Waiting Room

Right now i'm in the surgery waiting room at St. Mark's Hospital. The chairs are just as uncomfortable as I remember. They have put a tv in here now, but I might as well be staring into space bored out of my mind because "Regis & Kelly" is on. It's about time Regis retired! Thanks to my sister I brought my laptop & she was nice enough to bring me some breakfast from McD's. My mom has been in surgery now for 1hour & 45minutes. I got a call from the nurse who said she was doing great & if she was still in surgery in an hour they'd call back & let me know how everything is going. Waiting is the worst! At least the company in here is somewhat entertaining. 3 people walked in earlier when we did & my dad said "I thought they were drunk when they walked in", hahahaha! At least they quieted down. There's another family here that might be a little mentally challenged...they keep having loud outburtsts. Um, ok. I might have to go visit those vending machines in the next room & get me some chocolate. You know chocolate always makes ya feel better. Or maybe that's just me. It really doesn't take a lot to make me happy! LOL! Ok, so I know this was a random, rambly post...but thanks for reading it anyway...i'm just trying to pass time. :)

The Stay-Puft Marshmallow (Wo)Man

Do you ever have those days when you feel puffy/fat? Today is one of those days for me. I felt like it when I woke up so while I was in the bathroom I was dreading stepping on the scale cuz I just knew it was going to be bad news! Luckily, I was 2.5lbs. less than the last time I weighed, which is about once a week. So I mentally felt better but physically was feeling not so great. On these kind of days I try on about 10 shirts & of course they all feel & look wrong. So I decided on a plain black v-neck T. Isn't that weird? Some days I can try on a shirt & feel like I look like the bomb.com! Do you think you really do look worse on that day or is it all in your head??? I know some days I am actually physically bigger cuz my jeans tell me so. But today that wasn't the case. At least i'm having a good hair day! :)

Game-Day Dip!

I've been looking for some new recipes to try out for Super Bowl. I usually make a cheese ball but that's old news. So, this year I think i'm gonna try out this recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip! I LOVE Artichokes!

Creamy Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Ingredients

* 8 cups fresh spinach
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 lemon, zest finely grated
* 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
* 6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) Parmesan, freshly grated, divided
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon bottled cayenne pepper sauce
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Serving suggestion: Pita Chips, for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside

Blanch spinach. Squeeze excess water.

In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, garlic and lemon zest. Add artichoke hearts, 1-cup Parmesan, sour cream, mayonnaise and cayenne pepper sauce. Mix. Place into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. The last 5 minutes add the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan to the top. Serve hot or cold along with pita chip

"There is no such thing as Natural Beauty" -Truvy (Steel Magnolias)

I just wanted to share what I think are the best hair products. Probably not for everyone cuz we all have different styles & kinds of hair. Mine is very thick...too thick! Every 5 weeks I have my fav. hairstylist Jessica @ Malstrom Salon cuz at least 1/3 of my hair out cuz it gets way too bulky & heavy. Ugh, you have no idea how hot my head gets, summer or winter! So, here are my 3 favorite things!

First is definitely my Chi flat iron! I could not be without it. I blow dry my hair with my head upside down so if I didn't have my flat iron it would be all crazy. Plus it gets rid of any fly aways or crazy ends. And I also like that you can get some pretty good curls otu of it if you angle it right!

Second would totally have to be my Aveda Brilliant Hair Pomade! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about this stuff. I love the smell, the texture & that it doesn't weigh down your hair like a lot of pomades. Plus, it doesn't make your hair look or feel greasy. Love it!

And, finally I saved the best for last....ta da da da....my teasing comb!!! I could not get a bump=it look without it. I've been asked several times if i'm wearing a bump-it, which by the way I would have no idea where to even get one...Walgreenks maybe??? They seem to have all that kind of randomness. So no, I don't own a Bump-It but I would highly recommend a teasing comb. You know I like to rock the bump like my name is Snooki. :)

The Founding Fathers

I thought this "New Rule" by Bill was hilarious!!!

DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE PLAYLIST BELOW TO WATCH THIS CLIP! :)

Jan. 14, 2011 Clip - New Rule: Founding Fathers

The BEST soup recipe!

This is my favorite soup recipe! I'm pretty sure it's all the butter. So, if you have some extra time I would suggest trying it out! It's delicious. The only thing I don't like about making it is it uses so many dishes! I don't really follow the recipe either, I probably double or triple the veggies & I usually use more chicken stock than is said. A lot of recipes I don't measure tho, I just do "abouts". LOL!

Another thing is I cook my veggies for a longer time cuz I don't like them to be crunchy.

Chef Jack's Corn Chowder
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

8 to 10 servings.
Ingredients:
•1 cup (2 sticks) butter
•1 small onion, diced
•1 small carrot, finely diced
•1 small celery stalk, diced
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•3 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen
•3 cups chicken stock
•2 cups half-and-half
•Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, combine the corn and chicken stock in another saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock with the corn (a little at a time) into the saucepan with the roux, whisking briskly so it doesn't lump. Return the skillet to the heat and bring to a boil. The mixture should become very thick.

In a small saucepan, gently heat the half-and-half; stir it into the thick corn mixture. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Just before serving, cut the remaining stick of butter into large chunks. Add it to enrich the soup, stirring until the butter melts.

A Girl With a Hat is SO Vogue!

So this post isn't about hats, it's about skinny jeans. I think the skinny jeans look is so cute! Especially with boots! However, I don't think they are for everyone....including myself. I've tried many a skinny jean on, thinking that this time it'll be different, but it's not. I'm not sure why, it's probably my height, but they make my body look ginormous, like an orange on 2 toothpicks! Which is kinda weird, cuz I think I look ok in leggings. They're almost the same fit, right??? I guess i'll remain a bootcut kinda girl. :)

Another look that I CANNOT rock is the belt. I've tried them & again my body type is not the right shape. I know they say the bigger girls (I know, i'm not a skinny bitch) should try the belt cuz it defines a waist but what happens when I have a belt on & my "so called" waist squishes over the edges of it??? Not cute. EEEEeeewww!

So,although I can't wear these looks, I try my best cuz one thing that Stacy & Clinton (from "What Not to Wear") have taught me is that I deserve to look my best no matter what size I am! :)

Big Love for Bill!

I'm a big fan of Big Love & i'm sad that this is going to be the last season.  I love that they know Utah so well & put a lot of things into the show that only Utahans would know.  I know everyone thinks this is Bill Paxton's best character (why is everyone discounting Twister???  LOL!), but my favorite role that he has done has to be this...

BEFORE WATCHING REMEMBER TO PAUSE THE MUSIC BELOW!!! :)