"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years." -Mark Twain
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
100th Post - Part 1
Wow! Can't believe I've made it to my 100th post. Who knew I had so much to talk about? I've heard that it's customary to list 100 things about yourself for this milestone, but even I don't want to read 100 random facts about my life in one sitting, so I'm breaking it up into 4 posts. Here's #1:
1. My favorite color is red. I hadn't given my favorite color any thought in years, but settled on red when Reese insisted I have one.
2. I first kissed a boy 6th grade. In 5th grade, I opted to kiss the ground rather than the boy (truth or dare)!
3. I make salsa every summer with tomatoes/peppers from my own garden. T won't eat any from the store anymore. For a man who hates tomatoes, he sure loves my salsa!
4. My first conversation with T was on the phone and lasted 5 hours. We went out that weekend!
5. I don't think I have an accent, but get comments about it when I talk on the phone to people from other states.
6. I'm left handed, but use scissors like a righty.
7. I have one brother and one sister...but never hear from my brother.
8. I was born in Guam - so I have dual citizenship (even though Guam is a US Territory).
9. I'm the middle child.
10. I was the catcher on my softball team even though I was the smallest girl on the team. I quit when the coach decided he wanted to try someone a little heftier behind the plate.
11. I played basketball in high school. Back then, girls played half court and I was a forward. That sentence sounds pretty dorky!
12. Growing up, we occasionally had hide-and-seek casserole for dinner. My Mom would say that our dinner was hidden somewhere in the kitchen - whatever we found was what we were having! At the time I thought it was lame, but now it's a cherished memory.
13. I don't eat blueberries. I got sick on them once as a kid and haven't had one since.
14. I do eat hotdogs even though I got sick on them once as a kid too.
15. I like to try recipes with names I think are cool: paella, ratatouille, cioppino - you get the drift - I secretly think saying I made xxxxx for dinner makes me sound like a gourmet chef.
16. Our cross country coach lied to us before our first "meet" and told us we just had to run 1 mile when in actuality the course was 3 miles.
17. I went to a park to tan (in college)...got my car stuck in the mud trying to drive across the park to the tennis court so I could listen to the radio while I "tanned". I was by myself and cell phones didn't exist yet, so I had to run 5 miles to get back to campus. It was the 1st time I ever ran 5 miles.
18. I've lived in Oklahoma since I was 10 years old.
19. I am not a collector of anything. At least I wasn't until T came along. I innocently bought a dragonfly once and now my kitchen is full of them (I get one EVERY Christmas!)
20. I chose not to find out whether Reese was a girl or boy before she was born. Everyone at work was convinced I was having a boy...fooled them didn't we?
21. I ran a half marathon in November 2009. Didn't stop to walk one time (not even at water stations).
22. I can remember where I was when Elvis died (even though I was too young to be a fan).
23. My parents got divorced in 1981 - back when it wasn't common for parents to do that. My 7th grade English teacher wanted to interview me for her Master's thesis - "Kids of Divorce" - I declined the invite.
24. I had never been to a circus before taking Reese last year.
25. One of my favorite books growing up was "Are you there God, It's Me Margaret" by Judy Bloom. Taught me a lot that my Mom never did.
Any interest in knowing more about one of my first 25? Let me know and I'll expound.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
10 on Tuesday
Hop on board with Marla at The Chronicles of Marla for 10 on Tuesday...
1. My boss wants me to have a work phone, so I'm transferring my personal line over to the business. AT&T said it costs $18 to transfer the financial responsibility unless the change is made online. Problem is the only option online is to transfer from an individual to an individual. I talked to the rep for at least 20 minutes while she tried to figure out how I could make the transfer to a corporation online. Wouldn't it have cost AT&T less in wasted time if they'd just made an exception and done the transfer "in person" and waived the $18? She was not able to help me and I ended up talking to another rep in another department to get the transfer done - she waived the fee.
2. Is anyone still playing games on Facebook? I was totally hooked in Farmville for several months - T thought it was crazy and would tease me about "checking my crops", but I gave it up a while back when I switched over to Frontierville. Now, it too is losing it's luster. I'm just not so sure how important it is to keep my virtual homestead free of weeds when I should be keeping the real one that way.
3. My co-worker recently diagnosed with cancer...is now cancer free! Surgery removed all the cancer and she has been released of any further treatment. Can I get a hallelujah please? Not often enough that we get the good news.
4. Easter was great (except all the rain put a damper on our egg hunt extravaganza!). We had to hunt eggs in my MIL's living room. She didn't want us to use real eggs, you know, in case one turned up "missing", so we hunted empty plastic eggs! Amazingly, we found them all :)
5. We were going to get Reese a bike for Easter, but then I read Melissa's post last Tuesday - her husband asked when Easter had become Christmas. I couldn't get that out of my head. I tend to have more gifts or gift ideas for Reese than we have holidays. I may be sending the wrong message by allowing her to believe she'll receive something big for every holiday. So, I skipped the bike. Will she still get one for summer? Absolutely, but I'm thinking I'll have her "earn" it instead of just "getting" it. May be more fun that way anyway. She can learn that doing chores pays off and I get some help picking up around the house...too bad 4 year olds can't be trusted with chemicals or I'd totally have her on toilet duty!! (just kidding)
6. In case you've never heard this before, Reese and I make it a practice to eat out when T is out of town. We've been trying to eat "cheaply" because we're in saving money for the new house mode. Anyway, we decided to go to Santa Fe steakhouse because I knew I could get a club sandwich with fries for $6.99 and Reese could get any number of kids meals for $2.49 including a drink. Imagine my surprise to see that kids meals are now either $3.49 or $3.99 and no longer include a drink! Now, I understand that a business needs to make money, but if you get the kid meal and pay for a kid size drink ($1.89), their prices have increased 116-136% in one shot! Our "cheap" meal cost $17 after we'd left a tip...goodbye Santa Fe steakhouse. We will miss your cinnamon butter and delicious rolls, but not your new prices!
7. Does anyone buy Orville Reddenbacher microwave popcorn? I love the kettle corn, but don't love that every.single.bag bursts before the popcorn is done popping, thus leaving me with 1) a microwave full of popcorn and 2) way too many unpopped kernals which I then don't get to eat. I've thought about contacting Orville's people, but always forget until the next time it happens. I'm going to do it now.
8. Ok, with that done, I learned two things. 1) Redenbacher only has one d...who knew? and 2) they have the coolest new product called the pop up bowl. The bag transforms to a bowl while popping and you rip off the top when it's done and enjoy your popcorn right out of the bag/bowl. That may very well have solved my whole complaint in #7, except for one thing...the new pop up bowl doesn't come in kettle corn!
9. UPDATE: Orville's people got back with me...they say the matter is being taken seriously and has been passed on to the quality assurance team. I'm sure it will be solved by the time I buy my next box. They're sending me some coupons - maybe they'll be for the new pop up bowl! I'll keep you posted.
10. Reese said she wanted to go to Burger King to eat last night after gymnastics. We've never been there, so I have no idea why she picked it (other than we were driving by). I tried to dissuade her by saying, they don't have toys there, but it didn't work. She said, "oh, yes they do". I asked how she would know since we've never been there. She said, "I saw it on tv. They said, only at Burger King". Smarty pants was right...they had toys and she got a mood ring. It said I was "cheerful" and she was "strong".
That's all I've got today...
1. My boss wants me to have a work phone, so I'm transferring my personal line over to the business. AT&T said it costs $18 to transfer the financial responsibility unless the change is made online. Problem is the only option online is to transfer from an individual to an individual. I talked to the rep for at least 20 minutes while she tried to figure out how I could make the transfer to a corporation online. Wouldn't it have cost AT&T less in wasted time if they'd just made an exception and done the transfer "in person" and waived the $18? She was not able to help me and I ended up talking to another rep in another department to get the transfer done - she waived the fee.
2. Is anyone still playing games on Facebook? I was totally hooked in Farmville for several months - T thought it was crazy and would tease me about "checking my crops", but I gave it up a while back when I switched over to Frontierville. Now, it too is losing it's luster. I'm just not so sure how important it is to keep my virtual homestead free of weeds when I should be keeping the real one that way.
3. My co-worker recently diagnosed with cancer...is now cancer free! Surgery removed all the cancer and she has been released of any further treatment. Can I get a hallelujah please? Not often enough that we get the good news.
4. Easter was great (except all the rain put a damper on our egg hunt extravaganza!). We had to hunt eggs in my MIL's living room. She didn't want us to use real eggs, you know, in case one turned up "missing", so we hunted empty plastic eggs! Amazingly, we found them all :)
5. We were going to get Reese a bike for Easter, but then I read Melissa's post last Tuesday - her husband asked when Easter had become Christmas. I couldn't get that out of my head. I tend to have more gifts or gift ideas for Reese than we have holidays. I may be sending the wrong message by allowing her to believe she'll receive something big for every holiday. So, I skipped the bike. Will she still get one for summer? Absolutely, but I'm thinking I'll have her "earn" it instead of just "getting" it. May be more fun that way anyway. She can learn that doing chores pays off and I get some help picking up around the house...too bad 4 year olds can't be trusted with chemicals or I'd totally have her on toilet duty!! (just kidding)
6. In case you've never heard this before, Reese and I make it a practice to eat out when T is out of town. We've been trying to eat "cheaply" because we're in saving money for the new house mode. Anyway, we decided to go to Santa Fe steakhouse because I knew I could get a club sandwich with fries for $6.99 and Reese could get any number of kids meals for $2.49 including a drink. Imagine my surprise to see that kids meals are now either $3.49 or $3.99 and no longer include a drink! Now, I understand that a business needs to make money, but if you get the kid meal and pay for a kid size drink ($1.89), their prices have increased 116-136% in one shot! Our "cheap" meal cost $17 after we'd left a tip...goodbye Santa Fe steakhouse. We will miss your cinnamon butter and delicious rolls, but not your new prices!
7. Does anyone buy Orville Reddenbacher microwave popcorn? I love the kettle corn, but don't love that every.single.bag bursts before the popcorn is done popping, thus leaving me with 1) a microwave full of popcorn and 2) way too many unpopped kernals which I then don't get to eat. I've thought about contacting Orville's people, but always forget until the next time it happens. I'm going to do it now.
8. Ok, with that done, I learned two things. 1) Redenbacher only has one d...who knew? and 2) they have the coolest new product called the pop up bowl. The bag transforms to a bowl while popping and you rip off the top when it's done and enjoy your popcorn right out of the bag/bowl. That may very well have solved my whole complaint in #7, except for one thing...the new pop up bowl doesn't come in kettle corn!
9. UPDATE: Orville's people got back with me...they say the matter is being taken seriously and has been passed on to the quality assurance team. I'm sure it will be solved by the time I buy my next box. They're sending me some coupons - maybe they'll be for the new pop up bowl! I'll keep you posted.
10. Reese said she wanted to go to Burger King to eat last night after gymnastics. We've never been there, so I have no idea why she picked it (other than we were driving by). I tried to dissuade her by saying, they don't have toys there, but it didn't work. She said, "oh, yes they do". I asked how she would know since we've never been there. She said, "I saw it on tv. They said, only at Burger King". Smarty pants was right...they had toys and she got a mood ring. It said I was "cheerful" and she was "strong".
That's all I've got today...
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Memories
Here are a few pics of our Easter festivities:
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| Coloring eggs Reese decided she wanted to make Easter cupcakes for the girls at daycare. We decided to go with rainbow cupcakes (since "rainbow" is currently her favorite color). Sometimes she says things so cute, I can't correct her - sorry honey, but rainbow isn't really a color, it's many colors...you get the drift. So, we made our batter  and filled our cupcake liners.  |
Reese helped decorate and was sure to tell me how much the girls at daycare loved eating their rainbow cupcakes. Gotta love a kid who flatters her momma!!!
Need something to brighten a dreary day? How about a cupcake with a rainbow inside?
Works for me everytime!
Hope you all had as great an Easter as we did!
Now, it's more egg salad sandwiches for me!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday Favorites
Here's another of my favorite quotes:
When I was a child, my mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you will become a general. If you become a monk, then you will end up as Pope." Instead, I became a painter, and wound up as Picasso. -Pablo Picasso
Inspiration? I think so...
Happy Easter everyone!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Conversations with Kayla
Reese and I were driving home the other day and here's the conversation we had.
Reese: "Hey I'm cold, someone give me a blanket" - said in total baby talk
Me: "Why on Earth are you using a baby voice?"
Reese: "It's not me, it's baby."
Me: "Baby isn't with us, so it must be you."
Reese: "Well, she isn't really with us, but I have her on speakerphone!"
She has an answer (and a smart one at that) for everything!
Reese: "Hey I'm cold, someone give me a blanket" - said in total baby talk
Me: "Why on Earth are you using a baby voice?"
Reese: "It's not me, it's baby."
Me: "Baby isn't with us, so it must be you."
Reese: "Well, she isn't really with us, but I have her on speakerphone!"
She has an answer (and a smart one at that) for everything!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
10 on Tuesday
Playing along with Marla at The Chronicles of Marla on her weekly blog hop...
1. Reese is trying to figure out when you do and don't pray. Last week we prayed before eating, before getting snapped in the carseat and finally, the crescendo...right before she went poop, but not until she was firmly situated on the seat.
2. Today is the 16th anniversay of the bombing of the Murrah Building in downtown OKC. At 9:02am on the 19th of April, 1995, 168 people lost their lives (19 of them children). This was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until September 11, 2001.
1. Reese is trying to figure out when you do and don't pray. Last week we prayed before eating, before getting snapped in the carseat and finally, the crescendo...right before she went poop, but not until she was firmly situated on the seat.
2. Today is the 16th anniversay of the bombing of the Murrah Building in downtown OKC. At 9:02am on the 19th of April, 1995, 168 people lost their lives (19 of them children). This was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until September 11, 2001.
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| Murrah Building prior to the bombing |
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| Murrah Building after the bombing |
A beautiful heart-wrenching memorial now stands where the Murrah building once was. The Memorial was created to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the bombing.
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The monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction - 9:02am. The East Gate represents 9:01am, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03am, the moment the city changed forever.
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If you're ever in Oklahoma City, it would be worth your time to visit. Even if you have no personal connection, it will bring you to tears.
I always take this day to remember how fragile life truly is and to be thankful I live in a place where this type of destruction is not the norm. Please take a minute today to tell your family and friends how much you love them...you never know when your last chance may be. Everyone in the Murrah building on April 19, 1995 thought it was just another ordinary day.
3. I read a story about a school in Chicago that recently banned homemade lunches. What the...what? What if someone is tight on $$ and thinks they can spend less packing a brown bag special? What if a kid is allergic to gluten or is lactose intolerant? They said the only exceptions granted would be for medical conditions, but what constitues a "medical" condition? The school's argument was that they were tired of seeing kids eat chips and pop for lunch and that they could provide more nutritious options. I don't know about you, but I remember our school lunches consisting of mystery meat and puddings that could have doubled as glue. Early reports are that kids are throwing the meals away without eating - so nothing is better than something less nutritious?
4. We had major storms in Oklahoma late last week. Reese was scared that a twister was coming. Not so much that our house could be blown away, moreso that it meant a "real" witch would come too! Thanks Wizard of OZ...
5. Reese talking in a baby voice drives me over the edge since she's not a baby anymore. But, she has managed to outsmart me by carrying a baby around with her so that when she uses the voice, she claims it's the "baby" talking, not her!
6. On Saturday, Reese went to a birthday party (I mean, WE went to a birthday party). They had rabbits to pet and a pony to ride. We went to my sister's after the party to color Easter Eggs. We stopped at McDonald's for a Happy Meal on our way home. Reese said, "Thanks Mom, I've had so much fun today. I love you!" - life doesn't get any better than that!
7. We watched the World Premiere of Disney's Lemonade Mouth Friday night. It was a cute story of 5 high school misfits that start a band called - Lemonade Mouth. I reminded Reese on our way home Friday that it was coming on that night and she was beyond excited. Then she said, "do you know how their band came to be?" What the...what? Didn't you just turn 4? She then proceeded to tell me "how they came to be". I think my daughter is a genius!!
8. I just realized that most of my entries revolve around Reese. I just realized that most of my life revolves around Reese. I didn't just realize that's what I signed up for and couldn't be happier!
9. I talked (briefly) to my sister-in-law on Tuesday. She was running out the door and said she'd call me back. Haven't heard from her...think I should take it as a sign?
10. Had my first of probably a dozen or so egg salad sandwiches yesterday for lunch. It was delicious! I'm sure I won't be saying that come Friday.
You guys have a great week!
You guys have a great week!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Random Thoughts
I've decided that I want to periodically share some of my favorite quotes, poems or sayings.
I've had cancer on my mind a lot lately (the Komen challenge, my Mom's passing and a co-worker recently diagnosed), so this first one speaks to me about keeping a positive outlook on life regardless of the circumstances. Don't have any idea who wrote it.
Attitude is everything. Here's hoping that you have a great day despite anything you may be going through!
I've had cancer on my mind a lot lately (the Komen challenge, my Mom's passing and a co-worker recently diagnosed), so this first one speaks to me about keeping a positive outlook on life regardless of the circumstances. Don't have any idea who wrote it.
There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
and noticed that she only had three hairs on her head.
"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today!"
So she did
and she had a
wonderful
day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!"
So she did
and she had a
grand
day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
and she had a
fun, fun
day.
The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEA!!" she exclaimed
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything. Here's hoping that you have a great day despite anything you may be going through!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
10 on Tuesday
Playing along with Marla at The Chronicles of Marla on her weekly 10 on Tuesday post. So what's going on this week in my world?
1. Reese thought it would be a great idea to put a TinkerBell sticker on the car window. I didn't agree, so I tried to get it off. Now, I'm in trouble because I tore TinkerBell in half...what??? How did I become the bad guy? And to top it all off, half of TinkerBell is still there (and I think she's giving me the stink eye)!!
2. Having hotdogs for dinner instead of eating out when T's out of town = not a good idea. Especially when you open the sauerkraut and it looks "suspicious". Shoulda just stuck to the rules and eaten out since he was gone!
3. I just ate a package of Hostess Ho Ho's. I wasted 370 calories on something that 1) didn't fill me up and 2) weren't even that good!
4. We frequent a place called Dollar Tree where EVERYTHING in the store is priced at what? yep, $1. So, I find it very amusing that they have a weekly ad showing what's on sale that week...for $1. What the...what?
5. Something about the guy I saw in Hobby Lobby made me think he might lean a little toward being a player for the "blue" team. Was it that he was shopping with his Mom on a Thursday afternoon? no. How about that he was looking at rhinestone studded home decorations? nope. Could it have been the 2 HUGE diamond (or should I say diamonique) studs he had in his ears? wrong again. Now I'm not saying these things didn't contribute to my keen observation, but I think the part that confirmed my suspicions was when his Mom said "now, honey, didn't you say you wanted to buy some more embroidery supplies while we were here?" I'm nothing if not quick!
6. T is NOT going out of town this week. He goes out of town EVERY week. My menu is all askew because and I'm out of whack. Now I have to cook every night? I'm hyperventilating already!!
7. A guy I work with had a party this past weekend; at his lake house - only guys invited. It lasted all weekend. He said one of his buddies drank 5 1/2 bottles of wine Friday night - by himself. Shouldn't he be dead? Everyone was giving my co-worker a hard time about bragging about being an alcoholic. I had never given it much thought, but he does talk alot about how much he drinks...kinda like a teenager. I wonder if his bark is bigger than his drink?
8. Reese said she doesn't want to take gymnastics anymore because she wants to take swimming lessons again this year. I tried to explain that swimming lessons only last one week so she didn't have to give up gymnastics just because she wanted to learn to swim. Think I've programmed my girl very well that we're not made of money and that she can't do EVERYTHING? Note to self: back off a little.
9. We were talking about our new house this weekend. Reese said she wanted a swimming pool. T told her she better start making some money. She very quickly pointed out that she already had $1 from doing chores and that she plans on having a lemonade stand just as soon as Mommy lets her. Maybe I should let her be in charge of my Komen fundraiser!!
10. I don't allow any extra time to piddle around getting ready for work in the morning. I have to be to work by 7:30 and so I get up at 6:15. I thought I was ahead of schedule this morning and would actually get to work early, but then T & I talked about our new house plans for 20 minutes and I was actually 10 minutes late to work!
What's going on in your world?
1. Reese thought it would be a great idea to put a TinkerBell sticker on the car window. I didn't agree, so I tried to get it off. Now, I'm in trouble because I tore TinkerBell in half...what??? How did I become the bad guy? And to top it all off, half of TinkerBell is still there (and I think she's giving me the stink eye)!!
2. Having hotdogs for dinner instead of eating out when T's out of town = not a good idea. Especially when you open the sauerkraut and it looks "suspicious". Shoulda just stuck to the rules and eaten out since he was gone!
3. I just ate a package of Hostess Ho Ho's. I wasted 370 calories on something that 1) didn't fill me up and 2) weren't even that good!
4. We frequent a place called Dollar Tree where EVERYTHING in the store is priced at what? yep, $1. So, I find it very amusing that they have a weekly ad showing what's on sale that week...for $1. What the...what?
5. Something about the guy I saw in Hobby Lobby made me think he might lean a little toward being a player for the "blue" team. Was it that he was shopping with his Mom on a Thursday afternoon? no. How about that he was looking at rhinestone studded home decorations? nope. Could it have been the 2 HUGE diamond (or should I say diamonique) studs he had in his ears? wrong again. Now I'm not saying these things didn't contribute to my keen observation, but I think the part that confirmed my suspicions was when his Mom said "now, honey, didn't you say you wanted to buy some more embroidery supplies while we were here?" I'm nothing if not quick!
6. T is NOT going out of town this week. He goes out of town EVERY week. My menu is all askew because and I'm out of whack. Now I have to cook every night? I'm hyperventilating already!!
7. A guy I work with had a party this past weekend; at his lake house - only guys invited. It lasted all weekend. He said one of his buddies drank 5 1/2 bottles of wine Friday night - by himself. Shouldn't he be dead? Everyone was giving my co-worker a hard time about bragging about being an alcoholic. I had never given it much thought, but he does talk alot about how much he drinks...kinda like a teenager. I wonder if his bark is bigger than his drink?
8. Reese said she doesn't want to take gymnastics anymore because she wants to take swimming lessons again this year. I tried to explain that swimming lessons only last one week so she didn't have to give up gymnastics just because she wanted to learn to swim. Think I've programmed my girl very well that we're not made of money and that she can't do EVERYTHING? Note to self: back off a little.
9. We were talking about our new house this weekend. Reese said she wanted a swimming pool. T told her she better start making some money. She very quickly pointed out that she already had $1 from doing chores and that she plans on having a lemonade stand just as soon as Mommy lets her. Maybe I should let her be in charge of my Komen fundraiser!!
10. I don't allow any extra time to piddle around getting ready for work in the morning. I have to be to work by 7:30 and so I get up at 6:15. I thought I was ahead of schedule this morning and would actually get to work early, but then T & I talked about our new house plans for 20 minutes and I was actually 10 minutes late to work!
What's going on in your world?
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday Chicken
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| A picture taken by Reese that has nothing to do with this post! |
So, T was out of town and I broke the cardinal rule. I went to the store to get the ingredients to make this instead of eating out - all while the chanting in my head got louder and louder: "you don't cook when T's out of town, you don't cook when T's out of town", on and on. But I knew I needed to try this myself before offering it up to his scrutiny because he's the world's pickiest eater. He's also not a fan of "white" sauces (what the what?, who categorizes things and puts them in the "don't" pile like that?)
So, with the no cooking rule broken, I proceeded to make this dish that I've named Friday Chicken:
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| 3 ingredients |
The next picture is really corny because there's nothing really to show. I put the dip in the microwave, boiled the pasta, added the chicken, then we ate. But in an attempt to document the process - here's the pasta boiling:
 |
| I kinda like how the picture makes the burner look fuschia I am a big fan of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals, even though I've yet to make one in the allotted time frame (I need a cute young prep boy to cute the veggies, etc.). I'm all about making something that tastes good with as little effort as possible. With that said, this recipe blows her 30 minute meals out of the water. Start to finish - 20 minutes - that included getting the water to the boiling point. Reese didn't care for the chicken, but asked for seconds of the pasta. I would have to agree. Maybe if I'd grilled my own chicken it would have been better. But the pasta with the Spinach Artichoke Dip? In the words of Rachel Ray - it was yumm-o! |
And finally, the finished product:
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| My food pictures suck...don't let that keep you from trying this! |
Here's the written recipe:
1/2 lb of penne pasta
1 package of Friday's Spinach Artichoke dip (frozen)
1 package of Tyson Grilled Chicken strips
Cook pasta, microwave artichoke dip, mix it all together and eat!
Last night we had leftovers and T saw the pasta. He said, "oooooh, when did you make this?" Like it actually looked appetizing. He gave it a thumbs up, but only 45 degrees instead of 90 - but he's picky, remember? Best part? The whole meal cost me a whopping $6.62. Couldn't get Chinese Buffet for that even if they were still open!!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Yummy Buffet
Reese looooveeesss to eat at the Chinese Buffet. She's been asking to go there since before she was 2. We've always gone to the same place unless you count the one time we cheated on Yummy Buffet and went to Taste of China. I don't know why we chose Yummy to begin with, but it stuck. If I ask her where she wants to eat, she always says "Chinese Buffet". Most kids would say their favorite place is McDonalds, but not my sophisticated sweetie! It got so bad, I quit asking just so we could have a break.
Well, I went back to my old ways the other night and asked where she wanted to eat. I should not have been surprised when "Chinese Buffet" came out of her mouth. I wasn't feeling it, but decided I shouldn't have asked if I wasn't willing to go with her choice, so we headed to Yummy.
Now, I will admit that I thoroughly enjoy their Bourbon Chicken, but I suspect the true reason Reese always wants to go there is for their sugar bread. Soft round yeast rolls covered in sugar. They make your hands super sticky even if you're not 4 years old. She always eats at least 2. I'm very fortunate to have a great eater who will try anything. She always has some shrimp, sweet and sour chicken and green beans. I figure if she eats those, a couple of sugar breads won't do her in.
So, we get to the strip center where Yummy Buffet resides only to notice a huge yellow banner covering the sign. I drive by this center EVERYDAY...how did I not notice this banner before now?
So, needless to say, Reese was a little disappointed and even tried to get me to check the door - maybe they're really open they just don't look like they are. So, I asked where she wanted to go instead and what do you think she said? You're right...McDonalds. And I just thought I wasn't feeling like Chinese...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
10 on Tuesday
I'm playing along with Marla at Chronicles of Marla on her weekly 10 on Tuesday. Thanks Marla...I love having one place to write down some of my random thoughts!
1. I just realized (ok, it was actually a few minutes ago) that I wore my panties inside out today. How embarrassing - I mean it would be if anyone else knew about it, huh? Or maybe I'm just practicing up to become more green...wear them the right way one day, wear them inside out the next, then I cut my laundry in 1/2! Saves on water, soap...
2. Have you seen the people who buy like $786 worth of groceries and then cut it down to $2.46 after coupons? I mean, who really needs enough deodorant to last them the next 163 years? And do I really want to convert my garage over to a mini-mart? I really want a BIG pantry in my new house, but let's set some limits people!
3. I have a new friend (in real life) who I think is pretty cool. I think I may have compromised our friendship though by asking a question related to what she does for a living. She (since that time) sent a friend request on facebook...so maybe I'm ok?
4. I was talking to my sister about typewriters (no, I DON'T know why)...anyway my 13 year old nephew was listening to our conversation. It went on a couple of minutes before he interrupted and said, "Aunt Kaylee, are you talking about a keyboard?" - gotta love this generation. To him, I may as well have been talking about the good ole days before we had them indoor toilets that flush!
5. I was getting ready to take the trash out but thought I would empty the can from the bathroom first. I walked in to the bathroom and couldn't figure out what I'd gone in there for!
6. I let Reese paint my toenails. I now have polish all over my toes too, but that will wash off in a couple of days and leave me with a nice paint job, right?
7. I recently fell in love with Sabra Spinach and Artichoke hummus. I'd never been a hummus eater, but those pesky demo girls in Sam's made me try it and now I'm hooked! You think you can just walk around Sam's on your lunch hour filling up on free demos, but I say now, who's foolin' who?
8. Got a babysitter at the last minute and was able to go to the Kenny Chesney concert. Can you say awesome? Best part - someone threw a onesie (yes, for a baby) up on stage. Kenny read it out loud because it cracked him up. It said, "Kenny Chesney is not my daddy".
9. A couple of characters in one of Reese's new movies, get placed in a floating spherical prison because they have evoked the wrath of the fairy queen. Reese said, "I've never been put in a wrath before".
10. I signed up for the Susan Komen 3 Day for the Cure. Now my brain is on overdrive trying to figure out how I'm going to raise $2,300.
1. I just realized (ok, it was actually a few minutes ago) that I wore my panties inside out today. How embarrassing - I mean it would be if anyone else knew about it, huh? Or maybe I'm just practicing up to become more green...wear them the right way one day, wear them inside out the next, then I cut my laundry in 1/2! Saves on water, soap...
2. Have you seen the people who buy like $786 worth of groceries and then cut it down to $2.46 after coupons? I mean, who really needs enough deodorant to last them the next 163 years? And do I really want to convert my garage over to a mini-mart? I really want a BIG pantry in my new house, but let's set some limits people!
3. I have a new friend (in real life) who I think is pretty cool. I think I may have compromised our friendship though by asking a question related to what she does for a living. She (since that time) sent a friend request on facebook...so maybe I'm ok?
4. I was talking to my sister about typewriters (no, I DON'T know why)...anyway my 13 year old nephew was listening to our conversation. It went on a couple of minutes before he interrupted and said, "Aunt Kaylee, are you talking about a keyboard?" - gotta love this generation. To him, I may as well have been talking about the good ole days before we had them indoor toilets that flush!
5. I was getting ready to take the trash out but thought I would empty the can from the bathroom first. I walked in to the bathroom and couldn't figure out what I'd gone in there for!
6. I let Reese paint my toenails. I now have polish all over my toes too, but that will wash off in a couple of days and leave me with a nice paint job, right?
7. I recently fell in love with Sabra Spinach and Artichoke hummus. I'd never been a hummus eater, but those pesky demo girls in Sam's made me try it and now I'm hooked! You think you can just walk around Sam's on your lunch hour filling up on free demos, but I say now, who's foolin' who?
8. Got a babysitter at the last minute and was able to go to the Kenny Chesney concert. Can you say awesome? Best part - someone threw a onesie (yes, for a baby) up on stage. Kenny read it out loud because it cracked him up. It said, "Kenny Chesney is not my daddy".
9. A couple of characters in one of Reese's new movies, get placed in a floating spherical prison because they have evoked the wrath of the fairy queen. Reese said, "I've never been put in a wrath before".
10. I signed up for the Susan Komen 3 Day for the Cure. Now my brain is on overdrive trying to figure out how I'm going to raise $2,300.
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