I seem to have inspiration all around me lately.
Yesterday my friend (and future sister-in-law) Kheri ran in a triathlon! She has been running and biking and working out with a kettlebell. She looks amazing and seems to be really happy with it. Every time I see her I am inspired to get off my butt and DO SOMETHING. (Now if only I could find the SOMETHING that I could stick with for more than a few days I will be golden - more on that later).
While Kheri "swim bike run"ed... I got to hang out with my nephew all morning and some of the afternoon (because I volunteered to keep him so she could rest after the race). Talk about inspiration! This kid never fails to amaze me. He requires lots of attention and supervision but it never feels like work. He is smart and adorable and so sweet. (I wuvyoubye!) I know our children will LOOK nothing like this toeheaded nephew of mine, but I can certainly hope they will be as cute/fun/smart as him!
I am even feeling so inspired lately, I feel like being artistic! Yesterday I found a picture I drew a couple of years ago that was pretty cool. Now, I'm not a great artist. I took a drawing class and became maybe mediocre at best. But the picture was cool and I'd like to buy some oil pastels and continue with the idea!
And next month I get to do a "guest post" on my friend Stacie's blog. My first instinct was to write about sharks, but I will be kind and find a more appropriate topic. :)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Missing Hot Dog
I wasn't feeling like doing much when I got home last night, so I made us a hodgepodge for dinner. Left over mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, hot dogs, and I threw in a few fish sticks for Bobby in case the rest wasn't enough.
When I called Bobby in to eat "dinner" he was busy out in the garage with his motorcycle, so I just left his plate sitting on the counter and sat down to eat myself.
After we were done eating he looked at my plate and said, "Hey! You had bread? I didn't get bread!" I looked at him like he was a MORON and said, "Yeah you did. With your hotdog". He told me he didn't remember having a hotdog and I assured him that he had,and that he must have just snarfed it down so fast he didn't remember. We joked about him huffing too much paint in the garage and losing brain cells.
Right before I went to bed Bobby comes walking into our room with a soggy but uneaten hotdog bun in his hands! Where was it? Under the counter! One of our mangy mutts very delicately stole the hotdog off his plate (without disturbing anything else)!! And then I had the poor guy convinced he was just forgetful!!
Good thing he has a good sense of humor (and lots of other stuff to eat for dinner!)
When I called Bobby in to eat "dinner" he was busy out in the garage with his motorcycle, so I just left his plate sitting on the counter and sat down to eat myself.
After we were done eating he looked at my plate and said, "Hey! You had bread? I didn't get bread!" I looked at him like he was a MORON and said, "Yeah you did. With your hotdog". He told me he didn't remember having a hotdog and I assured him that he had,and that he must have just snarfed it down so fast he didn't remember. We joked about him huffing too much paint in the garage and losing brain cells.
Right before I went to bed Bobby comes walking into our room with a soggy but uneaten hotdog bun in his hands! Where was it? Under the counter! One of our mangy mutts very delicately stole the hotdog off his plate (without disturbing anything else)!! And then I had the poor guy convinced he was just forgetful!!
Good thing he has a good sense of humor (and lots of other stuff to eat for dinner!)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Hamburger pie
I've been feeling pretty uncreative about food lately. In fact this week we've eaten out like 3 times, which is A LOT for us.
So today instead of making my good ole standby; tacos... I dug through my cookbooks looking for something different. I saw "hamburger pie", which looked pretty awesome in theory... But WHOA! when you look at the ingredients it's a little scary! Ground beef, mashed potatoes with butter and milk, canned everything, cheese... Just a little more than I could handle.
So I took the basic premise and reworked the recipe to suit me. It's got about 1/4 of the fat, 1/8 of the salt, and I even added a little nutritional value. I'm still going to call it "hamburger pie" even though it's pretty much completely different!
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
6-8 medium sized gold potatoes (I used more and have leftover)
1/2 an onion (i used red, although I think any onion would work)
a few cloves of garlic
fresh peas, green beans, tomatoes.... anything else that sounds yummy to toss in
canned corn (i suppose you could use fresh corn too, but that sounds like a lot of work)
1/2 can cambell's tomato soup (i used the low sodium kind)
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
dash salt
1 egg
1 cup milk (i used non fat)
Start with boiling the potatoes. While those boil, dice the onion and a clove or two of garlic -brown the turkey with it. When it's cooked add the 1/2 can of tomato soup and whatever veggies you're tossing in. (I also added some hot sauce at this point but don't think it's necessary) Set this mixture aside.
When the potatoes are soft drain them and put them into a bowl. Press a few fresh cloves of garlic into the hot potatoes then mash them a few times with a fork or a pastry blender (leave them pretty lumpy).
What I did next was mix the meat and potatoes together. But you could also layer them into a casserole dish; meat mixture on the bottom, then a layer of potatoes. I think it's just a question of style. :)
On top of my meat/potato mixture I sprinkled a teency bit of grated cheddar cheese.
Then mix the corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, egg, and milk together and spoon in over the top of the casserole
Bake at 375 until the "crust" is golden brown (about 20-30 mins).
I just ate it for dinner and it's pretty darn tasty. I'm willing to bet my version is just as good (if not better!) than betty crocker's ridiculously unhealthy version!
So today instead of making my good ole standby; tacos... I dug through my cookbooks looking for something different. I saw "hamburger pie", which looked pretty awesome in theory... But WHOA! when you look at the ingredients it's a little scary! Ground beef, mashed potatoes with butter and milk, canned everything, cheese... Just a little more than I could handle.
So I took the basic premise and reworked the recipe to suit me. It's got about 1/4 of the fat, 1/8 of the salt, and I even added a little nutritional value. I'm still going to call it "hamburger pie" even though it's pretty much completely different!
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
6-8 medium sized gold potatoes (I used more and have leftover)
1/2 an onion (i used red, although I think any onion would work)
a few cloves of garlic
fresh peas, green beans, tomatoes.... anything else that sounds yummy to toss in
canned corn (i suppose you could use fresh corn too, but that sounds like a lot of work)
1/2 can cambell's tomato soup (i used the low sodium kind)
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
dash salt
1 egg
1 cup milk (i used non fat)
Start with boiling the potatoes. While those boil, dice the onion and a clove or two of garlic -brown the turkey with it. When it's cooked add the 1/2 can of tomato soup and whatever veggies you're tossing in. (I also added some hot sauce at this point but don't think it's necessary) Set this mixture aside.
When the potatoes are soft drain them and put them into a bowl. Press a few fresh cloves of garlic into the hot potatoes then mash them a few times with a fork or a pastry blender (leave them pretty lumpy).
What I did next was mix the meat and potatoes together. But you could also layer them into a casserole dish; meat mixture on the bottom, then a layer of potatoes. I think it's just a question of style. :)
On top of my meat/potato mixture I sprinkled a teency bit of grated cheddar cheese.
Then mix the corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, egg, and milk together and spoon in over the top of the casserole
Bake at 375 until the "crust" is golden brown (about 20-30 mins).
I just ate it for dinner and it's pretty darn tasty. I'm willing to bet my version is just as good (if not better!) than betty crocker's ridiculously unhealthy version!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Va-voom!
Yesterday I finally had the wedding dress shopping experience I've been hoping for. I actually had great customer service. Nobody called me fat. AND, I found the dress of my dreams... in my price range! What more could a girl ask for?!?
My friend (and one of the bridesmaids) Stacie took me to a place she'd been to in Lodi called Casa Gonzales. It's a teeny little shop owned by a mother and daughter. The daughter Sandra helped us out. She was pretty amazing. There were TONS of gowns for me to choose from (that fit me!), and after talking to me for only a short time she had a pretty excellent idea of what I might like and what would look good on me. She also stayed within my budget (which is pretty amazing from what I've heard about bridal shops).
I tried on 5 or 6 dresses and found two that I was really fond of. Then she put a dress in front of me and I said, "Hey, did I pick this one out?" and she laughed and said it wasn't one that I had picked out, it was one she thought I'd like. I put the dress on and stepped out in front of the mirror....
WHAM! I felt like a cross between Cinderella and Jessica Rabbit! Va-voom! I still can't believe it. I couldn't stop touching the bead work, or smoothing the dress down my curves! It is so perfect - it's completely unique, it's billowy and princessy, it's sexy, it's PERFECT!
I didn't have even the slightest desire to try any other dresses on. It's within the budget I set for myself (just barely) and it is SO my dress.
When I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the mirror and bring myself to take my dress off, I talked to Sandra about bridesmaid dresses and Stacie tried on a cute little number that goes beautifully with my dress and comes in the perfect colors! Now I just have to get my mom (when she's back from Hawaii) and Kheri (my other bridesmaid) to go out to Lodi with me (SOON) to see my gorgeous dress, and possibly our bridesmaids dresses!
My friend (and one of the bridesmaids) Stacie took me to a place she'd been to in Lodi called Casa Gonzales. It's a teeny little shop owned by a mother and daughter. The daughter Sandra helped us out. She was pretty amazing. There were TONS of gowns for me to choose from (that fit me!), and after talking to me for only a short time she had a pretty excellent idea of what I might like and what would look good on me. She also stayed within my budget (which is pretty amazing from what I've heard about bridal shops).
I tried on 5 or 6 dresses and found two that I was really fond of. Then she put a dress in front of me and I said, "Hey, did I pick this one out?" and she laughed and said it wasn't one that I had picked out, it was one she thought I'd like. I put the dress on and stepped out in front of the mirror....
WHAM! I felt like a cross between Cinderella and Jessica Rabbit! Va-voom! I still can't believe it. I couldn't stop touching the bead work, or smoothing the dress down my curves! It is so perfect - it's completely unique, it's billowy and princessy, it's sexy, it's PERFECT!
I didn't have even the slightest desire to try any other dresses on. It's within the budget I set for myself (just barely) and it is SO my dress.
When I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the mirror and bring myself to take my dress off, I talked to Sandra about bridesmaid dresses and Stacie tried on a cute little number that goes beautifully with my dress and comes in the perfect colors! Now I just have to get my mom (when she's back from Hawaii) and Kheri (my other bridesmaid) to go out to Lodi with me (SOON) to see my gorgeous dress, and possibly our bridesmaids dresses!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
House of... what?
I went to the House of Fashion outlet today. The lady I talked to was rude and insulting. I will definitely be going somewhere else to get my dream dress. :) Here's the yelp review I left for the house of jerks....
My experience at the House of Fashion Outlet was not good. I walked in without an appointment - totally understanding that I probably wasn't going to get a lot of attention from the employees there. What I did not expect was to be treated rudely, and insulted!
I followed the "come on up!" sign and walked upstairs and started browsing. A woman came out and asked me about my wedding date, and my dress size. When I told her that I was a 14 she wrinkled her nose, and said, "I don't have many in THAT size". She waved her hand at a small rack and informed me those were the only 16-18's that she had. I told her that I was a 14 in WEDDING dresses, and that I did not intend to get any bigger, laughing and sort of making a joke out of my discomfort. Then she made a comment about keeping at the diet and exercise and walked out of the room.
OKAY - I am aware that I am a big girl. But I do not expect to be treated poorly because of that... especially by a sales person in a store where I was intending to spend a few hundred dollars!!!
I went home and ate a salad. And tomorrow I will be taking my (and my bridesmaids... which will probably add up to over $1000 worth of business!) elsewhere!
My experience at the House of Fashion Outlet was not good. I walked in without an appointment - totally understanding that I probably wasn't going to get a lot of attention from the employees there. What I did not expect was to be treated rudely, and insulted!
I followed the "come on up!" sign and walked upstairs and started browsing. A woman came out and asked me about my wedding date, and my dress size. When I told her that I was a 14 she wrinkled her nose, and said, "I don't have many in THAT size". She waved her hand at a small rack and informed me those were the only 16-18's that she had. I told her that I was a 14 in WEDDING dresses, and that I did not intend to get any bigger, laughing and sort of making a joke out of my discomfort. Then she made a comment about keeping at the diet and exercise and walked out of the room.
OKAY - I am aware that I am a big girl. But I do not expect to be treated poorly because of that... especially by a sales person in a store where I was intending to spend a few hundred dollars!!!
I went home and ate a salad. And tomorrow I will be taking my (and my bridesmaids... which will probably add up to over $1000 worth of business!) elsewhere!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Lean on Me
Did you know that the song "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers makes me cry every single time I hear it? It's true.
I was thinking about songs that matter to me. (Okay I'll admit it - it's because I was watching Glee... So what?!) Anyway "Lean on Me" is one of the big one. First off, it's one of the songs I remember my mom playing when I was a kid. Then when I was in Basic Training a girl named Hart... she had a heart-achingly beautiful voice (i commented once and she said, "Of course I can sing, Scott... Didn't yer mama tell you all black people can sing?" hehe then she laughed at me...) on really rough days, a few of us would sit in the "latrine" together at night and cry, and talk, and Hart would sing to us. She sang this song often.
It still means a lot to me. If I had a beautiful voice, it would be my signature ballad. I would sing it to the people I love. Well I don't have what you (or probably anyone, haha!) would call a beautiful voice, but the sentiment is still there.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me
So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Lean on me...
I was thinking about songs that matter to me. (Okay I'll admit it - it's because I was watching Glee... So what?!) Anyway "Lean on Me" is one of the big one. First off, it's one of the songs I remember my mom playing when I was a kid. Then when I was in Basic Training a girl named Hart... she had a heart-achingly beautiful voice (i commented once and she said, "Of course I can sing, Scott... Didn't yer mama tell you all black people can sing?" hehe then she laughed at me...) on really rough days, a few of us would sit in the "latrine" together at night and cry, and talk, and Hart would sing to us. She sang this song often.
It still means a lot to me. If I had a beautiful voice, it would be my signature ballad. I would sing it to the people I love. Well I don't have what you (or probably anyone, haha!) would call a beautiful voice, but the sentiment is still there.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me
So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Lean on me...
Monday, August 2, 2010
A weekend of Lucas
Our baby nephew came for a visit this weekend while his parents hiked Half Dome in Yosemite.
He's a few months shy of his second birthday and the kid is amazing! He talks your ear off, he's potty training himself, he's a very good boy (of course he does have a stubborn streak, and his "testing my boundaries" moments), and I had a blast with him!
Chris and Kheri picked him up about 4 on Sunday and at first I was relieved to have a break, and be able to clean my house! But after about an hour my house was clean, I didn't feel tired anymore... And it was WAY too quiet here! His constant happy babble filled our house for two days and now that it's gone the house feels too empty!
He loves his uncle Bobby and every time we pulled into the driveway he said, "Oh Bobby house!" and when Bobby left for work he would say, "Oh Bobby? Bobby? Bobby?" several times throughout the day! He also loves uncle Bobby's motorcycle (although the sound of it scares him) and he wanted to look out the window and would say, "Bobby cycle!"
He also loved this picture and would give me my phone and say, "cycle me?" asking to see it.
We went to Macy's and Miz Miz bought him a cute new outfit. It's a good thing we didn't stay very long, she may have bought the entire baby department! When we went grocery shopping later, I put him in the new outfit so I could take a picture for Miz.
At the store we were walking past the beer aisle and Lucas started saying, "Oh BEER!" very loudly! Several people gave me funny looks. I was cracking up. You can say something in front of this kid ONE TIME and he will remember it forever!
We didn't get to go to the pool party as I'd hoped, so instead we went outside and played in the sprinkler. I think he had fun anyway!
I actually have about 60 pictures from the weekend - I've restrained myself from posting them all! We had a nice weekend and although it was definitely tiring, I'm looking forward to September when we get to have BOTH of the nephews!
He's a few months shy of his second birthday and the kid is amazing! He talks your ear off, he's potty training himself, he's a very good boy (of course he does have a stubborn streak, and his "testing my boundaries" moments), and I had a blast with him!
Chris and Kheri picked him up about 4 on Sunday and at first I was relieved to have a break, and be able to clean my house! But after about an hour my house was clean, I didn't feel tired anymore... And it was WAY too quiet here! His constant happy babble filled our house for two days and now that it's gone the house feels too empty!
He loves his uncle Bobby and every time we pulled into the driveway he said, "Oh Bobby house!" and when Bobby left for work he would say, "Oh Bobby? Bobby? Bobby?" several times throughout the day! He also loves uncle Bobby's motorcycle (although the sound of it scares him) and he wanted to look out the window and would say, "Bobby cycle!"
We went to Macy's and Miz Miz bought him a cute new outfit. It's a good thing we didn't stay very long, she may have bought the entire baby department! When we went grocery shopping later, I put him in the new outfit so I could take a picture for Miz.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
