wrappers (all dogs love food), the lazy susan (it squeaks RELLY bad), and the icemaker... This one makes me wonder.... Maybe she sits and waits for me to drop an ice cube for her? But there is something about the rattling and crushing of ice that brings her running!

Tink, my pavlovian dog. This one's for you (Oh, I just ran the ice maker!!)