All That Glitters Is Not Gold

"I would rather walk on my bottom lip than to talk bad about someone but...." Do ya know what that is from???  I just ordered a huge order from Juicy & got it on....I think Friday.  And I LOVED most of what came, including this really cute bright pink shiny mouse & mousepad.  But then I got it all hooked up & it sucks!!!  The mouse doesn't really stay turned on...it'll just shut itself of when it feels like it & then it's all jumpy or it doesn't even move on the screen when I want it to or it is on one side of the screen & then totally disappears on the other side.  Um...ok.  Not cool.  I was hoping it was going to be awesome, but not everything works out that way.  It doesn't mean that I will stop buying from Juicy though cuz I love the way a juicy t-shirt fits.  They are perfect.  And they don't require anything special to wash them.  Ya know what I wish people would quit using in clothing?  Rayon!  It's the fabric of the devil!!!  Maybe it's just cuz i'm too lazy to separate my laundry or even use different temperatures.  It's probably my fault, but it really is a pain in the ass!  No more RAYON!!

Candy!

This recipe took me probably 2 years to perfect & now this year i'm going to try it with a different nut because Western Nut was out of peanuts so I had to improvise. You should try it out!

Peanut Brittle

1 1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. light Corn Syrup
1/4 C. Water
2 C. shelled Raw Peanuts
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt


Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Gradually stir in peanuts, without losing the boil. Adjust temperature to maintain a rolling boil until the peanuts pop and turn golden brown, remove from heat. Add baking soda, stirring well (the candy will foam up and turn golden brown). Add salt and stir well. Pour on a well-greased platter or cookie sheet. Allow room for candy to spread. (f you like thick peanut brittle let it spread on its own, if you like thinner brittle, spread it a little with the back of a wooden spoon.) When cold, break into chunks. Makes 2 lbs.

So, I know it sounds kinda complicated but it's really not. You just need to be sure to cook it enough or else it's kinda sticky & chewy but not overcook it so it tastes burnt. This year, as I said, i'm going to do it w/Cashews instead of peanuts...but I don't think it's going to effect the outcome. Merry Christmas!

Tough as "Nails"

If you don't know, i'm a lil bit obsessed with my nails. I paint them at least once a week, sometimes more depending on my mood, if they chip, the color...various reasons. Maybe i'm going somewhere that I want to look particularly good at...whatever. But i'm also very particular on the brand & i'm exclusively loyal to OPI! I LOVE it! They have some of the best colors & after you put on 2 finishing coats then they get super hard & rarely chip or scuff or scratch. Probably my all time favorite color is Flashbulb Fuschia! I've gone through several bottles of it. I also really like Be a Dahlia Won't You, It's All Greek to Me & La-Pazitively Pink. I also like a lot of the dark colors too, like Onyx, Lincoln Park at Midnight & Lucerne-tainely Look Marvelous. I tried the Shatter out...but i'm not a fan of those so much. They just make my nails feel bumpy & crazy. It's cute though...just not on me. Why am I telling you this...no reason. Just FYI. :)

PS: Glitzerland is also a very cool color!

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"

Another thing in fashion I CANNOT pull off is the Ugg Boot. I've tried...and it just doesn't look good on these short sticks I call legs. All they do is cut my leg off at the calf & add 20lbs to my body. It might be partly cuz I've said before that I can't pull of the Legging/Jegging either. And really, that's how they look the best right??? I'm not so much a fan of them paired with a skirt or dress. To me they seem to be conflicting...but if you like it then hey you go ahead & rock that! That's just for me personally. On the plus side, I did find 1 pair of skinny jeans that don't look terrible on me! Only 1 tho, i've searched far & wide for them but no luck. But again...cuz of my body type I can only wear them with certain things or my body looks out of balance. AND, I can only wear them with a heel. But that's with anything. I don't know why...but I am loving the heel lately. And the taller the better! I'm not gonna say they don't sometimes hurt my feet, but as Clinton Kelly says "What's a little pain for a fabulous shoe?"

The Rules of the Star!

Guess who just made gold status???

So, i'm at Starbucks probably 5 out of the 7 days in a week. I order a very easy Venti Iced Coffee with Vanilla & Cream & the C-ville Starbuck's always shakes it for me which I like cuz then everything gets mixed together well, B Town doesn't do it unless I ask, but it's not really necessary. But it irritates me so bad when someone in the drive-thru orders 4 or 5 blended drinks. Don't they know they have to go in to order that??? It takes about 10 min. so then it makes everyone have to wait, when my drink only takes 1 min. to make. It's not really an official rule...but everywhere has unspoken rules. Right? It's called common courtesy. Also, don't forget to tip your Barista's. They have to deal with rude people all day. You know what i'm talking about...you see them at Starbuck's all the time. You know..."those kind". That you know if they mess their drink up even a little that person is gonna freak out & make a scene. Relax, it's just a drink. My Star screwed up my drink the other day, I mentioned it & they quickly replaced it & gave me a free drink voucher. Which was nice. I would not be so nice if it were me, but that's why I don't have that kind of job. I'm far too impatient too! LOL!

Holiday Treats!

I love to bake around the holidays! But not really a fan of baking breads or anything like that though. I do not have the patience for that! So, next weekend i'm having a cookie exchange with my sister so i've been thinking of what to bake. It doesn't have to be a cookie either, it could be a bar, or cupcake, or muffin, or some kind of individual dessert. And I have to take like 6 doz. of them so I kinda want it to be something easy. I get those Kraft Foods magazines that come quarterly & I LOVE them! They have the BEST & easiest foods in them. I saw this recipe & I don't know why I wouldn't like them cuz I like everything that goes in them & they sound easy too!

Nutter Butter Cookie Balls

what you need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
24 Nutter Butter Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
2 pkg. (6 squares each) White Chocolate, melted
1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
24 Mini Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, cut crosswise in half

MIX cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended.

SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls; place in single layer in shallow pan. Freeze 10 min. Mix chocolate and peanut butter until well blended. Dip balls in chocolate mixture; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Top each ball with 1 mini cookie half.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Keep refrigerated

YUM! Right? For more great recipes go to: www.kraftfoods.com

Thanks for reading!
Happy Holidays!

Makes your heart smile!

Hey you guys! During the holidays let's not forget the less fortunate or people/animal in need of help. Here are two links to help out!

www.ToysforTots.org

http://www.petco.com/petco_Page_PC_treeofhope.aspx

Thanks!

Thanksgiving Appetizer

Happy Thanksgiving blog readers! I hope you all have a fabulous day filled with love, family & yummy food! I am trying this new Appetizer recipe today for my dinner contribution it's Warm Spinach & Artichoke Cups! It sounds delicious! I'm a little bit worried about trying a new recipe on such an important food day, but i'm crossing my fingers it's gonna turn out!

24 won ton wrappers
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/3 cup Mayo
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced

HEAT oven to 350°F.

PLACE 1 won ton wrapper in each of 24 mini muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray, with edges of wrapper extending over top of cup. Bake 5 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients.

SPOON artichoke mixture into won ton cups.

BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until filling is heated through and edges of cups are golden brown

Sound easy! Ok & i'm going to omit the Red Peppers cuz I don't particularly care for them but other than that i'm gonna stick to the recipe! I'll let ya know if they turn out or if they're even any good! Love you guys!

Black is the new black

I hate when people say "blue is the new black" or "grey is the new black". No, it's not. Black is black. It's classic & what 90% of my wardrobe is made up of. Not because I think i'm "in" or anything...just cuz it happens to be my fav. color. For clothes anyways. For flowers it's white. For jewelery it's silver. But that's besides the point. Who doesn't like a pair of jeans & a plain black T? I love it. It's what you'll find me in on the weekends, most likely. And a black hoodie...always a personal fav. And you know I love black fingernail polish! The only thing I don't like tho is a black turtle-neck. In fact any turtle neck. Maybe it's just me but it makes me feel like i'm choking & cannot rock the turtle neck. Nope. So when people say "such & such is the NEW black" it's not. Stick with black! You can't go wrong!

It's a winner!

I just made Fettuccine Alfredo for lunch! It's my sisters recipe & it never fails! If you shop at Smith's Marketplace, as I do, then you'll notice that they no longer carry the fresh Buitoni noodles. That's what I use to use, but now I just use the Kroger Fettuccine noodles or any kind will do. Just be sure to cook them long enough. They always take longer than I expect, I would say a good 20 minutes. Try this recipe out, it's delicious.

Fettuccine Alfredo

5 strips of Bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 C. Heavy Cream
1/4 C. Frozen Pess or Corn (or both)
6 oz. fresh Parmesan, shredded
1 clove of garlic, minced

Boil cream, garlic & corn for 4 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, noodles & bacon. Toss together.

So of course I don't add the bacon cuz I don't eat meat, however I still cook it but just keep it on the side for those who do want it. I double this recipe & then do 1 1/2 pkg's of noodles. You could also add chicken if you wanted to I guess. I also added some additional garlic salt, CA Style, just for added flavor. Also, I used Parmigiano Reggiono instead of just regular Parmesan. :)

The Real Housewives of D-Co

I know we don't all live in D-Co but the majority of us do. We should start a Real Housewives of D Co. Don't ya think? We can get crazy like that. I of course get to be the single house wife, who is not a wife & doesn't own her own home. Sounds rad, right? You guys can figure out who you are. We do the same things as them anyway. Get together for dinner, brunch or drinks. Do the occasional party or birthday appearance. Holidays...whatever. And you know, somebody always has a problem w/someone else for some lame or unnecessary reason. What would your opening phrase be??? I can't even think of one. I like NeNe's "I dont' have to keep up w/the Jones', I am the Jones'". And who's going to be the untalented singer??? They all have one...like who can't be a singer these days w/auto-tune???

"Call me when you get back from Cabo"

I know I didn't write last week & I forgot to tell anyone I'd be out of town...but I was & that's why I didn't get around to writing. I thought about it...& then I just wasn't feelin' it. My mom & I went to Vegas & Cali for a few days. I really just wanted to get out of town & not have to think about ALL the crap that is going on here. I love going on vacay & just forgetting about everything else. Only enjoying yourself. And we did, we had a great time! I promise though to be more attentive to this blog...cuz I know i've been kinda absent lately. But the holidays are coming up & that's usually my fav. time of year. I'm not so sure how this year will work out, but i'm hoping at least cordial. We'll see.

Nuts for Coconuts!

So, i'm kinda surprised I haven't posted this before cuz I kinda make them often & I would've thought that I had, but I checked & I haven't. Anywho, I made these this morning to take to my Aunt, but I LOVE these cookies! They turn out every time & are super easy!

Coconut Macaroons
By: Paula Deen

Ingredients
3 cups shredded coconut
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine coconut, almond extract, and salt. Mix in condensed milk to form a thick paste. Fold in egg whites with cream of tarter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Try 'em out! You won't be disappointed! :)

Halloween Happenings!

Yes, that is going to be me on Halloween next week! I'm going to be Pikachu. Last year I was Hello Kitty, but my nephews are all in to Pokemon now so I decided to be Pika. I know Halloween is like everyone's fav holiday but to be honest I like Thanksgiving & Christmas best. Don't you think that's just a happy time of year??? I like to be around all my family too & all the yummy treats/desserts, or food in general. I also love to cook/bake during that time of year too! And if i'm lucky I can talk my mom into making her $500 Fudge. I keep telling her to rename it cuz it got that name in like what....the 60's & when ya think about it now $500 isn't really all that much money. Right?

So, we since the kids were little we've just always done certain things for the holidays, whatever holiday it may be. At Halloween we usually, not always, but usually will go to the "Garden After Dark" at Red Butte Gardens & walk around there. However, this year we aren't. It just seems like if you're not a member it's kinda pricey to pay $10/person & so this year we aren't going to make it. Plus, our Oct. kinda got a little crazy so we had to adjust accordingly. So this week, we are going to go see the witches at Gardner Village. Which, is always kinda fun. I think the kids just like to get out & about. But they seem to enjoy it. Then we'll generally make it to Frightmares sometime during the Halloween season. I also, throw them a Halloween party every year, which we had last Friday. Up until this year, we have always grown our pumpkins, picked them & carved them. But for some reason my garden was NOT going to let pumpkins grow. I planted 4 different plants & they all died. All except my Cantaloupes, which I didn't really want. But whatev's. So we picked out our pumpkins at Smith's Marketplace instead. Then brought them back & carved them. We also do Halloween bingo, bob for apples & frost cookies. So that's always fun. I just like to see their cute faces light up & get all excited.

Then we'll all meet at my bros house on Halloween & get pics & go trick or treating. And, if you go to my mom's house then you get full-size candy bars. Just FYI. :)

"Hello Lover" -Carrie Bradshaw

Ok, so maybe mine aren't exactly Manolo Blahnik's, I wish, but these are a lot like the shoes i'm wearing today. I thought of writing this blog after seeing Bigg's on Sat & she was making fun of me for always wearing heels now & how I use to wear slippers in high school. I was wearing these like 2 Friday's ago & Jer Bear came over to the office after school. He saw my shoes on the floor & so he decided to try them on & walk around in them. Then he of course twisted his ankle & was like "Nay Nay why do you wear these shoes? I almost broke my ankle!" And then I proceeded to tell him they make me look taller & thinner, which he didn't understand but said ok & walked away confused. Anywho, I DO have to wear heels everyday or to be honest I feel fat. Or at least I feel like I look fat. You know I wasn't exactly blessed with long legs. And sometimes they make my feet hurt, but you get use to it. And you get some nice muscle tone in your calves & shins. I don't know why I wrote this...just sayin'. :)

Pain Au Chocolat = My new LOVE!

Can I just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE these things! That's one of the reasons I try to hit up the Farmer's Market on Sat. mornings! But you can't just get them anywhere. You have to get them at Vosen's. Not only do they have delicious croissants, but they also have Marzipan bars that are yummy too, & don't forget their Ciabatta. I could eat that all the time. Ya know what place I don't like tho? Is Tuille (sp?) that little French bakery. It makes me think of "I don't like how you say with your face all scrunched up 'You're French aren't you'. Ya know who else makes a good choc croissant? Which I was surprised by is Parson's in NSL. I'll even subject myself to that lady that's a total beast to get one. Anywho, I suggest trying it out. :)

You're not rockin' my sox off!

Ok, so i'm going to tell you about something that I see all the time now & it's driving me crazy! Seriously. Ladies, quit wearing no-show socks with heels or ballet flats that show!!!! Stop it! It's ugly! They're called no-show socks for a reason & for certain kinds of shoes. What's wrong with you? When you walk out of the house & you can see an inch of your sock all the way around your foot, it doesn't belong. I rarely wear shoes that require socks but when I do I wear the appropriate shape/size. If you have to wear socks then maybe you're just meant to not wear that kind of shoe. Adapt. We can't all wear the same things!

Hottie Biscotti!

I bought some Almond Biscotti last week at the B Town Farmer's Market & I LOVED it! I've always wanted to know how to make it, so i'm going to try this recipe this week. It had instructions to dip it in chocolate, which i'd normally love, cuz you know how I love chocolate, but it might be weird dipping it in coffee. You know that's the best way to eat it! Thanks Joy of Baking for the recipe!


Almond Biscotti Recipe

1 cup blanched whole almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Toast almonds for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl lightly beat the eggs and extracts together.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until blended (about 30 seconds). Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until a dough forms, adding almonds about halfway through. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into a log about 14 inches (35 cm) long and 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm) wide. Transfer log to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Transfer log to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut log into slices 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange evenly on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, turn slices over, and bake another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 28 biscotti.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/biscotti/AlmondBiscotti.html

What the French???

I have a total kindergarten crush on Chef Ramsay. I watch Hell's Kitchen but I really love him on BBC's Gordon Ramsay's F Word. I'm not so much a fan of "Kitchen Nightmares" or "Master Chef" though. Watching the F Word, you see him as a completely different person than he is on HK. He's not yelling or swearing at anyone. Or throwing things around. He's funny, he cooks food that looks amazing, in his own home kitchen, & he teaches a ton of stuff about food, where it comes from & how it's made. I also love that he likes to use local fresh foods. Don't even think about opening up a can or use anything pre-made if you're going to cook with him! So, if you have BBC i'd recommend watching it. It's good stuff!

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF IPOD ON THE RIGHT BEFORE WATCHING CLIP

GORDON RAMSAY'S F WORD - INTRO

Orangealicious!

I think the Annoying Orange is hilarious!  And i'm bored.

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE IPOD ON THE RIGHT BEFORE WATCHING!

Rolling in the Dough


Theme Song Attack!

25 Things You Might Not Know About Me

I was just reading my US Weekly & they always have a section called "25 Things You Might Not Know About Me" from someone famous.  I don't always read them, it depends on who it is but you do learn some interesting things about them.  So I thought i'd do it for myself, so here I go....


1.  I wear glasses at work when working on the computer.
2.  I haven't eaten meat for the last 11 years.
3.  I think daisy's are the ugliest flower.
4.  Cooking is my biggest stress reliever.
5.  I think avocado is the best sandwich ingredient ever!
6.  My favorite place in the whole wide world is Hawaii.
7.  If I had to pick one musician to listen to for the rest of my life it'd be Frank Sinatra.
8.  My drink at Starbuck's is a Venti Iced Coffee with Vanilla & Cream.  YUM!
9.  I'm obsessed with Lip Gloss & Nail Polish.
10.  I love trashy reality shows like Jersey Shore & any of the Real Housewives shows.  Even the Bad Girls Club.
11.  I think Sunday is the best day of the week. 
12.  Fashion Police is one of my favorite shows.
13.  I hate green peppers...and yellow, red or orange!  No peppers for me!
14.  Sometimes I let my inner "theater geek" out & get crazy to Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera in my car.
15.  I think turtlenecks are the ugliest piece of clothing.
17.  My favorite season is Spring.
18.  I could probably recite all the lines in "16 Candles" and "The Breakfast Club"
19.  The best meal ever is the Veggie Lettuce Wraps & the Ma Po Tofu from PF Chang's.  The best!
20.  3 places I want to go:  Machu Picchu, Papua New Guinea & Easter Island.
21.  I watch Spongebob in the evenings cuz it makes it so I don't have to think about anything.
22.  I love playing any Jewel Quest Mystery game on my computer.
23.  My nieces & nephews are my favorite people in the world.
24.  Between 6-8am is my favorite time of day.
25.  I think spiders are the scariest things.  And they make my skin crawl.  Eeeew!

Thanks for reading!  :)

Something New???

Ok, so I know on my last post I said i'd do it tomorrow, but I lost track of time & it's a holiday weekend, so i'm just getting around to it now. So what I wanted to talk about is Costco. I'm loving some of the new things they have in lately.

My first one is the new individually packed Blueberries. They're called Brain Berries, cuz they are a superfood & have a ton of Antioxidants! I love them! I eat them for breakfast or anytime I need a snack. And kids love them! My nephew ate one like it was candy. www.brainberries.com

Another thing that i'm loving is the Chobani Greek Yogurt. It comes in packs of 12, 4 Strawberry, 4 Blueberry & 4 Peach. I'm not so much a fan of the Peach but the other two are delicious! When I bought them the first time I wasn't sure if i'd like them cuz I hadn't really had a lot of greek yogurt but after I tried it I'm a big fan. It's thicker than regular yogurt & is a little bit more tangy. It also has twice the protein of regular yogurt & has a bunch of vitamins as well. www.chobani.com

The last thing, which isn't actually new but one of my favorite Costco products is The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese spread. YUM! Each one only has 35 calories & I love it on Whole Wheat Club crackers. But really any cracker works. My niece eats it just plain right out of the cute little package, but to me that's too much. But I would also recommend them as well. You do have to buy like 5 wheels at a time & then they probably have 6 or so wedges in the wheel so to buy it at Costco it's a lot of them but you can also buy them in different flavors at the regular grocery store. It's usually in the cheese counter or by the deli where like the cheese balls & dips are. www.thelaughingcow.com

So, if you want to, I'd suggest picking up some of these things next time you visit your local Costco!

"Where you at?"

Hello blog readers. I apologize for taking so much time off from writing! I've been super busy & my laptop died & wouldn't let me go online so I got a new one & then I was out of town for a few days & now i'm back & ready to write! When I log in I always go check my stats to see how many of you there are & i'm always surprised at the number of you. But i'm sure it wasn't fun to keep coming back & nothing new was up. So, i'm gonna try to be back to my old self & get around 2-3 a week. Sound good? Sometimes I struggle cuz i'm not sure what to even write about. Tomorrow i'm going to do some recommendations from Costco. I'm in love w/a few new things they have & I think you should try them out too! Anywho, thanks for reading. :)

"I am Cornholio!"

Did you know that they are bring Beavis & Butthead back? Does anyone else think that's awesome? I'm not sure if i'll still think it's awesome. I was in jr. high & high school when they were first out. I wonder if they'll still play videos & talk about them. To me, that was one of the best parts of the show. Remember how it was all like really weird, random bands that you never heard of & then they'd throw in Beastie Boys, Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden. Most of the band I had never heard of, but they were always funny!

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF IPOD ON THE RIGHT BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO!

BEAVIS IS THE GREAT CORNHOLIO!

"Exsqueeze me? Baking Powder?"

I guess I must be really awesome at my job, cuz they put me in charge of one of our biggest clients' invoice/timecards & then I deliver it each week on Thursday by 8:30am. But it is a total pain! And it's hard enough trying to figure all the employeees, jobs & overtime out but now they have a new girl there who is in charge of getting me all the information & she sucks at it. There's like 50 employees & they all work at different jobs, so I can kinds see how it'd be overwhelming, but when she does it wrong, then I have to go through all of them & try to fix all her mistakes. I'm not really sure why it's so hard to figure out time & a half for overtime, but apparently it is. And, this payroll is every Thursday so on Monday's & Tuesday's i'm usually trying to figure out this mess she emails over. And if my numbers don't match my sisters numbers when she inputs their checks then it really, really sucks. I just had to tell someone (and that's you) cuz it's making me angry. In fact, right now, this very second, i'm waiting for an email back from her to correct another mistake. C'mon. I hope she gets it soon, cuz she's making my job twice as hard!

"This Sh** is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S"

I made this yesterday for my dad to take to my Aunt. I love this recipe & it is so super easy. I did change it up though yesterday & added chopped Macadamia Nuts. I LOVE Macadamias! If I could i'd add them to all kinds of things. When I was in Hawaii w/my parents on the Big Island I made them go to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm. I'm also totally in love with Pistachio's. Which reminds me of "Sugar Dates, Sugar Dates & Figs. Sugar Dates & Pistachios!" Does anyone know what that's from??? It's a total High School joke. It's from Aladdin. Anywho, here's the recipe. I follow it pretty well, except I usually use 5-6 bananas & I leave them in really big chunks, so when you mix them it doesn't just turn to mush. They get smaller but they don't disappear & I like my bread w/a lot of texture. Like my carrot cake, which i'll post sometime, it's super chunky. Hope you try this out. Also, it says it makes 1 loaf but really it makes 2.

Banana Bread

Recipe Courtesy of Cathy Lowe

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt. In a large bowl cream together eggs and sugar. Stir in mashed bananas, vanilla, oil and cinnamon. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time, until just combined. Divide batter into two 9x5 loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour

"I've gotta get out of here....i've gotta get out of here!"

That video is how i've felt for the last week! I was...well am super anxious & panicky since last week. It got so bad on Friday I had my mom take me to the little IHC Insta-Care in BTown to see if they could calm me down. I was having like a 4 day panic attack. Then after that I started to think maybe something is wrong with me so that made me panic even more. So I thought i'd start in BTown & then if I had to i'd maybe make my way to the U ER. That's the worst feeling ever. I was totally panicked, my blood pressure was super high, I was freezing & my whole body was shaking. So I got to the place & luckily only waited a few minutes. Then got back to see the Dr. who asked me about a billion questions & I finally got some answers. Which was i'm panicking. So I got some medicine & what's weird is that it makes me feel normal. I can't explain. It's the craziest thing. Before I almost felt like a third person, if that makes sense. It's like I was there but I was somewhere else. Anywho, just thought i'd let ya know. I'm seeing my regular Dr. on Monday & we'll see what her long-term plans are for me. At least I found out there's nothing physically wrong with me! :)

It's a hoot & a holler...

My bro's kids always talk about Mr. Bean & I remember way back in the day when I use to watch Mr. Bean. Who doesn't like Mr. Bean??? Below are my 2 fav. episodes!

DON'T FORGET TO TURN OFF THE IPOD BEFORE WATCHING!

MR. BEAN MEETS ROYALTY



MR. BEAN GOES TO THE BEACH

Meh...

I know I haven't been keeping up my regular posting schedule. And I apologize. Sometimes I just can't think of anything to write about. Myself? Nah, that's no kind of fun. Holidays...blah, blah, blah. Only people from Utah know about our local holidays. Recipes...maybe. I need to get some new ones. I've found like 20-30 I like & now I only make them & don't really introduce new ones. So, that'll be my goal to find NEW recipes. I'm always kind of hesitant to try one cuz what if it really sucks & my fam. is like "What's this crap?" or the kids push it away & are like "Um, I don't like this". Then it makes me feel like I just wasted an hour & now i'm going to waste all those ingredients that came together so badly. I like when I try a new one & they're like "MMMMmm...I like this one". But I can't count on that. Also, why do they have to be so picky. I don't like beef. I don't like eggs. I don't like veggies. I don't like ham. Too bad, then go hungry. :D

Is it really necessary?

Who buys the crap on tv? I don't understand those people. That's right, I called them "those people". Have you seen the commercial for the thing that you can hard boil eggs in? If you have that many problems peeling a hard-boiled egg, the egg i'm sure is the least of your problems. Or how about the one where the lady is like burning herself & struggling with a pot of hot water & has pasta that's all stuck together. Seriously you can't boil pasta? "What's wrong with you? Why are you like that?" (did anyone get where that line was from?) The other one that really bothers me is for the Pajama Jeans. I have a huge problem with wearing pj's outside of the house. I will occasionally do it if i'm maybe going to the garden store early in the morning or just out to get coffee, but only drive-thru. I don't know why it bothers me so much. And, I can only do it if it's like a whole matching track suit. No mis-match here. Also, my hair & make-up have to be done in full. Maybe it's just me, but I like to look my best each day. You know what they say "you only get one first impression". Also, when I do wear my pj's out, it's like hot man day & I feel like a total slob. Anyone else feel this way? Sorry, if you have bought something on tv, i'm sure it was a waste of money. LOL! :)

Fashion Disaster

Why do they always do that in magazines??? And if someone does know you like they're not going to recognize you because you have a black bar on your face. I just looks like you're wearing Jordi LaForge glasses. Right?

So, ya know how I talked about a few styles I cannot wear? Well i've figured out some more of them. I like to shop at Ross. Yes I do. I like it cuz I like a good deal. And, sometimess I do buy something just to wear it once. Some of the fabrics are super synthetic & when you wash them they go all crazy like. But it was only $7 so who cares. Whoever made up Rayon needs to die.

First of all, I cannot pull of the tube top. Not cuz RBF says to ban it, but cuz I apparently don't have the body for it. Or as Joan Rivers says, you need some bazooms. Which, I don't. I think a tube top is cute with a cute little cardigan or shrug, but even at that, my body doesn't cooperate. The other thing I can't wear for summer is a short. Anu length, short, medium, bermuda...none. All they do is make my legs look squat. I don't think I have bad legs, just maybe shorter than I would like. I can pull off a capri-length legging but shorts, out of the question. So I have to settle with the capri or crop. Which I guess is ok.

Also, i'm a fan of heels, but in the summer my fav. pair of Steve Madden heels seem too wintry or fall like. I would love to wear a cute strappy heel but my foot is so wide that they look like they are squishing out of the straps & i'm going to fall off of them. And, I can't wear a stiletto cuz I can't balance so it needs to be a thicker heel or a wedge or even a kitten heel.

Does everyone else have this many wardrobe problems???

The Susan Sandoval Run for Ovarian Cancer

Hey guys, I just wanted to post this link about the Susan Sandoval Run for Ovarian Cancer. My mom & I have done it for the last few years & if you don't have any plans on Sept. 5th then you should come too!

http://medicine.utah.edu/obgyn/home/home3/SSRun/index.htm

Thanks!

"I made them Extra Sloppy!"

Yesterday for lunch I made Sloppy Joe's. Who thought of that name?? I'll admit it, I like a sloppy joe from time to time. But not Manwich kind, my tummy doesn't like those. It gives me major SJR. Right? Here's the recipe I use & it's super easy. I generally make them with Quorn Grounds but yesterday I was out so I used the Quorn Meatballs & chopped them up, which I think I now prefer. And, yes of course I made it the way the recipe told me for everyone else & no I didn't measure, I just used my hand. But feel free to do whatever. :)

Unbeatable Sloppy Joe's

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 large tomato, chopped
6 hamburger buns

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Add onions; cook 5 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally.

ADD ketchup, chili powder and tomatoes; cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

FILL buns with meat mixture,

And, I thought i'd post this video cuz I think of it every time I make them. :)

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE IPOD ON THE RIGHT TO HEAR THE CLIP!

"What do you do???"

Hahaha! I think of Howie Mandel's Watusi tour every time I watch him on America's Got Talent! We use to watch this all the time back in the day. Too funny!

DON'T FORGET TO TURN OFF THE IPOD ON THE RIGHT TO HEAR THE CLIPS!!!



The Watusi

"Eeeww Gross....smell this!"

I hate when people do that! They're all like "Oh that's gross, here you taste it". Like it's not going to be gross to them? You just made it sound so appealing. Anyway, I take both of these vitamins everyday, or ok, when I remember them. And i'm not going to lie, they don't taste good but I can tell a difference of when I do take them. I just feel better. The multivitamin says it's supposed to be "mixed fruit" flavor but it tastes like how vitamins in a bottle smell. And the calcium says "blueberry pom" or something like that but it tastes like chalk. So, I'm not saying they're yummy cuz they aren't but they are super good for you & being liquid your body absorbs them better & will be able to process them. Just sayin'. :)

PS: You can get them at Costco.

No Bake Awesomeness!

I wanted to post this for Biggs. I know she likes them, but she'll probably say she doesn't & then tell someone to make them cuz I want them but i'm too embarrassed to ask. Rude! Just like her tho! Hahaha!

NO-Bake Cookies

3 Dozen

Ingredients

1 3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. butter
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C. crunchy peanut butter
3 C. Oats
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

This recipe totally reminds me of Jr. High! I did this as a cooking demonstration in Foods class & then I got an F for talking too much, even though we all know it was Mark G's fault! And why was I always the dish bitch???

"It's my Party & I'll cry if I want to!"

When i'm going to have a party, it seriously takes me weeks to put it together. I have a million ideas & then I have in my head exactly how I want it look & feel & what I want to happen. Ya know, it's one of those "Secret" things, visualization. I've been to the party store, the craft store, the cooking supply store, the dollar store, the grocery store & now I have to go back to the craft store for some supplies that I forgot this afternoon. Although I care what my friends & guests think, it's probably more important to me what I think & how I think it's going. And ya, I need to find something to wear! I just put in my catering order & hope that all turns out well. I do boast myself as being a good cook, but getting it catered seemed so much easier this time. Now I need to think about music, drinks & figure out who is bringing what & see if I get a few more rsvp's by Saturday. What's with the not rsvping??? That bugs. If you don't want to come just put no. I promise you won't hurt my feelings, but at least i'll have a # to plan for. Anywho, I know it's going to be a good party! I feel it....in my bones!!! :)

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BTW, I really am an Amy Winehouse fan....even if she's a hot mess!

Pan-a-cakes

I do not like pre-mixed or pre-made food. And I will not let my family make pancakes with Bisquik or a pancake mix. Don't people know it's better for you if it's made with love??? Don't they know it's healthier & good for the soul??? Below is my favorite pancake recipe. It's super easy & they come up fluffy & delicious!

Plain Griddle Cakes
1 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Milk
1 Egg
1 tsp. Butter, melted

Put first 3 ingredients in a bowl & whisk to combine. Add the milk & egg, mix until egg is broken up. Pour in butter & mix until just combined. Do not over mix or they will be tough & chewy (like ihop's). LOL!

One thing I learned from Alton Brown is to not over mix. Mix until just combined. It'll be lumpy, but it's supposed to be. I like to cook mine with oil on a griddle cuz then I can cook like 8 at a time. But you do it however you like. Hope you try it out! :)

Another Good One

I heart this book! I've referenced it a ton of times. I'm not really a fan of prescription drugs or over the counter drugs. A lot of times I think they're unecessary & people take too many of them. It has sections on Vitamins, Minerals & Antioxidants with a ton of information. After those sections then you can look up any kind of problem/issue & it'll help you understand why & what you can do to help relieve any discomfort. I think the last thing I looked up in it was Antioxidants, how many there are & what the different ones do. I used it a lot when i had my joint issues & that's where I learned about Ginger & all it's great properties. Also, I go through these phases where I get high anxiety. I use to get panic attacks a lot & I used this book to find out what kind of herbs I could take to calm myself down w/out having to be prescribed a sedative or some kind of tranquilizer. And I found out that St. John's Wort helps w/that so I started taking it everyday. I finally got rid of my anxiety & now I don't have it at all. I also think that the Chi Kung helped w/it too cuz now I know how to instantly relax myself, how to breathe & stand. It all has to do with your brain. I would recommend this book for anyone. I know it looks huge & overwhelming but once you start using it, it's super useful. :)

Welcome to the Dollhouse - The Sequel???

I wanted to put some stuff up for Welcome to the Dollhouse, one of the funniest & disturbing movies ever. After I watch it I feel bad that I laughed at this poor girls misfortune. Anywho, while looking up Dollhouse clips I saw that on one of them that someone had commented on the Dollhouse sequel called "Palindromes". So I looked further into it & I guess in the beginning of the movie it shows Dawn's funeral & it's Mark speaking. Apparently, she killed herself. Debbie Downer. I thought that was sad! Poor Dawn. It was probably Missy's fault. But ya, I guess her family is in the movie but she isn't. I think we should rent it & see what it's like. Below are a couple Dollhouse clips & then below that i'll put the Palindromes trailer.







PALINDROMES

Shooooosh!

I don't know how many of you have read this (I know a few of you have), but this is my very favoritest book in the whole wide world. It's "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I use what it says in my daily life, for various reasons. For work, health, other people's health, sometimes money, sometimes things that don't really matter that much. I probably use it the most for time management & parking spaces. Weird right? I tell myself that I have more than enough time for stuff & that I always get the good parking spot. And I would say it works about 90# of the time. Unless the Universe just doesn't want it so. it's a really interesting book, I learned a lot from it & I would definitely recommend it. :)

www.thesecret.tv

Summer LOVE!

I'm a huge fan of Snow Cones. But I like it even more if you drop the w & just call them Sno Cones. Like the Sno Shack. Remember the old Sno Shacks that were round, blue & had a huge rainbow on the side. I haven't seen that kind forever! Every summer I take my nieces & nephews out & about & we go to all the sno shacks around BTown, WX & NSL. Today we went to the new one in the Rite Aid parking lot on 5th South & Main. And, I think it might be our regular new hang out. It's a nice location, easy to get to, but really I judge by # of flavors & how fine the ice is shaved. I actually didn't get one cuz I bought my nephew one & then I didn't have anymore change in my car so I just had a few bites of his. He got a Small Polar Punch, because it's blue. What a boy. Hahaha! And the ice was perfect! We;ve been to the one in Winegars parking lot on Orchard & they are good if the girl is working, but if it's the boy then they usually have chunks of ice in them. Our other regular one was at the Apple Store in Woods Cross, but they aren't there this year. Ya know where NOT to go tho? The one at the Rec Center. It's the trailer that is blue, has the flowers on it & has a grass skirt on the bottom. I think it might be Hawaiian Ice or something like that. Um, maybe it's just me but i'm not going to pay $4 for a small. C'mon it's some ice & some colored sugary syrup. Maybe they're really good, but I probably am not going to try them. Ya know what else I don't like? When they offer to add cream to them. Eeeewww. That's not right. And, I do also appreciate a "Snowie" cuz then you get to add your own flavor at the "Flavor Station". :)

One of my favorite things....

www.downtownslc.org
On Saturday the Downtown SLC Farmer's Market opens back up! Yay! I'm super excited. I love it. I try to go as many Saturday's as I can until the season closes down. The best time to go is like 9am, cuz you've missed all the people who think it's easier to get their early & you're too early for the lunch crowd, which gets too crazy for me. I'm not really a fan of crowds so I like less people. Later in the season they have a Wed night Grower's Market which is just the north row that has all the fruits & veggies. And sometimes i'll go to that instead cuz really I could care less about the crafts. Sorry crafters, I know it took time to make all those items but it's not really my thing. And besides you're always over charging anyway. Hahaha! The first of the season is ok, cuz I still get my bread & pastries but if you're not into peas, beans & other random spring/early summer veggies then it's not so great. Once you get to about mid-July then the fruits start showing up but the best is August & September/October. Then everything is out.

Also, did anyone know that Bountiful has a Farmer's Market on Thursday nights??? I like it too! It's been getting bigger & bigger each year. It's on 100 So. & 100 E., just off Main. At first it was just a few farmer's & a couple food vendors but now there is a bunch of food & a bunch of crafts. I did buy a purse there last year & some Juicy Couture Jewelery, so I guess those booths aren't a total waste. I like to get my honey there too. FYI, if you have seasonal allergies, then you should buy local honey. I don't 'memba why but I heard that from some random honey guy.

So, I hope to see you there! I'll be there with my re-usable shopping bag, some coffee & maybe even some frosting on my face from my Marzipan Bar that I have to get every week! :)

"I don't trust anyone who does their own hair. I don't think it's natural."

I don't know if anyone else uses them or not but I LOVE velcro rollers. Since my hair is getting longer it is getting super heavy & my bump is having a tough time being as high. So I started using velcro rollers. They are a little time consuming but you get awesome volume out of them. So I put one on top in the center of my head. Another right behind it (to get the bump) & then 2 on each side, leaving some out so I can curl that up & then it mixes w/the hair in the rollers & I think it looks better. If I put it all in the rollers I have a total "ball" hairstyle. And my face is already round enough w/out my hair adding extra roundness. I spray w/hairspray, roll & set w/the hair dryer. For me, I like to do the hottest setting on my dryer focusing for a few seconds on each curler. Then I immediately follow with cold air w/my dryer & cool them all down. That's how you get them to set. You can heat them & then just leave them to cool on their own, probably 10-15 minutes but i'm usually running late on time, so I think cooling it quick is the best way. All together it probably takes 10 minutes. It might not take that long for you though cuz my hair is extra thick & I usually have to set longer. So, if you want some good volume & curl then i'd recommend them. The other great thing is they're super cheap. I got mine from Sally Beauty but you can get them at the grocery stores too. I prefer about a 2 1/2 in. round so I had to go to the beauty supply store. However big or little is just preference. Try it out....I think you'll like it! :)

Be LOUD & PROUD!!!

In honor of Pride Week & the Pride Parade, that i'm sad i'm missing on Sunday. I thought i'd put up some of my fav. parts from my favorite gay-drama Queer as Folk! My support to the gay community! :)

PS: Thanks Pres. Obama for declaring June LGBT Pride Month! That's awesome!

REMEMBER TO TURN THE PLAYLIST OFF BEFORE WATCHING THE CLIPS!






Yay Babylon!

Ginger Pear Punch

Yesterday's post was a total Debbie Downer. Sorry about that.

So, on March 7th I did the post for Ginger Tea, one of my fav. drinks & said i'd post the recipe for the Ginger Pear Punch. It's a little time consuming but it's pretty good when it's all done. Sunny calls it tea but I prefer punch.

Ginger Pear Tea or Punch

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2009

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups water
2 pears, peeled and coarsely grated
1-inch piece ginger, sliced into 1/8-inch coins

Directions

In a medium pot bring water, grated pear, ginger and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Hope you guys try this out. It's good on it's own or even as a cocktail mixer. :)

"What you say about my momma?" PART 2

Just a quick update: My mom just got off the phone with her Dr. at Huntsman & she has decided it'd be better for her to do a different chemo drug called Evastin instead of participate in the trial. So, we'll see how that goes & i'll keep everyone updated. Thanks! :)

"What you say about my momma?"

Hello everyone, I just thought i'd give ya a Mom Fausett update. Unfortunately, her cancer has returned. Which sucks, cuz she just got rid of it in January. Now it has moved. She has 2 tumors in her liver & 1 by her lungs. Thankfully, they are still very small. But that doesn't mean anything good. Surgery isn't an option right now. She is going to do a trial at Huntsman for a new drug that only 6 people in the country have done, 4 of which dropped out & the other 2 it didn't work. It worked pretty good on mice though. Hahahaha. She doesn't start that until next week, so we'll se how that goes & if it doesn't go so well...then i'm not really sure. And that's why i've turned into a hermit the last couple weeks. I'm not in a real social mood & don't have a lot of tolerance for drama. But that's pretty normal for me when this situation comes around. You should know that. LOL! Thanks everyone for always checking up on things too. I really appreciate it. Love ya!

"Ya go around with me?"

Who doesn't like a 1980's Australian teen movie? Or any Australian movie for that matter. You know I like them! A country that comes up with "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" & "Puberty Blues" is awesome to me!

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Finders Keepers

I found this recipe in some random cookbook a long time ago & now I call it mine. It's one of my favorites! And, my fam. loves when I make it! It's super yum & I don't even need a recipe any more, I just know it. Also, I usually just guess on maeasurements & rarely actually measure them out but for this one I think you need to or else it might not end up the right consistency.

Nay Nay's Caramel Corn
1 Stick Butter
2 1/2 C. Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C. Karo Syrup

3 bags Microwave Popcorn, popped (duh!)

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Pour over popcorn in bowl & mix until evenly coated.

Super Easy, right?

TIPS:
*When you measure your Karo Syrup spray your measuring cup with cooking spray & you'll get every little bit out.

*De-Kernal your popcorn. It's kinda a pain but you'll save your teeth! Use 2 bowls, shake popcorn & the kernals should fall to the bottom. Then gently move the popcorn to the other bowl w/out picking up the kernals.

*After mixing popcorn & caramel, put into a buttered bundt pan & let cool. Then invert onto plate & slice w/knife. Super easy serving & pretty cute!

*My own personal trick, I only boil for 4 minutes & then turn the burner off for the final minute. I don't know that it makes any difference but it seems to turn out softer. If you over cook, it's going to go all hard so try to do it for no more than 5 minutes!!!

*If it's a holiday or you want something different, put a few drops of food coloring into the caramel while cooking. I've done orange for Halloween, red for Valentine's & green for St. Pat's!

I hope you try this out! Good luck!

"Who Dis?"

Hahaha! I heard this song over the weekend & had to post it for Biggs! I think we probably reference this song every time we talk on the phone. We have way too many inside jokes. If you didn't hang out w/us in jr. high or high school it's probably pretty hard to follow our conversations. And ya never know what's real or what we just pulled out of a song or movie. I love ya Biggs! :)

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Gaga for Gaga

I admit it. I'm a Lady Gaga fan. I just watched her HBO Monster Ball Special & I gotta say I was rather impressed. I think her show would have been worth going to & getting all dressed up too! So, I thought i'd post this video cuz it was probably my fav. part of the whole show. Plus you know anything to do w/the gays...i'm totally for. I was going to post the real video but to be honest it kinda disturbs me. If ya wanna see it search it on youtube. :)

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Not Too Shabby

I finally made it to F Town's new Harmon's store. And, I do have to admit that it was a really nice store. Plus, ya know how I said I wasn't going to go unless Bob & Randy were there? When I first got there I got our basket, went right by the coffe place on my way past the cheese counter to the pizza and deli & what do ya know...Bob walked past me. So, in this case I guess the "Secret" worked out for me. Randy wasn't there but 1 out of 2 isn't bad. So as I said, it's a really nice store. Everything is all new & clean. They have a great selection in their produce department. The dessert counter is great & the best thing that I got from it was the Raspberry Cheesecake. YUM! The food in the deli was ok. It was really, really bland & needed a ton of salt. I was also surprised to see that they have the whole line of Quorn. Which I love cuz not that many stores carry it. I prefer it to the other meat substitutes. They however did not carry my hair color that I like. That's right I dye my own hair. *gasp* It must be the lighting in there cuz the pre-cut fruit we got looked super bright & colorful in the store but when we got it home it wasn't as vibrant & didn't taste as good as I expected. What else did I like??? Ummmm...oh ya! The fresh Guacamole was good, if you don't like a lot of heat tho I wouldn't recommend. It must have jalapenos in it. I also liked the Spinach Artichoke dip. But I pretty much like anything with artichokes in it. So, I will probably go back to it sporatically but I still really prefer Smith's Marketplace in B Town. And, luckily I didn't run into anyone I know. Hahahaha! :)

PS: I forgot. They have a really good selection in their floral department. Just FYI!

"If Russell were an ice cream flavor he'd be Pralines & Dick"

Yesterday one of our awesome *sarcasm* called & was so rude on the phone. For not even a big deal. He's from S.C. so what should I expect??? Those southerners. I sent him an email stating here is his payroll info for this week & he's like "Why did you put THIS week? It's for last week's time" & really I put this week cuz we run it this week. He pays us THIS week. So I was all like "Um oh, well I must've said it wrong" Trying to sound like i'm a ritard & take the blame & then he's like "And then you just sent me the total wrong invoice!" And ya know how people sound when they are just really irritated & they try to say it so you sound stupid & they try to make you feel dumb? Well it was one of those. So i'm like "Oh well....let me make a couple calls & i'll get back to you on this" Being all nice & accomodating, when really I would've just liked to tell him to quit being such a dick. But I guess that's why we get paid. For the most part our clients are super nice & understand if there is a mistake. Which, we try to do as little as possible cuz people don't really like when you mess around with their money. LOL!

No Worries

OCEANSIDE SUNSET


Hey, so I wanted to apologize for not writing at all last week! As most of you know, I was in Oceanside all week. If you read my Twitter you know that I wasn't looking forward to coming home. Not that I don't like my home, it's just that when i'm on vacation I forget about everything at home. Work...family drama...health...you know, all that good stuff everyone thinks about on a daily basis. However, I did miss Frank! I LOVE my cute baby! Is it weird that he's like one of my best friends??? Ya that's right, my cat is one of my BFF's. I'm totally too dependent on him. Hahaha! It's good to spend time with my fam. tho. I get to see my brother who I don't see very often & he drove home w/me too so we got some good chatting in. And, I LOVE CA! And the beach. But I guess it's not so bad being back. Other than, why does it have to be cold & rainy all week??? RUDE! :)

"Uh...that show Cops....I Love It!"

Hahahaha! I was just thinking of this movie & it makes me laugh everytime I see this part cuz that's how i'd be if that spider was on me!

TURN PLAYLIST MUSIC OFF TO WATCH THIS CLIP!

"Mrs. Peacock was a man???"

*Slap!*
*Slap!*

Hahaha! I've been sick for the last week & I totally sound like a man. At first I thought it was just a cold, but then over the weekend I figured I had a Sinus Infection. My first indication was the pain in my face, it was like an eye infection, stuffy nose & tooth ache all in one. I read up on it & I fit all the symptoms to a T. So then I thought I should get the Neti Pot out, which I did & it proceeded to do nothing, including getting through my nasal passages. I tried later that day & got a few drops through. Since then i've been doing it twice a day, sometimes successful, sometimes not. It's still around, but now it seems to have moved to my chest & now I just hack all over the place. And, when I sound like this I HATE answering the phone! They're probably like "Oh, PMC hired a new guy!" Nope it's just me. Plus, I don't like delivering payrolls either cuz it's hard to not cough & then I feel lame giving them something that they just saw me cough all over. But it's not like I wouldn't come to work! The only time I took sick days was when I had Swine Flu & that really did just about kill me (not really!). I slept for 3 days, while taking some red medicine that tasted awful. And, of course i'm not going to the Dr. That's for Wussies! But for Swine Flu I did. I really did feel bad for that! So if ya call me at work, be ready for a sexy voice surprise! :D

"Oh, she's a full on Monet"

"You see, it's like the painting. Seen from far away, it's okay; but up close, it's a big ol' mess."

One of the fashions that I can do without these days is Lace. I'll be out shopping & think "Wow! That's a really cute shirt!" And then I turn it around & it has all kind of awful gaudy lace on it. To me, it's not an everyday kind of fashion. It's either gotta be something nice or something totally trashy that a stripper would wear or Madonna in 1986. I don't mind so much lace over fabric it's the kind you can see through that bothers me. So, if you're a lace wearer & I offended you, i'm sorry, but just stop it....it's gotta go!

Thanks a lot Bob & Randy

If ya don't know Harmon's is opening it's new store in FTown on Monday. I went & saw it yesterday & it looks like a really nice store. The only thing is it's in West FTown & I know like 80% of the people who live down there & i'm not all that jazzed to "run into" them. I see enough people from school around DCo. I hate when you see someone that you weren't really friends w/in school but you know them enough to know their names & who they were friends with & they talk to you like you were bff's. "Hi! I haven't seen you forever!!!" - insert cheesy smile here. And i'm thinking...really...I'm pretty sure I didn't see you the last 2 years of school either, unless you were chillin' in the cubby. And then it's like lame small talk, like I care. And they ask things like..."Do you still hang out w/so & so?" And i'm like yes & they're all shocked cuz apparently they don't hang out w/anyone they hung out w/in school. Guess you weren't too good of friends then. AND, Harmon's is NOT in my grocery budget. Sorry Bob & Randy. I like my "Fresh Values" & my cheap gas at Marketplace. But i'll probably drop by & check it out. As for regular shopping, I don't think so.

"His Way"

I watched this movie last night & thought it was so interesting. It's about Jerry Weintraub's life. I've seen him on Chelsea Lately twice. Once for his book "When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead" (which i'm going to download from iTunes) & then again last week for this new documentary. It reminded me of The Secret a little bit cuz he said random things like "i'm going to tour with Elvis" & then just did. Without knowing him or anything. He said it, believed it & did it. And I think he was just a great self-made man. So, if you have HBO & have a chance to watch it, i'd recommend it. Plus you know I can't resist a show with Sinatra in it! :)

REMEMBER TO TURN THE PLAYLIST MUSIC OFF BEFORE WATCHING THE CLIP

"Why are you like that?"

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE PLAYLIST MUSIC TO WATCH VIDEO





"Like What?"
"Like...How you are."
Hahaha! Classic My So Called Life. I've had the song in the video above in my head for days. I know a lot of people, especially younger people only know Jared Leto as the lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars but to me he'll always be Jordan Catalano. Rarrrrr!



Aaaawwwww....So cute! I think at that moment every girl watching wanted to be Angela Chase. :)

When life gives you lemons....

Make Lemon Squares! My favorite new show on Food Network is "Dessert First" with Anne Thornton. I'm a huge fan of desserts & I like her too. She's super cute & she's not built like a bobble head like the rest of the women on that channel. She actually looks like a real woman. On Saturday she had this recipe & it looked amazing! I'm a fan of anything lemon though so my opinion might be somewhat biased. I'm going to try this out sometime this week. Hope you do too!

Luscious Lemon Squares

Recipe courtesy Anne Thornton

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 55 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 20 to 24 servings

Ingredients
Crust:

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
*

Filling:

* 6 eggs, at room temperature
* 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
* 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
* 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
*
* Raspberries, for garnish, optional

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking sheet (otherwise known as a quarter sheet pan) with some cooking spray.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or you can use a food processor), cream your butter with the sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Turn the mixer speed to low, add the flour into your butter and mix until just incorporated. (Make sure not to over-mix.) Turn the dough onto the baking sheet, flour your hands and press it out evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Pop in the fridge for an hour (or overnight) to chill.

Pop the crust in the oven and bake until a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling: While the crust is cooling, make your filling. Crack your eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Whisk until combined. Pour into the crust and spread evenly. Put back in the oven and bake until the filling is completely set, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Dust with confectioners' sugar and then cut into 20 to 24 squares to serve. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

'Y'all are stingy"

So, I don't like to complain very often but on Saturday I was at Smith's Marketplace. In the front of the building on the east side, they have a red food truck that sells hot dogs, hamburgers, chips & drinks. For a meal it's $3 & all the proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital, which I think is awesome! I was standing out front because my mom had ordered & we were waiting for her food to come off the grill & they guy was cooking & telling people that went in to order & it was for donations. A woman walking in w/2 other women leans over & says to her friends "I am NOT paying $3 for a hamburger!" all disgusted & uppity. And I don't know why I let it bother me so much...but it did. I just wanted to go & slap her & say "It's a donation! The hamburger is irrelevant you selfish biatch!" And then, I let it bother me the rest of the day. I don't like those kind of people. They're the kind that will never put their change in a change donation jar or the ones that always say no to the $1 to go to the food pantry. I personally believe that the more you give the more you receive back. And i'm not necessarily talking monetarily. I feel better when I give my time, money or any other items. But I guess to each their own.

Social Networking is EXHAUSTING!

Ok, so I recently became a member of Foursquare. And....Sorry Mindy....but I dunno if I can do it or not. Seriously, I have to update & stay current now on Foursquare, Twitter & Facebook. My Myspace page is like a ghost town & I hardly ever check in on that....I probably have 20 friend requests that sometime soon I will go "ignore" them all. I don't like how Myspace is used for marketing so much. Like for movies, new bands & clothing brands. Plus, nobody is ever updating on there so it's no fun to go look cuz it's all the same & has been for the last 6 mos. I tried to blog on my Myspace blog to go to my FB page & my Twitter cuz I thought it'd be easier to consolidate....but that didn't work so much. I know I don't HAVE to do any of them. I like FB cuz people are on the most but I don't like to add every single person that I went to Elementary, Jr. High or High School with. If we weren't friends in school...i'm probably still NOT interested in being friends. I do add people that I went to school with & wasn't friends with tho. Some of them I think were nice so i'll add them until I lose interest or they start posting things that I could care less about & then I like to "block". Hahahaha! And when did Facebook become everyones therapist???? That confuses me. Maybe it's cuz I don't like everyone to know my problems or that i'm angry or sad or PMS'ing. But whatev. So, i'm going to try to keep up on everything but Foursquare might have to get the boot & my Myspace is probably coming to an end soon too. I'm sorry Social Networking pages....i'm beat!

PS: I'm also tired of you updating about your pregnancy 5 times a day....i'm not a Dr. nor do I care about you feeling crappy or that you've gone pee 20 times today! Get over yourself...Seriously!

PPS: And Foursquare, maybe i'm not interested in being Mayor. I don't like all that responsiblity you are trying to put on me. Maybe i'm more of a City CouncilWoman or Treasurer kinda girl. :)

"Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum.....Delicioso"

Ya that's right, I just made a Dora the Explorer reference. That's how awesome I am these days. I saw this & I think i'm gonna give it a try, although I might omit the tomato cuz i'm not really a fan of fresh tomato or fresh basil. However, I'm a huge fan of Edamame!

Roasted Edamame Salad

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 12 ounces fresh or frozen shelled edamame, about 2 cups
* 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, about 2 ears of corn
* 1/4 cup finely diced scallion
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the edamame, corn, scallion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a 13 by 9 metal pan and stir to combine. Place on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the edamame begins to brown. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator until completely cool, approximately 30 minutes.

Add the tomato, basil and vinegar to the edamame mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

"Thank You For Being a Friend"

DON'T FORGET TO TURN THE PLALIST MUSIC OFF TO WATCH THE VIDEO!


Today was spa day w/3 of my favorite people in the whole wide world. If ya don't know...all of my friends are friends from "back in the day". I've known most of them since high school & a few of them from Elementary & Jr. High. I feel very lucky to still be such great friends w/them all! I LOVE that we can reference something from 1995 & we know exactly what we are talking about. Be it a movie, a song, a music video or an actual event or experience. It's awesome! And that we are still so close. When we hang out it feels like we never didn't hang out even if it's been 6mos. or so. So ya, I love ya ladies & in 30 years we will be just like the Golden Girls...sitting around talking trash & eating cheesecake! Thanks for the great day! :)

"I Love you Space Scrambler!"

I went to Lagoon on Saturday & it reminded me of all the years of going there when I was a kid & w/all my girls in Jr. High & then we kinda didn't go for a few years & now that I have nieces & nephews, we're back to it! One thing that hasn't changed is that it's still a mecca for fashion disasters. Apparently, I don't know that "Fanny Packs" are the hip thing to wear to amusement parks. And that "Crocs" are the IT shoe. BTW, I HATE those shoes. Can they be any uglier? Really? Who puts them on & looks in the mirror & thinks...Today...I am lookin' HOT! Yuck! I also saw the little skater nugs that we would try to talk to on the Sky Ride. And the WVC kinda boys that Em would be all over. Too funny! Anyway, I still have a good time there & love me a Churro & a Cherry Icee! :)

My phone is wearing the shirt that says "I'm with Stupid!"

I'm pretty sure that my phone thinks i'm stupid. I have the Blackberry Curve. It's always asking me for passwords & such. But when i'm in the car i'll try to use my voice commands so I have less of a chance of crashing into the car in front of me from pushing buttons.

Here's how our conversation goes:

Phone: Say a command...
Me: Call Marion
Phone: Did you say Call ElMatador?
Me: No
Phone: Did you say Call Malstrom Salon?
Me: No
Phone: Did you say call Mindy Chase?
Me: No!
Phone: I don't understand the command. Please try again.

So I push the button again.
Phone: Say a command...
Me: Call Marion
Phone: Did you say Call ElMatador?
Me: No
Phone: Did you say Call Malstrom Salon?
Me: No
Phone: Did you say Call Marion?
Me: Yes
Phone: Next time say Call Marion, Mobile, One
Phone: Calling Marion

And it says it so snotty too. Like you can just see it looking down at you shaking its head & putting it's nose up. It has a womans voice on it & she's so proper all the time. It makes me want to say "How about next time I slam you on the ground & you break into a million pieces!" Ah! I don't know why it irritates me so bad, but she's totally asking for trouble. :)

Loving It!

I just bought this Nail Polish at Classy Chassis in BTown. It's on the Katy Perry display. I love it! It's called Black Shatter by OPI. I did my base color in OPI La Paz-itively Hot (hot pinkish) & then used this on top. It was a little bit awkward to put on cuz it dries super quick. If you can get half of your nail in one swipe of the brush & the other half w/the other side of the brush then it works out pretty good. I wouldn't recommend trying to put full coverage on it cuz it just doesn't work & then as soon as it starts to dry it pulls away & looks like shattered glass. After that I put on a "Diamond Hard" top coat, 2 coats of that cuz I like mine super shiny & super hard. No chips for me. If my nail polish chips I feel trashy & it has to be removed immediately. I know it takes a long time to dry but for me totally worth it. So, if you happen to see this while out & about I would recommend picking it up. It looks super neat w/out having to put any kind of effort into it. :)

Tweet This!

I have 132 Followers on Twitter & I follow 188 people, mostly celebs, news channels & food blogs. I'm not sure who IS following me & why. What makes me angry is when an individual tweets 20 times a day. Who cares? I promise that nobody cares about your every move. It's like...i'm awake, i'm in the car, i'm eating lunch, i'm bored....blah, blah, blah. I don't update mine very often. Maybe a few times a week, if that. I know a few of my followers but most of them i've never met. I do think it's cool though that Salt Lake Places likes to re-tweet my entries. And i'm listed as a Downtown Fav. Yay! I go back & read mine & it's like lame. But if you're reading them & enjoying them then hey...have at it. :)

"Don't Look Puppy!"

Adam & Steve is on this weekend on Logo so I just thought i'd share one of the best parts on it! You know you love the gay cowboy dance-off! :)

REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE VOLUME ON THE PLAYLIST!

Wakey, wakey, Eggs & Bakey!

On Tuesday I went to the new Whole Foods at Trolley & they had all kinds of yummy samples around & I tried this cereal & I like it a lot! The guy who was doing the little demonstration was this guy named Dee's grandson & he told us all about it, so I just thought i'd share it with you guys. It's full of grains & nuts & a few raisins. I I think it also has Quinoa in it too. You make it the same way you would oatmeal w/a 2:1 ratio. I use Almond Milk & a little bit of brown sugar to sweeten it. If you're interested it's in the freezer section at Whole Foods & needs to be stored in the fridge.

LINK:
www.deescereal.com

Thanks guys! :)

Counting the Days!

Every May my family goes to Oceanside/San Diego for a week & i'm so anxious to go! I'm ready to get outta here! If you're interested in looking here is the link to our house!

Copy & Paste link:

http://sandiego.beachfrontonly.com/Unit.mvc/Details/26133

Only about 2 more months! :)

"There aint no party like my Nana's tea party. Hey! Ho!"

I LOVE the Flight of the Conchords. B, posted "You Don't have to be a Prostitute" on FB today so I thought i'd share some of my fav. songs from them!

DON'T FORGET THE TURN OFF THE MUSIC ON THE PLAYLIST BELOW!




This one is probably my fav!




I heart Jermaine!




Hahaha! :D




And of course I had to post this for Biggs!

I can do without...

Guess what? I HATE these stickers! I don't care that you have 15 people in your family & 4 animals. If they cover up more than half of your rear window the only thing I think is that poor woman. Not cuz she has that many kids...but because she had to literally have that many kids. That can't feel good. Who knows what kind of disaster area that left behind. The ones I don't mind are the flip-flops, the turtles & the Hibiscus flowers. The ones I absolutely dislike are the ones with the Disney Mickey ears & shirts. Not cool. And double not cool if it's a man driving around in this awfully decorated car. To me that ranks up there with the 40 year old men who have Pooh Bear stuffed animals staring at me at a stop light. Yes I see you...Hello Eeyore. Yuck! Please stop it Soccer Moms!

YUM!

I made these this morning cuz I didn't have to be to work until 10:00 & I dyed the sugar green for our pre-St. Pat's Day parade week. I always try to get the kids all excited for events or holidays so this week is green week & then we'll finish it off w/the parade. These cookies are delicious & my tummy is kinda pissed off cuz I ate too many of them & probably gained a lb. or 2 cuz you use a whole lot of butter for them!

Shortbread or Short Dough Cookies

1 lb. Butter
1 1/4 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
6 C. Flour, sifted

Cream all ingredients together & mix well. Roll dough out 1/3 inch thick & cut w/various cutters.

Bake at 375 for 12-15min.

I didn't do the last part. I just rolled them into balls in my hand & slightly flattened them out. First rolling them in Sugar...green sugar. And I cooked mine for 15 so they got that crumbly shortbread consistency.

Hope you try them out!

Ginger Tea Recipe

So, I usually don't like things that have the word "Ginger" in their names. As I think most people don't! LOL! But here is a recipe that I wanted to share w/you guys that I think is a great tea & has amazing health benefits. Remember a couple years ago when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis & I could hardly move or function? I had to take Anti-Inflammatory pills in combo with Pain Killers & Tylenol multiple times a day to get through an actual day comfortably. I found this recipe on some natural sight & read it in my Nutritional Healing Book (one of my very favorite books of all time!). If you don't know about ginger it helps w/everything! You can read about it on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger)

A few recommendations first. I would only buy ginger at Whole Foods or a natural organic store. I buy mine at Whole Foods. Have you seen the ginger root they have at a regular grocery store? It's disturbing. Nothing should be pumped full of that much growth hormone & get that large & in charge. I don't know about you but I don't like any of my food genetically altered. So, after all my rambling here is the recipe.

GINGER TEA:

1 Tbsp. of Ginger Root, finely grated or chopped
2 C. Boiling Water
Honey or Agave, to taste

First grate your Ginger or chop finely. Pour boiling water over ginger & let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the ginger out of the tea into a separate cup. Put in honey or Agave to desired sweetness.

That's it! Super easy! I like mine pretty strong so I use less water, only 1 3/4 C. instead of 2 C. But you can adjust to your own liking.

After I tried this tea, I cut way down on all my pills & could actually get out of bed in the morning. I'm super grateful that I amazed my Dr. & got over it. It's completely gone & he can't figure out what was going on w/me even after all the tests, x-ray's & exams. I hope this can help some of you or if not help it's a delicious drink.

I also have a recipe for Ginger Pear Punch that I will post at a different time!

Sucks to be Me!

I HATE it when I totally screw up at work! Today is one of those kinda days. At work i'm in charge of initiating everyone's Direct Deposits & yesterday we had like 50 of them for 3 different companies & I did to the DD's but I accidentally made them effective for Monday instead of today. So, my first thought was great, now I have to go to the bank cash out $10,000 & drive around to all the different banks. But it wouldn't be just me. my mom, my bro & my sister would have to do the exact same thing cuz it was a ton of people. And then I felt sick to my stomach, like I was going to throw up. My mom & sister were nice enough to call the 3 employers & tell them what happened, kind of, & told them that if anyone HAD to have money we could put cash in their accounts or wire transfer it over. Thankfully, only 3 people needed $. So my day is ending up pretty good. I just hate when I do something wrong though & it effects everyone. It's not so bad when it's just me. Oh well, I guess we all screw up sometimes. :)