Accidental Fudge

I have been a mad baker this Christmas Season. My [non-blogging] sister and I have spent many of the recent days making multiple batches of cookies to be given to various recipients. After she left yesterday, I made a batch of chocolate thumbprints because she didn't want any. Now, the finished product is fine, although I don't think I would make them again. But, because I lack some major housekeeping skills, I left the unused chocolate mixture out on the kitchen table last night when I was done. This morning, the stuff in the bowl resembled fudge. I stared it for a few minutes, then offered it to Paco. He took one spoonful and said, "Why did you make so little of it? Can you make more today?" I tasted it and it does indeed taste like fudge. This has to be the easiest fudge I have ever made. I think it may be easier than the spoon fudge I made in 7th grade in Home-Ec. I am going to make a much larger batch of it today to be sure that it works and will then post the recipe here for all of you to use. Mmmmm - I can't wait!

I didn't realize that I have not posted in so long. It really seems like just a day or two ago that I posted my rambling thoughts. Hmmm, I guess not! Anywho, I don't necessarily have too much to say right now. We are spending a lot of time working on the first verse of Joy to the World (the girls are singing it in the Christmas Pagent at church) and getting ready, then recovering from, various holiday parties.

Here are a couple of pictures from Mimi's house. Mimi is a [80 year old] friend of mine who wanted to do something special for the kids. So, she had them over for a lot of frosting, cupcakes, candy and reading. It was very nice, if a little messy and sugar-high-ish.





That's about it, folks. I will check in soon to offer more mind-numbing excitement!

I Don't Even Know What to Say

This story cracks me up. As a (so I've been told) strict parent, I sympathize with the mother. I mean, children need to face consequences for their actions. I am really more amused that the story was picked up by the Associated Press. Will they find out that I made Princess stand at the dinner table one night while eating because she couldn't stop jumping around in her chair? In just a day or two, someone in Little Rock, Arkansas may be fuming at the injustice of my six year old having to stand while eating spaghetti.

I think I need to go to bed.

More and More Writing

I don't write as often as I should. When I started spending the majority of time at home with my kids instead of in an office, the plan was for me to write in the evening after the kids are in bed. I believe this lasted for about one week. Then, for some strange reason, Paco and I became way too involved in nightly television. For those of you who have known me a while, you will think this is odd behavior for me. Until this year, I have very rarely been "addicted" to a TV series. Not to say that I don't appreciate pop culture or anything...I just had other things that I enjoyed doing more than watching a show. So far, in this television year, we spend 3 1/2 hours on Monday night watching TV; 1 hour on Tuesday; 2 hours on Thursday; 1 hour on Friday. THE MADNESS MUST END! I need to pay more attention to my writing (which I was hoping to improve!) and less attention to sitting on my couch.

To that end, please visit my new blog at http://buffalo.yourhub.com/~michelejohnson. This does not mark the end of the blog which you are currently reading, however. My new blog is dedicated to events or happenings that will directly interest people living in my town. My recipes for Life will still contain whatever content I feel like writing about!

PS - If I start having symptoms of withdrawal, please help me through my difficult time of television-separation!

General Happiness

I have been intending to update for a few days now and keep getting sidetracked. As I write, the family is getting ready for Sunday school and church - it is the Season of Advent! - and I am squeezing in a few minutes of computer time. There are several things that I wanted to write about and, if I remember correctly, none of them are really related. (Not surprising, I know.) So, for this post, I am going to pass on the recipe that my sister posted a few days ago:

Crazy Easy Beer Bread

3 cups Self -rising flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 bottle (12 oz) beer

Mix the ingredients together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

I tend to add things to this bread, like spices or cheese or bacon, to add to the flavor. You can experiment with different types of beer, also, to change the flavor a bit. This bread is somewhat dense and goes really well with soup. I recently served cheesy potato soup for dinner with thick slices of beer bread...mmmmmmm!

Random

I only have a little bit of time, so I thought I would just mention a few small things.

1. The Pinot Noir I bought for Thanksgiving, on recommendation from my friend at the liquor store, was horrible. I had spent more on the bottle than I normally would, but figured that it was for a holiday and that my father and I would be sharing it so I wanted it to be special. Blech!

2. We had a wonderful holiday. My sister came to visit just prior to the holiday and we had a great time visiting. (There was a even a formal portrait taken of all seven grandchildren with their my parents...so cool!) Then, we traveled to my aunt's mountain house in PA for a family-filled weekend of food and fun. Woohoo!

3. I am almost done Christmas shopping. I am not sure why I was able to finish so soon this year as I didn't really start much before the middle of November. But, it's nice to know that there isn't too much pressure now...I can just enjoy!

How was your Thanksgiving?

Wine and Turkey

For those of you out there who are wondering what wine to serve on Thanksgiving, I thought I would give you my picks for a great pairing. Sometimes, a wine can make the meal - wouldn't you like to be the hero who brings the best bottle?

The absolute best wine to serve with turkey, in my opinion, is a Gewurztraminer. This is a slightly sweeter wine (which I would ordinarily never choose) that has a hint of effervescence (or bubbly). It most resembles a Riesling but has a great flavor of its own. Paired with turkey, this wine tastes incredible and is a must at your table.

If you prefer red wine, then go with a Pinot Noir. This red is mellow, so its flavor won't get in the way of the great food you are eating. Pinot Noir is also nice by itself, so you can sip it longer after you have left the table.

Happy Turkey everyone!

Thanksgiving Side of Fabulous

While I haven't made this dish in a very long time, I thought I would share it with you in case you would like to add it to your Thanksgiving table. (I realize that I am again not sharing a vegetarian recipe and I am very sorry, A. I *am* trying!)

Chop and cook 1 large onion in 1T of butter. (You can use cooking spray, also.) When the onion is about halfway done cooking, add 1 package of chopped bacon. (It's much easier to chop frozen bacon so you may want to stick it in the freezer prior to making this.) Completely cook the bacon and onion mixture. Then, add two jars of completely drained red cabbage and mix/heat completely.

This recipe is very easy, although it does take a little bit longer than you would think to cook through; don't be discouraged if it's not done in 10 minutes. The completed dish looks very pretty on a table and tastes INCREDIBLE!

Insomnia

It is 4:00 in the morning. I have been up since 2:30. AHHHHHHHHHHH! I have been productive, however. So far I have finished my Sunday School lesson and almost finished my Christmas shopping for the kids. I love the internet! I only need two other items and those can be easily purchased at a store at some point. Actually, I am almost completely done with everyone - I am amazed! I only have a few more gifts to buy and then the wrapping can begin!

Princess had her cheer leading extravaganza last night. She was very cute. (We used a new camcorder to record the event and take pictures. I will try to hook it up soon so I can post one or two here.) She also had a complete meltdown afterwards which she attributed to being sad that the season is over. I think she is a bit too sensitive and really have no idea what I am going to do with her when she is a teenager. Honestly, I am often surprised when I realize that she isn't a teenager yet based on her behavior.

My sister is coming this weekend and is staying with me for the first part of her visit. My house is a mess and is in no state to have 4 more people (my sister, her two kids and her au pair) in it. I have been so busy, though, that I just haven't had time to worry about it. I also have so much to do in the roughly 12 hours I have until she gets here that I have no idea how I am going to get it all done. I should probably be doing dishes or something now, but I am afraid I will make too much noise and I would really prefer that the kids sleep. Even more frightening is that we are going away for Thanksgiving and I am not at all ready for that. I am normally so excited for these kinds of trips. This year, I am lucky if I remember that we are going half of the time!

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Holiday Yums

Here is a quick recipe that is really delicious and easy to make.

Crush 5 candy canes into small pieces; set aside. Melt two bags of white chocolate chips in the microwave or double boiler. When melted, stir in 2 tsp. of mint extract and all of the candy cane pieces. Combine. Spread mixture onto baking sheet lined with wax paper and freeze. The candy is done when it is completely hard. After it is set, break into pieces. This looks really pretty in cellophane bags tied with pretty ribbon and an ornament.

I will try to add more holiday recipes as they come to me. Let me know if anyone tries this one - I know that Paco really likes it and am interested to know who else does!

Election Hangover

Well, election season is officially over in WNY. I am exhausted from the whole experience. There was a lot of work to do to this year, which is scary because I know that next year is going to be even worse on a town-level.

I want to share an interesting tidbit that came to my attention last night while attending a meeting. Now, I am not necessarily interested in discussing the politics surrounding this event, just the media portrayal associated with it. Congressman Reynold's was given a hard time, to say the least, about his involvement in the Mark Foley scandal involving a young man. There was a media circus, really, with accusations, press conferences and articles. In WNY, the press wanted Reynolds to be a villain. The interesting part is that in Florida, where Foley is from, Reynolds is a hero. Apparently, the media there credits Reynolds with saving Florida from Foley. What is my point, you ask? It is this: aside from my good friend who works in television, I *HATE* the media.

Enough politics. Coming soon: holiday celebrations!

Tagged...I'm It

My sister tagged me; here I go!

a) Four job I have had in my life:

- Copier Salesperson
- Event Planner
- Proofreader
- Relevancy Administrator (prompting my father to exclaim, "Is that anything like a Knowledge Manager?")


b) Four movies I would watch over and over:

- Father of the Bride (with Steve Martin)
- The Princess Diaries (1 and 2)
- High School Musical (that's for you, Colleen)
- Clue


c) Four places I have lived:

- Buffalo, NY
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Sorry, folks...that's it!

d) Four TV shows I love to watch:

- Heroes
- How I Met Your Mother
- Studio 60
- Sports Night (I know, it's not on anymore. But, I LOVED it!)


e) Four places I have visited:

- Grand Cayman
- Jamaica
- Bermuda
- Mexico


f) Four websites I visit daily:

- weather.com
- wgrz.com (which is stupid, because I am often annoyed at them)
- google.com
- My bank


g) Four of my favorite foods:

- Melted cheese on bread (40 seconds in the microwave)
- Anything Mexican
- Sushi
- Seafood


h) Four places I would like to be right now:

- Disney World
- That 5 star hotel in Dallas
- Camping in South Gibson, PA
- Getting a massage


i) Four bloggers I'd like to tag:

- Law Fairy, because I would like to know more about her

- Thought Runner because he can make me laugh

- Longnoodle because I would like to meet her someday

- Pastor Steve, because he is a cool guy

Storm and Chaos

If you think that it's been forever since I have posted, it has. The (stupidly named) October Surprise Storm 2006 really gave WNY a beating. So many people went without power for days - some are still without it and it has been over two weeks now. I was lucky enough not to lose my electric or heat, so we ran a sort of mini-shelter and on the first weekend had 18 people in our small house. But, there was a lot of drinking and game playing and only moderate stress between me an my mother-in-law.


This is a picture taken early the next morning - can you see the line down behind the van? So many lines were knocked down from the heavy limbs that fell off of our trees.


This is my neighbor's house right afterward.

I could really go on and on about all of the damage this storm caused. Interestingly, the snow melted within two days, leaving trees and limbs everywhere. We were told that the weight of the snow on the still leaved-trees is what caused the problem; the trees were just not strong enough to hold all of that weight. There are still areas that look like a war zone. Clean up may take up to two months. The kids had nine days off of school. The whole thing has been incredible, really.

Okay, I will stop...for now! I am just glad to be back online! (I just got internet service about an hour ago. Woohoo!)

Autumn = Delicious

We had sliced apples for a snack the other day. Now, apples are pretty good on their own (although I admit they are not my favorite food) but are even better with additional sugar! So, I also provided two dips to enhance our snacking pleasure - caramel and peanut butter caramel. Now, if you have never had the peanut butter caramel sauce for apples, you must stop what you are doing right now and get some...it is incredible! You can warm it up right in the tub and start snacking in about a minute. I realize that this takes away some of the nutritional value that apples have, but I guarantee that it is totally worth it!

I also love autumn because the meals get heartier. The other day, I made a sort of mock-jambalaya that was out of this world. I sauteed some chopped, smoked sausage with cut up shrimp in just a little bit of butter and white wine. At the same time, I prepared two packages of Lipton Rice and Sauce (I think I used the Cajun flavor, but you can really pick whatever you want) in a separate pot. When everything was done, I mixed it all together and served it. The whole meal probably took about 15 minutes to cook/heat and everyone loved it. Even better, you can use whatever type of meat you want. I happened to have shrimp because my grocery store had a great sale. But, you could also use chicken, pork or any type of sausage. I guess you could try tofu, also, but I have never prepared anything with it so I can't really say.

Last but not least, I got a new crock pot! My in-laws gave me one for my birthday last week since I have been using their original one from my mother-in-law's bridal shower. This thing has so many options and settings that it may require an additional degree just to operate it. I am hoping to try it soon, though, and will keep all of you informed on my (*hopeful*) successes!

More Food

I have absolutely no patience. None. I am making pork in the crock pot today and it smells too good...I had to try it before dinner. IT IS SO GOOD. This time, I have a 2 pound boneless sirloin pork roast with one bottle of Caribbean jerk sauce and one bottle of Saranac Octoberfest beer. Amazing. We are having it on big rolls. Mmmmmm!

The other day, I made a red potato casserole with ham and cheese. I thinly sliced the potatoes first and cooked them in a pan coated with butter. In another pan, I had 1/2 of a red onion, chopped, with 1 chopped green pepper. Once the onion and pepper were pretty much cooked, I added a chopped ham steak and cooked that through. Now, I did not cook the potatoes completely because I thought they would get too mushy once I put them in the oven. As it turns out, red potatoes are a bit more durable than that. So, if you decide to try this, cook them all the way through in the pan first. After the potatoes are done, add the onion mixture to the potatoes and mix thoroughly. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (if you are making it ahead of time) and then put 1/2 in a 13x9 pan. Then, pour 4 tablespoons of cream (I used half and half, but you can probably use fat free half and half if you would like) over the mixture and cover with about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Put the rest of the potato mixture on top and repeat the cream and cheese over top. Cover and refrigerate. When ready, bake at 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. Let it set for about 5 to 10 minutes and serve.



The nice thing about this casserole is that it can be adjusted in so many ways. You can add other vegetables or omit the ham. I think I would use a little less fat by cooking the onion and pepper in a sprayed pan rather than using butter there. I would also use fat free half and half. However, I would absolutely add more cheese than I did last time.

Food

I had a birthday brunch for my mother yesterday. The menu was quiche, sausage, melon and crescent rolls. The crescent rolls were adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe (30 Minute Meals) I saw the other day; they were SO yummy! Just take a can of crescent rolls (probbaly found in the dairy section of your grocery store) and open them up. Break the rolls apart at the perferation. Heat up some orange and apricot preserves or jam just enough to make them a little more like liquid than gel, then spread onto the dough triangles. Next, roll the triangles into crescent rolls. Brush each roll wiht an egg mixture and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake according to the crescent roll package instructions. I cannot tell you how delisicous they are! (After lunch we had a pumpkin-praline cheesecake!)

Today, I helped my mother can tomatoes. I had actually decided not to can this year, but ended up helping her anyway. We managed to get things done pretty quickly, although she ran out of jars. So, she had to refridgerate some of the stuff until she can get to the store. I am kind of hoping that she shares some of the finished product. (Although, to be fair, I didn't plan on having any this year.)

This weekend has been super busy which means I am not ready for the week yet. I feel like there are still so many things left to be done - I don't feel like getting back into school and everything already!

Yet Another...

Check out my recently published content on AC:
Women and Weight Loss

Life Continues

You would think that I would be around more since I am not working in an office anymore. For some reason, I feel like I am even more busy. On a positive note, I have been following my "orders" and have been getting the kids out of the house and (for the most part) have been keeping everything picked up. However, being good means that I am very rarely sitting at my computer. NO FUN! Pirate and TBell are playing right now, so I thought I would check in and post some pictures.



Princess started cheerleading this year. I think it's an awful big commitment - especially for someone her age - and am not sure if she is going to do it again next year or not. But, she loves it and is having a great time.



TBell had to wear her UB cheerleading outfit so she could be just like her big sister on game day.

Last weekend we drove by a garage sale and bought this bike for only $40! Since Pirate is turning three next month, we bought it for him as an early birthday gift. We could never afford one at full price...Power Wheels start at $180 and just go up from there. He absolutely loves it!

More

Another article on Associated Content:
The Top(Cheap)Places to Take Children in Buffalo

Moving Right Along

Paco sent me an email right before I stopped working and said that he really wanted me to keep the house clean (which I admittedly don't do well) and be sure to get the kids outside rather then playing inside all day. Now, this is kind of a touchy subject with a lot of women, I think. I know he wasn't trying to be mean or chauvinistic. But, why doesn't HE keep the house clean? I did tell him that I refuse to do the laundry. (Our tubs don't empty automatically. We have to empty them every time they fill, which is twice a washing, by turning on the pump. So, until that pump is replaced, I will not run down to the basement every 20 minutes while doing laundry.) So, I guess I should be able to keep the rest of the house clean. Or, at least picked up. I have managed to keep the dishes done. And, I have picked one project everyday to make the house look better. I am so proud of myself! The house is almost in a state that I wouldn't mind if I have uninvited visitors! Maybe not completely...but very close!

Now, to address the "getting outside" business. I admit that I am prone to staying indoors. And, if I have a book to read, I tend to do that before anything responsible like parenting or cleaning. But, everyday this week we have been out and about. I have drawn pretend streets on the driveway with stores, restaurants and a park so the kids can ride their bikes "around town". TBell has had a friend over twice this week.

In addition to being a very good wife and mother, I have been proofreading like a mad-woman for a client and writing articles for Associated Content. So, every night after the kids are in bed, I am at my computer working away.

The hope now is that I can keep it up!

It Begins...

Check out my recently published content on AC:
Raising Respectful Children

Morning Happiness

Princess started back to school today. She was so excited. In fact, she kept coming downstairs last night to find out if it was morning; she was too excited to sleep. I can only hope that this excitement lasts the whole year...I have heard that even 1st grade has a lot of homework and is generally much more work than kindergarten.

I am enjoying quite a bit of peace and quiet this morning as I blog and drink my coffee. This is partly because Pirate would not sleep last night; we ended up bringing him downstairs so he would not keep Princess up with his screaming. And, this is what happens when Pirate is up too late...he turns into a monster!



I guess TBell must have known what I was thinking, because as I type she is walking down the stairs. So much for peace and quiet!

Jam

Princess and I made pear jam today with pears picked at the house of Paco's Godmother. It was a rather messy experience, but fun nonetheless. I am actually disappointed that we only have 6 containers, as I was hoping to have some for myself and some to give away at Christmas. I think we are going to get some more pears and make several more batches. Princess seemed to have a great time; TBell had started to help us, but decided that playing on the computer sounded like more fun.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I am taking advantage of blogger moving to Google to make some changes to my blog. I will probably not stick with any one thing until I find something I really like. Let me know what you think!

In addition to my blog changes, I am making some life changes as well. As of yesterday at 3:30pm, I am no longer employed. This decision was not made lightly, but took a lot of thought and consideration about my family and all that goes with it. Paco and I encountered so many issues with childcare, finances and family harmony that we ultimately decided that my being "at home" was the best for all of us. I admit that I am a little nervous about the way I am going to handle this...I really liked working - both my job and the people I worked with - and am afraid that my self-worth will plummet. However, I am looking forward to being with my kids a little more and being the one to help with homework, go the the MD and so on. Also, some wonderful people have given me some advice as to how to become a freelance writer. I have already submitted an article for consideration and have started an application for another site. Say a prayer for me that all of this works out! (I may actually have time to cook again, too, which means I may even post recipes again!)

Another change is a physical one in Princess. She is starting 1st grade this year and is growing up so fast! While my other two children tend to have growth spurts, I am pretty sure Princess just grows continuously. I took her clothes shopping for school today and am absolutely stunned at how big she is.

Want to Get Paid to Write?

Click here and sign up with Associated Content.

Getting Old(er)

Soon after Pirate was born, it was determined that I have a bleeding disorder after several surgeries. It was also sometime after Pirate's birth that I started displaying symptoms of rosacea. I also remember having heel spurs around that time, which I have again now. As I mentioned a week or two ago, I had kidney stones. Last night I started having intense foot pain which resulted in a Urgent Care visit today and a diagnosis of gout. Now, I don't mean to bring anyone down by sharing this information...but, seriously people, I am not even 32! How many issues do most 31 year old women have? I blame my parents, of course, as most of these things are hereditary and am sad that my kids will most likely have very similar issues. However, I have two sisters...*they* don't have these problems! (At least I am the most fun to be around and the family favorite!)

NYC Fun

You Belong in the Upper East Side

You're an aspiring blue blood, and you want the best of New York high society. And while some may think you're conservative, you still appreciate good art and culture.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

Nothing

I have nothing much to report. The Chillow works pretty well, although it is definitely a little strange. Plus, I have very thick hair, so it's sometimes difficult to feel the coolness through all of that. The weather really hasn't been that warm since I bought it...of course!

This is quite annoying; I certainly hope that the council member/pastor can keep his jobs separate!

What's up with all of you?

As Seen on TV

So, I ordered a Chillow on Monday - I can't tell you how excited I am about it. I can't stand summer. At all. I hate the heat. I don't think I was like this when I was younger, but somewhere around my mid to late 20s I started to despise it. When I forwarded the Chillow link to Paco the other day, he asked why I hadn't ordered it yet. The best part of this entire story is that it ALREADY CAME! Actually, it came yesterday, not quite 24 hours after I ordered it - and I didn't pay for expedited shipping. Now, I am sure there are many of you laughing at me right now. But, if this stupid thing will keep me cool, I am all for it. Anyway, after a work happy hour (okay, hours), I came home and Paco helped me follow the Chillow directions. Sadly, it takes 2 hours to activate and by that time I will probably be in bed; you will all need to wait for the Chillow update.

I am too distracted right now to talk about it, but remind me to tell you what my MD said!

Restaurant Fun

We wanted to go to Pizza Plant for dinner to celebrate Paco's birthday but there was an hour wait. (I tried to call ahead since there was going to be a big group, but they do not take reservations or do any type of call ahead seating.) So, we ended up at Smokey Bones and had a great time. The pulled pork was out of this world. Paco had all-you-can-eat ribs, which he assured me were worth the over-stuffed feeling afterward. While I am sure there are those from the south who would say that this restaurant does not serve "real" barbecue, I have to say that all of us found it to be quite delicious and am certain that we will go back another time.

In other restaurant news, I was thrilled to find out that The Melting Pot is coming to my neck of the woods - what can be better than fondue? And, if that isn't enough, we are also getting a Bonefish Grill! (This is particularly exciting since we don't have many great fish places around here.) We are also getting The Cheesecake Factory and some other places that I have not heard of.

I think that I am going to be gaining some weight!

Brief Points

1. I am feeling better, although I believe I am facing many MD appointments and tests.

2. Happy Birthday, Paco!

Pain and Sickness

Kidney stones and Lortab. I have nothing else to say!

Fair Food

I don't know if fairs, carnivals and festivals are as big a deal in other parts of the country as they are here. It seems like we could spend every weekend of the summer riding rides, petting animals, and eating fantastic (greasy) food. This past weekend a co-worker and I took Princess and TBell to a corn festival about 40 minutes away. What I found most interesting about this experience is that there was very little corn! There was, however, tacos, pierogies, cabbage with noodles, cream puffs, eclairs, pizza, corn dogs, ice cream, ice cream dots, frozen bananas (which I sadly did not have), fudge, sangria slushies, chicken wings, chicken BBQ, and I think many things that I am forgetting. Perhaps most importantly, there was fried Twinkies, fried Oreos, fried Snickers, and fried peanut butter cups. My co-worker and I split an order of the fried peanut butter cup, shown below. It was super rich and is the reason I didn't have the chocolate covered frozen banana as I had planned. The chocolate melted right underneath the fried batter with the peanut butter slightly keeping it's form...it was downright sinful!

The Geek Inside of Me

Paco ordered me a gift with vendor points he accumulated at work and I have been waiting months for it to arrive. Happily, when I finally arrived home yesterday at 9pm (after Vacation Bible School drop off and pick up and endless errands), my USB coffee warmer was waiting for me. Mine is silver with a mirror as coaster part. And, even better for my silliness, the cord glows an electric blue color at the plug. Oh, I really am a geek!

The List

As promised, here is my list of lifelong goals. The items are in no particular order...

1. Take the LSATs
2. Apply to and (possibly) attend law school
3. Run a 5k - preferably the breast cancer awareness one to honor my mother, a breast cancer survivor
4. Actually create and follow a budget
5. Buy a house
6. Can with Paco's grandma
7. Make potato salad like my grandmother

What's on your list?

Has it Been That Long?

I can't even give adequate explanations for my absence. I can say that it has been ridiculously hot, although I guess that doesn't excuse my absence. Um, Paco was traveling for a bit...he severely sprained his wrist the night he returned because he *had* to play softball. Does that excuse me? Anyway...

We had an 80th birthday party yesterday for Paco's grandmother. It was really nice because so many family members came even though we all live in different places (and states) and have entirely different schedules. Despite my being rather nasty to a woman who *dared* to mutter that TBell was a brat (while I admit that my kids can misbehave, I take great pride in their public behavior), I had a good time and am glad that we went. This party marked the third or fourth time that my kids have been in the company of great-grandparents this summer...what can be better?





I made a great cake for the party - it's called a Cannoli Cake. I PROMISE to post the recipe soon. If hadn't been so hot, causing the stupid thing to start to melt, it would have been perfect! It is a triple layered vanilla cake filled with chocolate chip Cannoli filling.

Have I mentioned how stupidly hot it has been?

Life's Great Reminders

So, there are times when I feel like I just haven't done enough during my 31 years of life. Sure, I went to college. I am married and raising three children. I work. But, I haven't really done anything. Then, I read stories like this and feel very inspired. What a great story! I am going to work on a list of things I really want to accomplish; look for it in the near future!

Sunday Eats

We had dinner at my parents house last night. It was actually hosted by myself and Paco, but they have air conditioning and Grandma Jane wouldn't come unless there was air conditioning because it has been so hot and humid. Anyway, it was great fun - the kids and Paco enjoyed the newly purchased Slip-n-Slide (after Paco cleaned out the gutters) while the rest of us enjoyed watching.

The best part of the night, though, was the food. Now, I know that I have mentioned my sloppy joes before...if you haven't made them yet, you must try them! It has been so stinkin' hot here that I didn't really want to cook. So, I made crock pot sloppy joes for dinner and there were a HUGE hit! We also served home-grown corn (which we prepare by soaking in the husks for a few hours then putting them directly on the grill - until parts are black from cooking). For dessert, I made (prepared) ice cream pies. Take a pie shell (individual or regular sized) and fill with softened ice cream. I used two granola pie crusts and filled one with creme brulee ice cream and one with butter pecan. Then, put the pie in the freezer to set. Just before serving, I covered both pies with caramel sauce and toasted nuts, then topped the pieces with whipped cream. The whole meal was fantastic and incredibly easy.

Vacation is Over

It is so sad that normal life starts tomorrow. We have had such a great week of playing! Our camping trip was a great success; there were family reunions/introductions as well as roasted marshmallows and s'mores. However, tomorrow the kids go back to the sitter and Paco and I head off to work. Blech! (I have included one picture from our trip. For some reason, I never took one of all three kids or had someone take one of the five of us - I clearly wasn't thinking of this blog!)



On another note, I have started thinking about Christmas presents. I know it's early, but I like to make a lot of gifts and need to start early so I don't have a nervous breakdown right before the holidays. I think that I may try to make jam for our grandparents and other hard to buy for individuals as that is something the kids can help with and can be done in more of a bulk form. I also have some other thoughts for my sisters and Paco's sister, but since one of said sisters reads this blog, I can't mention it! (To give you a better explanation as to why I need to start thinking about Christmas now: last year I gave my mother-in-law a scarf that was still on the knitting needles; I took it back and it is now sitting on top of my china cabinet...still on the needles.)

On a final note for this evening, I want to say good bye to a co-worker who is leaving our company as of tomorrow. I will really miss her - she can always make me laugh! Good luck, Amy, our office will not be the same without you!

For Those of You Keeping Track at Home...

...I got the signatures, the car is packed and we are ready to go. Paco and my father are playing in a golf tournament today and we are leaving as soon as they are done. (I have to admit that I did the petitions this morning - they are due this afternoon. Plus, we were up until 1:30 in the morning doing laundry and packing since we did mostly nothing this week!) I can't tell you how excited I am to be leaving!

By the way, I added some fresh cilantro to the Texas Caviar earlier in the week. I didn't love the way it turned out, but I got a lot of compliments on it and many women took some home with them.

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Time

I am pretty sure that it was just Friday night, wasn't it? I have no idea where the time went - it is now Sunday evening and I still have a ton of things that I wanted to get done this weekend. There is so much to be done before we leave for vacation on Saturday that my head is positively spinning. There are all of the regular vacation type things like laundry, shopping, packing, etc; plus, Paco and I each have to get 15ish signatures on some (local, political) petitions before we leave and I have a picnic tomorrow night that I cannot miss. Incidentally, I am currently in the process of hydrating/cooking some black eyed peas for Texas Caviar to take to this picnic.

1 lb. dried peas Hydrate overnight, drain. Add fresh water, cook for 40 minutes. Drain and cool.

Add 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1 chopped bell pepper, 3 bunches chopped scallions, 1 bottle zesty italian dressing and 3T hot sauce. Serve with chips or crackers.

Anyway, I know that I am really going to enjoy getting away next week. But, I also know that I am going to HATE this coming week just as much!

My Faith and A Woman I Don't Know

I had a few things in mind that I wanted to write about, but it appears they are going to have to wait due to a subject that has caught my attention. I link to a blog from here that I enjoy reading. I have never met the woman, although I appreciate her humor and she has recently passed the bar in California and is practicing law, which is something I am hoping to do someday (here in NY, anyway). Anyway, she posted about some events in the Anglican/Episcopal church that sparked some debate. What really caught me, and what caused me to keep going back, was the discussion that was going on between her and a reader. I consider myself a faithful person; I pray at night and am trying to teach my children about God. However, I am generally rather internal with my beliefs and do not discuss them with very many people. In fact, I do not even pray out loud - my religious practice is very internal. While reading this woman's blog entry and the comments that followed, I found myself in awe of her ability to discuss her faith and defend herself against someone who was bent on making her mis-speak and look stupid. Religion is often a very touchy subject, which is a shame. I enjoy learning about other faiths and trying to understand different points of view. (I took several religion classes while getting my BA, but that was a while ago.) I don't know, though, how I thought that was going to happen if I am not occasionally willing to bite the bullet and talk about it myself. This whole thing has caused some soul searching on my part - how about you?

My Garden

Princess and TBell had a dance recital this past weekend and rather than buy them flowers that day, my mother took them shopping for flowers for our garden. Now, I have mentioned before that a gardener I am not. But, since my mother spent the money, I figured I should make an attempt at planting them.



This is part of the garden right next to the entrance to our house. I need to buy some more soil and I certainly need to remember to water. But, I don't think its half bad for a first attempt. The next big project is to plant the daisy's I bought for the backyard next to my rose bush. (If I am not careful, I am going to start sounding like a woman from garden club!)

While we were getting the flowers, I decided to buy oregano and cilantro plants. I know that I could have replaced the herb garden (see the May 27 post), but that seems like too much right now. I bought these plants yesterday and used the oregano in our lasagna today. Mmmmmmm!

On a somewhat unrelated note, although it does pertain to the above mentioned lasagna...do you think that making lasagna is cooking or just preparing? Do you even see a difference? (To make the lasagna tonight, all I did was cook the noodles and layer them with canned sauce, pre-shredded mozzarella, canned parmesan and my special ricotta mixture.) The reason I ask is that my sister is currently running a cooking discussion and this is precisely what she is talking about. Any thoughts?

Hell Hath No Fury

I typically try to stay away from political and religious discussions in situations where they are likely to get out of hand. Consequently, I thought that I would avoid those subjects on this blog unless mentioning them in the most general terms. However, if you are not outraged at this story (specifically at the so-called church), then I think you need help. Regardless of what religion (or not) you practice or what political party you belong to, human decency should be the most important value you possess. If those people don't like our country that much, then they should get the hell out.

The Dinner Fantastic

Last night, Paco and I went to The Buffalo Chophouse for dinner with someone from his office and a vendor that is in from Philadelphia. I had never been there before and was very excited to go; it did not disappoint - the food was SO good. It may have been somewhat overpriced, but it was not out of the park compared to similar restaurants. The crab cakes with goat cheese fondue were fabulous and I can't say enough about the bacon wrapped scallops. But, the highlight of my evening was definitely the chardonnay by Villa Mt. Eden. It was from their Grand Reserve and it was absolutely phenomenal! I highly recommend you try it when you get the chance. However, since I did not pay for any of the meal or drinks, I cannot give you any indication of the price.

One Good Deed...

Don't have a lot of time, but this is an interesting read.

Sports

Well, the Sabres lost the Stanley Cup semi-finals...but not before forcing a game 7 in the series. While it certainly would have been wonderful if they had advanced in the play-offs, I am so excited about the mood here in WNY. In the past, Buffalo has very publicly lost play-off games in many sports and it has always been embarrassing. (Wide Right! No goal!) This time, however, the entire region is standing behind the team that wasn't even supposed to make the play-offs this year, let alone get as far as they did. Not even excessive injuries to their best players kept them from showing up at the games and giving it their all. The days after a big loss in Buffalo are usually spent moaning and complaining about how all of us (read: the men in Buffalo) could have done it better and that we were ROBBED of a victory. The past few days I have heard nothing but what a great team the Sabres are and what a fantastic season they had...we're Talkin' Proud!

Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee

I read an article last night that women who drink 4 or more cups of regular coffee a day are less likely to have breast cancer. I have no idea how accurate this information is, although it did reference a study at a decent university (I can't remember the name). I have decided that I am going to wholeheartedly believe the findings, though, because I am a coffee lover and the daughter of a breast cancer survivor. The article did say that two cups does seem to provide some protection if four is more than one wants to drink, but I feel that if a person is going to do something she should do it with gusto. Coffee deliciousness - here I come!

Eating and My Family

I had lunch today with a friend from high school; she called me out of the blue and said that she was in town and wanted to know if I was available. It was a very welcome break from work and we had a great time. Among the things we discussed were our eating and fitness habits. (This was done while eating incredibly fattening and delicious tacos from Burrito Bay, which is what started the whole conversation. I realize that eating this food is counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle, but seriously, these tacos are amazing!) While confiding some of my body image-related issues, I had a revelation: my attempts at dieting or working out are not working because I am still doing them like I am single and have no children. I used to run and I used to spend a lot of money on groceries. While running is certainly an option, it's not always the best fit for me right now. Spending a lot of money on groceries would be great, except that there a million other things that need my attention and checkbook, too. Any time I try to diet or eat healthy now, I buy completely separate foods for me than my family; this never works. I inevitably stop dieting because this is to difficult to maintain. (For instance, my kids don't like soy based meats and they have always been a staple when I am trying to be healthy.) So, while talking to my friend, I realized that I need to introduce health and fitness into my entire family. And, I need to realize that I am going to have grilled hot dogs sometimes because that is something my family does...I just don't need to eat two!

In other news - in case you missed it, the Sabres are forcing Carolina to game 7. It is 90 degrees out and I am writing about hockey. I can't believe this is happening in Buffalo! (I am talking about the playoffs and the heat!) Go Sabres!

Starting Over

Here is a picture of my herb garden taken just about 45 minutes ago. I cannot believe that I successfully grew something!



Sadly, about 30 minutes ago, Princess wasn't paying attention and accidentally knocked the little greenhouse off of the window sill; the little sprouts are no longer. I do still have all of the little pots and extra seeds, so I just need to buy more dirt and I can start over. If I did it once, I can do it again; right?

Anyone Else Tired?

I really can't figure out why I am so tired. There is no good reason for it; it just is. Being tired makes me feel depressed (I will briefly acknowledge that perhaps being depressed makes me tired, but that's too much for right now!) which then makes me difficult to be around. Tonight, however, I found the perfect remedy in glasses of wine (a nice sauvignon blanc from the neighborhood Italian liquor store-slightly fruity with a hint of effervescence) and two episodes of Friends on TBS. Really, I was feeling miserable at 8:00 and by the time 9:00 rolled around, I was a new girl. (Yes, the kids were already in bed.)

Dinner this evening was pork in the crock pot. All I did was put 8 boneless pork chops in, add about 1 cup of water, some chicken stock powder - maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons, 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and several generous shakes of lemon pepper. I served them as sandwiches, as Paco had a softball game tonight. I thought they were fine, but Paco said they were the best ones I have ever made. It was good, but I am hungry again.




Apparently Pirate was also tired today; this picture was taken right before dinner. I couldn't resist sharing it.

The Outdoors

I do not have much of a green thumb. But, I decided that this year Paco and I must take more pride in the outside of our house. I had a friend come over and talk to me about the rose bush in my backyard; she showed me how to cut it back and explained which branches needed to be removed entirely. The same friend also lent us a spreader, which we used to weed and feed our lawn. (I think we have already done more this year than in the past!) In order to make things even more attractive, I bought a new mini-flag (to replace the Easter one that was still up) and a very nice, inexpensive wind chime. The wind chime has clear and blue beads and is topped with a beaded hummingbird. I was so excited that I opened it as soon as I got in the house tonight - and then cut the wrong part and ended up cutting the string that holds the middle noise maker thing (very technical terms). What is wrong with me?!? Paco found the whole thing quite amusing. I ended up using some clear medical tape to try and fix it. It looks fine, but not great.

In another gardening endeavor, I have started an herb garden in a little plastic greenhouse; it is sitting on one of my kitchen window sills. Oh how I want this to work! I can just imagine using my own basil and cilantro! I welcome any tips people can give...

I forgot to mention that I made sloppy joes yesterday. I know one of my friends has been dying for me to post that recipe and I just haven't had time. I typically use this one, but I don't follow it exactly. For instance, I never have vinegar, so that is always omitted. I also prefer things spicier rather than sweet, so I don't ever include the brown sugar. Regardless, I have had a lot of success with this recipe and highly recommend it.

Hockey Fun

I only have random thoughts to share this evening:

1. I think it is still cold in WNY because Mother Nature is enjoying the hockey playoffs.

2. Paco is MISERABLE due to the Sabres game tonight - why are men so emotionally responsive to this stuff? I mean, I love the Sabres...I do! But, Paco and our friend won't stop swearing at the TV.

3. I had a meeting tonight and a local police lieutenant spoke about identity theft and I learned that there is pretty much nothing we can do to prevent it. So, go ahead and shop and dine out and do everything you normally do...it simply won't matter.

4. Did I mention that the men in my house are miserable right now?


The next game is Wednesday - what fun!

Entertainment Issues

The other night, I watched the series finale of Will & Grace. As I mentioned, I haven't really watched that show in a number of years. But, it seemed important to watch the last one. During the one hour retrospective prior to the last show, I realized That 70s Show was also airing the series finale. So, I switched back and forth between the two and found:

1. that Will & Grace is not nearly as funny as it used to be. The hour of clips that they showed beforehand were hysterical! The interviews with the cast were fine, but the clips definitely reminded everyone why we watched the show to begin with. I can't decide between Jack and Karen as my favorite characters. The other issue I had was the outcome of the show. It is always difficult for writers to come up with a good ending; I don't think anyone is ever satisfied with the decisions. In this case, Will & Grace ended up apart for almost 20 years and I think that is ridiculous. While the characters may have "grown up" making them less compatible, I find that maturing unacceptable. We watched that show because they were all immature...don't make them more like us now!

2. that That 70s Show is still so very lame. They were good in the beginning, but that was a long time ago. Fez and Jackie ended up together, which is HORRIBLE. That story line makes no sense and the acting (?) seemed forced. Also, Kelso was brought back for the final episode. His performance was fine, although I don't think it really lent anything to the show. Finally, Eric came back for the last five minutes. (Is he too famous to lower himself to TV for longer than that?) I guess I am happy that he and Donna finally seemed to be on the road to mending things. But, it's too late. I think the show should have ended a long time ago.

And if you think I finally out of opinions...I need to talk about American Pie: Band Camp. If you're asking why, that's a very good question. We watched it because Paco's cousin is in it. Said cousin has made some TV guest appearances and did a pretty good job. I admit that I was stunned that another American Pie was being made and really didn't think it was going to be very good. Only a couple of the original cast made it back, making it kind of dumb. Anyway, the cousin did fine, although I enjoyed him in other things better. I do wonder if his performance can be blamed on him or the terrible characters within the movie. Also, the movie was almost light porn. This didn't really make me too uncomfortable, until Paco and I realized that his parents, grandparents and very religious family had all watched it and were going to want to discuss it with us. So, grandma...what did you think of those *#(%@?

One very funny thing: the band in American Pie was all set to play at graduation at the beginning of the movie. After Pomp and Circumstance, they were playing Laid by James. Laid is one of my most favorite songs ever and never fails to make me happy. But, a graduation song? Played by some flutes, oboes and trombones? I am not so sure...

A Big Day

There was a farm field trip today with TBell's preschool. Originally, my mother was supposed to take TBell and Pirate. But, everything got screwed up and I ended up working from home this morning and then taking them myself. I am waiting for some work to be sent over to do some things this afternoon and decided this is a perfect time to update.

The farm was cold and wet. It is in the 50's here and the rain just made it worse. But, the farm really does a great job with the kids, who had a good time despite the weather. There were pony rides, hay rides and lots of animal petting. While I have never desired to live on a farm, the visit today was nice.

I have just made a fresh pot of coffee and am hoping to get a few hours of work in. Then, it is fish for dinner. (Paco was supposed to have a softball game tonight, which meant that I could just make sandwiches or something. But, the game is rained out...now I have to make dinner and deal with a miserable husband!) I may just make a fish fry, but am somewhat undecided. I have a bottle of chardonnay and a bottle of merlot, so I may end up planning a meal around one of them. It is so chilly, I am tempted to open one right now!

Hey - is anyone watching Will & Grace tonight? I haven't really watched in a year or two, but feel compelled to watch the last one...

Eating

I really need to get to bed as I am extremely tired. Tonight I have made dinner, grocery shopped, cleaned (to the best of my ability!) and did some work for an outside client; I think I have been very productive. However, I felt the need to share my dining plans for tomorrow...

Lunch: Sadly, a co-worker of mine is leaving our company because he and his wife and child are moving much closer to their original family home. While this is a great thing for them, we are certainly sad to see him go...he is a great guy, fantastic co-worker and always good for a laugh. Anyway, to give him a proper send off, the department is going to 5 de Mayo Mexican Grille. I have always wanted to go there but do realize that the experience will be bittersweet.

Dinner: I am having a group of women over in the evening for a stamping party. So, rather than have a lot of dinner dishes to do, I am using my crock pot. My original plan was to make sloppy joes, which is definitely my favorite crock pot meal. But, while shopping this evening, I found a frozen bag of meatballs with pasta for the crock pot - I only need to add water! Now, this is probably not going to be a culinary masterpiece, but I think it will be just the ticket for a busy night. (I still have to clean the bathroom and mop the floor when I get home from work tomorrow!)

So, I am looking forward to my day. You?

Happy Mother's Day

It is not quite 10:00am, and I have already had a lovely Mother's Day. I spent most of the morning making cards for all of the mother's in our lives. (One could argue that this should have been done before. But, I am nothing if not a procrastinator!) Princess "helped" me and talked the entire time. I also received a beautiful painted flower pot with a as yet un-blossomed pink flower from Princess; I will keep you posted as to the type of flower it is. TBell gave me a fantastic rock painted to look like a ladybug to keep in my garden - she clearly does not know that her mother doesn't have a garden! Then, Paco took TBell and Pirate for a walk; all three came home with breakfast and coffee. Now, I am happily playing on my computer while Paco peels the eggs so I can make deviled eggs to take to the in-laws for lunch this afternoon.

On a completely unrelated subject - here is a picture of my kids dancing at the family party in Philly. I wanted to post it before, but blogger wouldn't let me. So, here it is - everyone get their groove thing on!

It seems that there are times that I am so frazzled that I can't think straight; times that my children, husband, work and commitments become so overwhelming that I fear a total meltdown. This week, for instance, TBell had snack day at school. She wanted to bring homemade cupcakes. I also had to remember that she needed $15 for a farm field trip next week. It is also Teacher's Appreciation week at Princess' school; she needed to bring in $5 on Tuesday and a special gift just from her on Thursday. As it happens, TBell ended up with a box of vanilla wafers and Princess didn't bring her special gift until today. (I had two evening meetings this week in addition to normal life stuff.) I still have to get a gift for a school birthday party that is happening tomorrow - today at lunch is the only available time for this. Where am I going with this?...you may be asking. I am writing to say that today, I am okay with it all. I am okay with the boxed cookies and the late teacher gift. I am okay with not being the one on the farm trip. I am okay with life. So okay, in fact, that I am volunteering to possibly be another committee within my community. Live on, Supermom!

*******Very important side note: I often talk about my love of soda fountain beverages...if I am going to have a soda (pop, Coke, Pepsi), I prefer it with ice and a straw. For some reason, I have completely ignored my workplace ice machine - I have pretended it wasn't there. Today, however, I remembered and am having a Pepsi One with ice...oh, Happy Day!

Life v. Hot Dogs

There are times in my life that I wish I could just breeze home, make delicious meals and have happy family time. Today, I made hot dogs in the microwave. They were Ball Park...not even the Western New York staple, Sahlen's. I will admit the kids had no problem with them, though. I will admit that we break some parenting rules when we have hot dogs: we give them to our kids on chop sticks as if they are corn dogs - they love them!

I was in Philadelphia over the weekend and should have had a great cheesesteak and a great hoagie, but I did not. We were so busy with family obligations that we had no time for anything regional (which to me, is a hoagie). Right before leaving, we had lunch at a local restaurant - my father and I split a hoagie and a cheesesteak. The hoagie was a on a toasted roll, which isn't anything like a hoagie should. The cheesesteak was fine, although it wasn't great by any means. Sigh.

Be Persistent

The law professor wrote back and gave me his home number; he is "looking forward to my call." I suppose I shouldn't be to surprised that he wrote back, but I am. All of the normal nervousness is setting in and I am wondering what the %^&&!# I am doing trying to go to law school. I will keep at it, though - I must! The other thing mentioned in the email was to be persistent, something I don't think I am often enough.

I exercised horrible judgment last night and went to the casino with my mother. We had a good time, but did not get home until almost 2am! Now, I am absolutely exhausted. After work, I have to go home and pack for a trip to Philadelphia (we leave early tomorrow morning), which means no rest in the near future. Plus, Paco is not going on this trip with me - it's just me and the kids! What was I thinking?

I think that's all I have, folks. I may check in again later with a crock pot recipe, as a friend of mine has been asking for some. If workflow allows, perhaps I will post one of them here.

Me and the Law

Just a few weeks before Pirate was born, I took the LSATs. Just after he was born, I was preparing my application for law school. I was only applying to one school, as it seemed rather silly to uproot my whole family because I waited until my late 20s to go back to school. Then, life happened (Pirate had some health issues; I needed surgery) and I did not complete the process. Today, I began the process again. I have looked into LSAT dates and I emailed a local law professor/advisor to get advice from him. I am so excited! While I am a wife and the mother of three children, this is something that I can claim as my own and I can't stop thinking about it.

In other news, I am rather stressed this week...I am taking the kids on a 7 hour-ish car ride this weekend for a family party. As we were not originally going, Paco did not take Friday off. So, I am riding with my parents and all three of the kids. It really should be fun, but I right now all I can think about is laundry, money, packing, car sickness and a billion other issues. I keep forgetting to write a note to school so Princess can get the work she will miss. I have to be packed early so one of our bags can ride with a sister who is driving separately. Of course, in between all of this, regular weekday stuff will be happening. I do try and remember that life would be very boring without so many activities...wouldn't it?

Weekend Activities

I believe that I have mentioned in previous posts that I volunteer for various organizations. Well, tomorrow is a spring brunch for one of them at which I am the basket chair. The basket chair heads the drive to have members donate cash, gift certificates or (nice) objects to be bid on by attendees. This part wasn't all that difficult, although my living room looks like a basket-bomb went off in it right now. A bunch of us got together a couple of weeks ago to put most of the stuff together, so I was able to have other people do the creative part; I do not wrap or create beautiful packages. The remaining donations are thrown together in baskets which Paco brought up from our basement...I can assure you that they will be ripped apart as soon as I walk into the country club tomorrow and will be re-assembled by those who know better.

The main reason I brought the brunch up is that I was also assigned to do the programs. Now, my mother my mother is very creative and had made programs for our last officer installation dinner. I did help her with the computer part, as she doesn't even know how to turn one on. But, she did the ribbons and bows and everything else. As soon as that dinner was over, the chairwoman of this brunch came right over and insisted we do the programs. The point of all this? MY MOTHER WENT ON VACATION. I had to do the programs by myself. I ended up making fake bows because I can't tie nice ones. UGH! I am so stressed about these stupid programs and cannot wait until tomorrow is over.



In other news, Paco is having a horrible time dealing with Princess. The two of them seem to be, well, um...I guess bickering is the best word. Princess certainly is showing signs of being a teenager. (It is important to note here that we have a good many years until she is actually a teenager.) Her attitude has been rather dramatic and there has been a lot of "But that's not fair!" and "I don't want to!" Perhaps it's because I am also a moody female, but I am able to deal with these outbursts much better than Paco. How does one teach a father how to deal with a daughter? I am finding myself irritated with both of them and sometimes actually lecturing my husband as if he is one of the children. Why did no one tell me it would be this difficult!?!?!?

Changes

One of my loyal readers (yes, I have at least one!) has suggested that I change my profile to indicate that this blog is about my life with a few recipes thrown in rather than the opposite. This seems like a great idea to me, as I often feel pressured to give you recipes and very rarely follow through. Consequently, I am officially changing the intent of my blog!

Another change you may notice - if I can get my sister to help me - is more sidebar content. I am sure you have seen the ads...those of you who know me understand their presence. I have been reading some great blogs lately and really want to link to them, but my HTML is pretty rusty and I am having trouble finding the correct spot in my template. But, fear not, it will come!

Completely unrelated, I do want to share a recipe with you. Please know that I have never tried it, but these cookies sound dreamy! (I am being lazy and not re-typing...see the April 27 entry.)

Procrastination at its Best!

FYI: 'michelejj' is my typical screen name for things.

How to make a michelejj

Ingredients: 5 parts success 1 part courage 3 parts beauty

Method: Add to a cocktail shaker and mix vigorously. Add curiosity to taste! Do not overindulge!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Blog for Thought

I think that my readership is expanding. Crazy, you may say! Insanity! But, it is true. I am at least getting more people that are clicking on my site; I do not believe they are staying on to read anything. And now, I am left to wonder: do I want strangers to read my blog? Why exactly am I doing this to begin with. As of right now, the answer is: I have no idea. I tell people that I know to read it. But, there is nothing on here that they don't know. So, do I advertise? If so, what would I be advertising? 'You must read my opinions on absolutely nothing.'

Ah well...I am sure the blog will continue and I am sure that all 4 of you will continue to read it!

Restaurant

If you are dining out today, why not check out the list of restaurants that are participating in Dining Out for Life? (Participating restaurants will donate at least 25% of the monies collected to AIDS research.)

Computer Woes

I know computers are supposed to make things so much easier. But, what happens when the easy part gets all muddled with things that make it hard?!?! I thought that I had some sort of virus because I suddenly couldn't open email attachments or files with MS Word or Excel. I ran a virus scan, however, and came up with nothing. Now, I can't access the internet via the regular explorer; I have to use AOL to do it. I am thinking that it is spyware or something, but that is totally beyond my knowledge. I am going to ask the IT people at work to take a look at it since I can't even work from home right now due to this INSANITY!

On another note, I am not really looking forward to tomorrow. Princess and TBell have been off of school for a week and dance for two weeks. Now, I have to make lunches, make sure dance clothes are clean, have regular bedtimes and so on. I much prefer the less scheduled lifestyle we have been leading. I can still hear the girls talking upstairs, which is only going to mean a rough morning when the alarm goes off.

Yet another unrelated thought: Paco and I went to a family wedding last night. While we had a great time talking and dancing (and drinking and laughing), I have to admit that the food was not that great. We split the chicken and the prime rib. Now, I realize that wedding fare isn't really known for being that great, but I kind of thought that a country club would be better. The service was great, but the mashed potatoes were dry and the veggies were frozen rather than fresh. Also, the cake was terrible. It was dry with a poorly done fondant frosting. When served, it was all white with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I suppose it could have been intended to be all white, but the presentation seemed lacking.

Anyway, that was my weekend. How was yours?

Fantastic Fish

I had my inlaws over for dinner last night. We are not going to see them this weekend as my sister is coming into to town and the whole weekend will be with my family. So, guess I invited them as sort of an Easter celebration. I served fish, with couscous cooked in chicken broth and corn. Now, the inspiration came from Giada De Laurentiis, although I didn't follow her recipe exactly. I sprinkled tilapia fillets with lemon pepper and then drenched in flour. I pan fried in two or three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. I also cooked two small, chopped onions in extra virgin olive oil, then added a bag of chopped spinach. When that was cooked down, I added a can of cannelini beans and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. I served the fish over the spinach and topped it with a homemade lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, fresh parsley, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.)

This meal was so good! Even my father-in-law loved it, who is a butcher and a very meat and potato kind of guy. My kids loved it, too. Princess even ate the spinach.

We ended the evening by going out for ice cream at a local ice cream and sandwich shop. Princess ran into a friend from school, so she and I ended up sitting with that family. It was very cute to watch them tell secrets and giggle.

All in all, it was a wonderful night and I am sad to have to work today instead of continuing the Easter celebration!

Chicken

I am sick of chicken. I am annoyed that it is so cheap. I am making it for dinner tonight. It is in the oven right now, topped with sliced onion, garlic infused sunflower oil and lemon-pepper. In roughly 20 minutes, I will pour 98% fat free cream of celery soup over it. I am serving the chicken with cheese rice and broccoli.

During my pregnancy with Pirate, I couldn't stomach chicken at all. I couldn't even look at it. While that did subside after delivery, I still don't love it. I think I need to come up with something else cheap and versatile. I do use pork, but I am even getting sick of that. I think I would like to experiment with vegetables as a main course...like spaghetti squash; I will keep you posted on these endeavors.

On another note, Paco's grandmother turned 84 a couple of weeks ago. She never wants any gifts, so I took this picture of the kids and put it in a small frame. The zipper on TBell's dress was broken, so I had to leave the tags on just in case it had to be returned. Luckily, my mother is wonderful and was able to fix it for us.

Summer Food

It's only spring (a term used loosely in WNY) and yet I am finding myself anxiously awaiting summer food. We went to dinner at a friends house yesterday, passing cornfields on the way, and my mouth started watering. The kids began discussing corn on the cob and whether Princess would be able to eat it with her teeth starting to fall out. (The tooth fairy came for the first time on Friay night!) I cannot wait to have grilled meat and veggies with iced tea and frozen treats. I find that I have had enough stew, chili and meatloaf for quite a while. As Easter is just one week away, I will focus on some yummy warm weather food to get us through until our true summer arrives.

Extreme Fatigue

Well, the time changed over the weekend and I am exhausted. I am not really sure that a one hour change in the middle of the night could have this much of an impact, but I wanted to sleep all day. It did not help that the heavens opened up this afternoon after turning the entire day gray. Once I got home from the office, chatted with the sitter and discussed the day with Princess, TBell and Pirate, I did not feel like making dinner at all. So, take out Chinese was ordered. Some days, I just can't bring myself to cook. Now, the house is quiet and I will have to force myself to get the work done that is waiting for me (phone calls and a seating chart for a fundraising dinner on Friday) when I want to do is snuggle into bed with a book.

Convenience

Okay, I am a bit of a hypocrite. I confess that I really like convenience foods. I use them. My kids love them. But, have we gone too far? For instance, my last post discussed a Pecan Pie Cake. Sounds delicious! It turns out I didn't have time to make it...nor the money. A bag of pecans from a discount shopping center was $8! Paco had a fit. (I would have also needed to buy dark brown sugar, light corn syrup and something else - also a mixer becuase mine broke.) I ended up buying a mix to make pecan bars - just add water and butter. They were delicious. I also bought a chocolate peanut butter bar mix - just add water! Now, the second purchase turned out to be a very good idea because I forgot for the millionth time in our friendship that our hostess doesn't like nuts. But, finally, here is my point: how many of us bother to make things from scratch anymore? The pecan bars were a huge hit. Paco and our host raved about them. I would bet that it wouldn't have made a difference if I had slaved for 3 hours versus the 15 minutes it took to make them.

Please keep in mind, I can think of a few people that would absolutely appreciate home-made items. My sister Marsha, for instance. Or, even my mother. However, for the most part, people just don't care anymore. If you added eggs and water, that's enough to make it home-made rather than store bought.

So, here's the question...is it really enough to add two or three ingredients to make it your own?

Discussion Points

I meant to sign on the other day and post about the dinner I was making for Thursday and some other pressing issues. However, work and life got in the way so I am just getting around to it now; it is Saturday morning. The so well-behaved children are playing at my feet. I have a cup of coffee. I am ready to talk.

1. I made beef stew the other day in a crock pot. I semi-thawed the meat on Wednesday night, then allowed it to sit overnight with lemon-pepper seasoning on it while it finished thawing in the fridge. I browned it on Thursday morning before combining it with the additional ingredients to simmer while I was at work. My big issue for this recipe is that I gave up wine for Lent. (I am not Catholic, but feel that a season of sacrifice is good for all.) This meat was begging to be browned in a nice, rich cabernet with onions. I am convinced that the addition of wine would have made a HUGE difference in my stew. All in all, it turned out fine. My parents came for dinner and everyone agreed it tasted good. It was a little too thin, though, and I realized that I did not add enough flour or cornstarch to make it thick and hearty.

2. This is a good time to discuss my love of wine. I am not an expert by any means, but have been tasting various wines for the better part of 10 years now and have developed some intense opinions. I started with white zinfandel like most people and have advanced to an intense love affair with dry reds. My favorite wine, however, is a lovely Chardonnay from Columbia Crest. It is the Chardonnay from their Grand Estate label and I cannot say enough about it. It is a fantastic golden color and leaves the mouth with a hint of butterscotch on the tongue. Incidentally, the merlot and cabernet from this label are also incredible; you can never go wrong with these wines.

3. Because Paco and my father love sports, I love sports by association. That being said, I prefer college level competition to the professionals - I believe there is much more passion and love with college athletes. As many of you know, it is time for March Madness. I always have a bracket and I always lose. This year, I wanted to warn any of you that are interested in picking teams for your own bracket: do not pick a team to win the whole thing simply because the team name sounds like a delicious cheese. I picked Gonzaga and they lost. I am officially out of the running.

We are going to a friends house for dinner tonight and I am responsible for dessert. Paco has requested Pecan Pie Cake. If I am feeling industrious, I will take a picture of the end result and post it within the next couple of days.

Happy Saturday!

Dinner Tonight

Well, I am going to make dinner tonight. I feel like it has been a long time since I have actually looked forward to doing that. Princess will be happy because her allowance is based on her doing her chores - one of which is setting the table. Most restaurants have already done that, which means she doesn't earn any money! Paco will be happy because it certainly means less money will be spent this evening.

The meal is going to be very simple BBQ chicken. I will place the uncooked, boneless and skinless chicken breasts in a casserole with sliced onions, bottled BBQ sauce, bacon bits and garlic. I will bake the dish at 375 degrees for roughly 45 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

I am serving the chicken with couscous, cooked in chicken stock, and a yet-to-be-determined steamed vegetable. Overall, I think the whole family will be pleased with this healthy and easy meal.

Dumb Excitement

I have been pestering Paco about getting a dishwasher. Until recently, I was able to do the dishes with little complaining. However, I have been angrier and angrier about the dishes piling up and having what amounts to little control over the state of my kitchen. (I live in a state of CHAOS - see www.flylady.com.) Of course, the price of a dishwasher does come up and there is always something else to buy (such as new pants for the ever-taller Princess.) Then, one day a week or two ago, I discovered paper plates. Now, I realize that these have been around for quite a while. But, I am quite suddenly able to clean up my kitchen in about ten minutes. This morning, Princess, Paco and I all ate breakfast together before work and school. I threw the plates away and left with very little next to the sink. I am stupidly excited.

Farewell!

I want to take this time to say goodbye to my coworkers, J and A. You will be missed! Good luck...

(Please don't forget to send us more artwork.)

Spicier

March has arrived, bringing with it the promise of spring and sunshine. Princess and TBEll have celebrated their birthday's and our home has been full of cookie cakes and school cupcakes. While I have managed to eat only 1/2 of 1 piece of cookie cake, I am still glad that all of that is over so I can stop feeling tempted by all of the sweets.

Side note: I have to say that I am still proud of myself for making the cookie cakes instead of buying them. I discovered last year that by using a cookie cake mix (or two, depending on the size of the pan), I can make my own cake at about 1/16 of the price compared to a cookie-bakery cake.

As promised, I am adding my recipe for spice pepperoni. These should be served either as an appetizer for or along with the lasagna.

Take one stick of pepperoni and cut into roughly 1 inch slices, set aside. In a large pot, empty two can or jars of sauce. (I tend to use homemade, but anything will do.) Now, add LOTS of spice. I often use spicy red peppers, garlic, onion, black pepper, cayenne pepper and red hot...feel free to use your imagination. Add the pepperoni. Bring the sauce to a small boil, then simmer for at least 5 hours. Check often and stir to prevent burning. When done, the casing will fall off of the pepperoni pieces and the meat will be extremely tender. Served on a decorative plate with toothpicks.

I adapted this recipe from an Italian college roommates family recipe. Enjoy!

Spice!

While growing up, my parents taught me that community involvement is very important. Both my father and my mother were involved in activities that took them away from home to meetings and events that both contributed to the greater good and gave them something other than children and work to think about. This lesson was well-learned and I am now away from home at least 2 to 3 nights a week. Luckily (if this can be considered luck), my husband is not so civic-minded so he is able to stay home with the kids while I am off gallivanting. This involvement, combined with my recent return to full time employment, means that my favorite meals have not been recently prepared. However, the below is something I try to make every couple of months!

My Lasagna

Cook one box of lasagna noodles. After they are done, dry them slightly on cooling racks. While the noodles are cooking, combine 1 container of ricotta cheese with one egg, garlic and oregano. Also, brown 1/2 pound Italian sausage and 1/2 pound hamburger, one onion and garlic to taste. Add a red sauce to taste. I usually make my sauce, but a prepared one will work just fine.

Smear some red sauce without the meat in a 9x13 pan. Put three noodles on the bottom. Spread ricotta mixture on noodles. Then, pour meat sauce on top. Add mozzarella, provolone and parmesean cheeses. Repeat until the top. The last layer should be noodles covered with meatless sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Take the cover off and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. You should let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. If possible, cook the day before and let cool overnight. Then, re-heat in the oven until hot all the way through. Lasagna is always better the next day.

I was planning on including my spicy pepperoni recipe, but have run out of time. I promise to give it to you very soon. (Sadly, this was supposed to tie my theme together - community involvement is the "spice of life."

More from Nothing!

It seems we are still recovering from viruses and illness. Princess stayed home from school today with an ear infection. I am starting to feel that this blog should have been dedicated to the difficulties of being a "work outside the home" mother. Having just recently returned to full time employment (I was mostly at home for more than two years), I am having trouble coordinating work and home tasks. I thought my blog would feature all of the recipes I would make for my loving family...I did not consider that working full time would seriously limit the amount of home made things I cook.

I did make shrimp scampi for friends last week. I made it by referencing many different recipes (mostly from www.foodtv.com) and choosing the things I liked best from all of them.

Melt 4T butter in a large saucepan
Add 1/4 cup olive oil
Add 1/4 cup Chardonnay
Add shrimp until pink, then remove

Add 3T crushed garlic, 3T oregano
Add 1 box cooked angel hair pasta, add more oil to taste
Add shrimp back to pan, cook for 3 minutes more

Pour into bowl, cover with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This was a big hit. I served it with crusty bread and chardonnay.

Enjoy!

I am back

Well, I realize that I have been missing for some time. I suppose that there are things that have (remarkably) taken precedence over this blog. I will try not to let that happen again.

I also have given some thought to the fact that I really should have more recipe's on here since that is supposed to be the main purpose. However, I seem to get distracted by other things...such as my current issue with Princess and her need to go to the nurses office every day. Or, Pirate's terrible temper. Or, Pirate and TBell's fever. Quite frankly, there has not been any great cooking in our house! Last night's dinner was reheated meatballs with jarred sauce on rolls. (Most of our meals this week were like this.) I must endeavor to make a little bit more of an effort!

On a positive note, I have managed to take care of some MD appointments that I have been putting off. I encourage everyone to take care of similar things - I feel so much better!

Please stay tuned for recipe's...I promise!

Life just keeps coming!

I don't know if I mentioned that TBell and Pirate had walking pneumonia over the Christmas break. Now Paco is home with strep throat; clearly our house needs a good airing out! The stress of getting back to normal life after the holidays is accompanied by a sick husband.

Another really exciting development is that our van is costing me $415 that I don't have! I dropped it off this morning for an inspection and was told this afternoon that it won't pass until certain repairs are made. I really don't like cars and would love to move to a city so I wouldn't have to depend on one.

I am still trying to decide on dinner; I will post my decision with a recipe later.

I hope that all of you (not sure how many there are...1 or 2?) have a much better day than I am...!

Heppy New Year

Well, the holidays are over. Everyone is extremely tired; Princess is not looking forward to waking up for school again. We have one more day off in our household and then it is back to normal. This time of year always seems so long!

MJWD and OtherD are having us over tonight to play and eat. So, there is no wonderful New Year's Day recipe to share with you. I grew up eating ham on New Year's Day and for a while tried to keep that tradition going. Paco did not feel as strongly, however, and the whole thing came to be too much effort. My friend One Hit is having ham today and was struggling with how long to cook it. We have decided that 15 minutes a pound will work, although ham is difficult to ruin so I think whatever ends up happening will be fine. I will ask her to keep us posted on her efforts!

Happy New Year!