Dear Mom and Dad-

2010-12-03T20:46:00.002-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad-
The upstairs washroom has always annoyed me for one reason and one reason only.

But today I am more than grateful for that one reason.

You see, I left my straightener on ALL day.

And I mean ALL day. I left the house at 7:30am and didn't return to that washroom until 8:45pm. That is when I saw the straightener on.

I had a little panic attack.

Said a little prayer of thanks that the house didn't burn down during those 13.25 hours.

And then I remembered.
The reason why this washroom annoys me.

The outlet shuts off when you turn off the lights.

That annoying feature may be the only reason that you will have a house to return to soon.

Love-
your favorite daughter who can't wait to see you

2010-09-10T09:01:00.000-06:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

I got you a new dishwasher.

It is really cute.

Sometimes it is really quiet but can get super loud at times.

And sometimes it gets water all over the counters and the floors.

But did I mention it is REALLY cute.

See. MUCH cuter than your old dishwasher.

Love-
your cute daughter (and even cuter granddaughter)

2010-09-08T08:53:00.003-06:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

Last week, my super hero helper, his cute little sister and their fabulous mother were helping me weed the garden.

And look what we found:

A CARROT! All by itself. We didn't plant it but we did eat it.

It is was better looking than it was tasting.

Lots of love-
your green thumbed daughter

2010-05-29T19:47:00.003-06:00

Dear Mom and Dad-
Guess what?

It's snowing. A lot.

I must say it does look kind of pretty with all the white snow on the green grass and trees.

Not sure your lilac tree would agree.

Like the pool that looks like it is our yard but it's really the neighbors?!? Not sure why they decided to put it right beside the fence... probably so I can just jump the fence and go for a swim.

Now if only it would stop snowing and go back to the 30 degree (90 Fahrenheit) weather we had 2 weeks ago.

Love-

your favorite daughter

Happy Birthday to YOU! part 2

2010-04-27T12:25:00.004-06:00

It's that magical time of year again.... MY BIRTHDAY.

2 years ago I shared with you a bunch of things you could sign up to enjoy on your birthday (click here to check them out)

Today I will share with you a few more I have discovered. And as far as I know they are all good in the U.S. and Canada (unless otherwise noted).

Papa Murphy's
free cookie dough with the purchase of any pizza (and coupons throughout the year)

Orange Julius
free 16 ounce Julius Fruit Drink (and coupons throughout the year)

Pizza Delight (only in Canada- big in the east with only a few locations out west)
free meal ON your birthday (and a coupon when you sign up)

Lofthouse Cookies
coupon for free cookies (I haven't received mine yet for this year. hmmm...)

Michaels- The Knack
coupon for store discount during your birthday month (and coupons throughout the year)

Sign up today and have an even happier birthday whenever that blessed day arrives.

Please share if you know of any other birthday deals!

2010-04-05T14:36:00.004-06:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

It has been a long time since I last "wrote" (even though I send you several emails a week!). My excuse for this past week is that it was SPRING BREAK!

As you know, I headed to Idaho and Utah where I was able to visit with a few friends. Not as many as I would have liked but that will just mean another trip in the near future!

One of the reasons I headed south was to attend General Conference. I got to go to both Sunday sessions and it was delightful. Thanks to my friends "presidential" connections we sat just 13 rows from the Prophet. So neat. I could make eye contact with the Quorum of the 12.
I so badly wanted to take pictures but since I was surrounded by family members of the people on the stand I was making eye contact with, I felt a little awkward.

After the morning session I was turning around to leave our row and who did I come face to face with? Sheri Dew. Oh my. I apologized and she kindly said "that's okay". (that may not have been her exact words but it was something to the effect of it being okay that I almost chest bumped her).

Don't worry- even after my brushes with fame I am still the same humble, wonderful daughter you remember.

Lots of love-
your humble, wonderful daughter

2010-02-21T20:20:00.004-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

Last night my roommate and I went to the ward party- a Dessert Cruise. It was fun. And made me want to go on another cruise! When you came in they took your picture. You then could watch a movie in the primary room, do aerobics in the young women's room, golf in the relief society room, games and karaoke in the gym. Then came the dessert. mmm. I decided to make No Bake Peanut Butter Toblerone Cheesecake (click here for recipe).

I LOVE making desserts but something always goes wrong when I make something to take somewhere. Well I should have been smart and cut it up before- but I didn't. Someone (who will remain nameless) had to come get me to find out if they should take my dessert out of the pan. Apparently they have never used a springform pan before. So I removed the rim and she immediately began cutting it like squares. That kind of disturbed me since it was in a circular shape. And cheesecake. Whatever. It was really soft since it was supposed to be refrigerated and it had been sitting on the kitchen counter for over an hour. My roommate actually had to go get it from the kitchen because they hadn't brought it out and it was one of very few desserts she could eat (gluten free other than the crust).

I didn't have any until today. When I took it out of the fridge I realized that no one had eaten the crust. (you can see the pan in the picture where I cut the crust). It may look nasty but it was tasty. But with peanut butter AND toblerone- how could it not?? I think it is funny that the one time my crust isn't crumbly and falling apart it gets stuck on the bottom of the pan!

Back to the cruise... after eating desserts they had a Guess Whose Legs contest. 7 men hid behind a curtain on the stage showing nothing but their legs. I guessed 3 out of 7 right. Then there was a fun and entertaining "talent" show. The Elders played ukuleles and sang the Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World song. I wonder if both of them knew how to play or if one taught the other. All of the other numbers were wonderful. It was a great evening and you were asked about by several people.

I am sick again- the last time (only a few weeks ago) I was congested. This time it is my throat. I sound like a man and may possibly lose my voice. I am subbing the next 3 days for a friend while she goes to the Olympics. So if I don't lose it from that, all will be well.

Love-
Your sick daughter

2010-02-14T11:16:00.003-07:00

Dear Mom & Dad-

Happy Valentine's Day!

(even though it was yesterday for you!)

I made these cookies for my primary class.

Gotta suck up on my first day of being their teacher.

Love-

Your sweetest daughter

2010-02-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom & Dad-
Tonight was the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. There is a whole lot of excitement buzzing throughout all of Canada.

All of the excitement made me realize I never shared with you the pictures I took of the Olympic torch. It was pretty exciting having it so close- just down the street. Since I had the day off, I had to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Here it is right before everyone showed up. (It reads Canada welcomes the world).
Here are some fun ladies that got all decked out. Sadly I forgot my maple leaf toque, sweatshirt, facepaint and ribbon at home. The flame is being passed- you can't really see it. The previous "runner" was in a wheel chair. As it passed right in front of me. Look at all the people!! And there it goes.

It was over pretty quick. But so neat. I sure wish I had the means to head to Vancouver to enjoy some events in person. Since I don't I will enjoy them from the comfort of the couch!

Let's go Canada!!

Love-

your proud to be Canadian daughter

2010-02-07T22:46:00.006-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad-

Last Friday night 4 of your granddaughters, 1 grandson and 1 of your OTHER daughters sleptover. It was a delightful evening consisting of some delicious appetizers- such as Brontosaurus stew, Polar Bear Pancakes and Triceratops Soup. mmmmmm.

And thirst quenching beverages. We ended the evening with a Barbie movie and popcorn.

Saturday morning began with Elmo & Cookie Monster waffles. I had finished up a bottle of syrup 2 days before on my french toast and just assumed there was more in the storage room. But there was none to be found. Luckily I remembered a recipe I copied down this summer after having waffles at my friend Martha's house. So while I made the waffles, Kristi made the syrups and all feasted and enjoyed.

Apparently your granddaughters have requested that their mothers make the syrup for them so I promised I would share the recipe. Hopefully you will have an opportunity to try it in the Philippines. If not, I promise to make it for you upon your return.

It isn't healthy. But it is delicious.

Cinnamon Syrup (makes a BIG batch so you will likely want to half it)

1 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup evaporated milk

Heat everything except milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Then add milk.

*when you reheat syrup- don't bring to a boil.

I hadn't tried this next one before but Martha told me it was delightful so I copied it down as well. And boy, am I glad I did. So scrumptious.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Melt butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add:

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Love-
your waffle-eating-everyday-until-the-syrup-is-gone daughter

p.s. these syrups would be a FABULOUS way to celebrate the upcoming Pancake Day- February 16th.

2010-02-04T15:04:00.003-07:00

Dear Mom & Dad-
I went to the temple tonight. It was lovely- of course. Saw lots of familiar faces- and they all asked about you which I of course LOVE to talk about.
But unfortunately they also asked "Are you teaching?" To which I hate to talk about. Because I am not teaching. And I want to be. So I feel like a big loser. But the temple made it all better.

On my way home I swung by this place- It truly is delightful. So many fun things to dream of buying. Or wonder who in the world would buy (and eat!). They do have a selection of gluten free goods. Since my new roommate is celiac I thought I would try to buy some gluten free flour and pasta so I could make food that she could eat. I don't know yet what I am going to make- but be at peace as I will let you know what I make when I make it.
I am a little hesitant though since I made Puffed Corn Squares (rather than Puffed Wheat Squares) on Saturday. Luckily I had some before she came home. I was watching a movie when she arrived home so I told her they were available for her consumption. Well after the movie I went in the kitchen to find that she had eaten the ENTIRE PAN. I was shocked. And kind of mad. Don't people know that you should leave the last piece for the person who made it?

some people.

So what will she do if I make cookies, or banana bread. Or muffins. I would like to try some since I have never had gluten free cookies, banana bread or muffins.

Maybe I just need to be more charitable. Or like your grandson Taylor and shove as much in my mouth as I can in case it does all disappear before I finish swallowing. :)

Love-
your most charitable daughter

2010-01-30T14:15:00.004-07:00

Dear Mom-

Your plant is dying. I am not too sure why as I ,being the obedient daughter that I am, water it each Saturday like you said to.

(I would like to say I tried to get the fuzzy white part at the bottom of the picture, but I am not sure how it happened!!)

The only thing I can think of is one of your OTHER daughters caused it harm when they were in charge of watering while I was in Vegas.

What shall I do about it?

I assume you don't know how to comment so I will teach you-

*right below this post are the words "0 comments" (or another number depending on how many people have commented). Click on that.

*Then type in your comment.

*You will also need to fill in the word verification area- just copy what it says.

*If you are logged into your gmail, you should be logged in so just click on "publish your comment". If you are not- then just enter your gmail information.

Don't make me regret teaching you how to comment! :)

Love-

Your obedient daughter

I am getting a dog.

2010-01-30T09:44:00.006-07:00

Dear Mom and Dad-
It is so convenient really... I just mentioned in the other post how I want a dog so very badly. You know this of course. I know you always said you didn't want another one after our dear ol' Snuff passed on- but I know deep down you would LOVE to spend your days with a cute little thing that will cuddle with you when you watch TV or sleep at your feet each night. Well Kristi (one of your OTHER daughters) found the perfect solution for us all on Freecycle.Ad reads: Little girl Chinese crested (hairy hairless). Lucky is 8 weeks old and is in need of a good forever home. She was born with a
slight heart murmur so she is NOT suited for an active lifestyle. She would do
great in a smaller quiet home or apartment. She is very lovable and will remain
quite small (approx 10 lbs).

How perfect is that?? It was like she was made for you- quiet forever home. lovable. small. FREE.

And you can't tell me you won't love waking up to this every morning.
You can thank me later!

Love-
Your favourite daughter

There is Good News and There is Bad News.

2010-01-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

The good news is:
I am going to try blogging everyday.

The bad news is:
It is probably going to be very boring. Because my life is boring.

Since my parents are on the other side of the world, and I am their favourite, smartest, most beautiful daughter, and they wonder what I am doing every day without them here-I have decided I am going to fill that void in their lives.

So you are welcome to check in whenever you desire. I will try my best to be funny and/or exciting.

But don't hold your breath.

Vegas- part 2

2010-01-28T22:42:00.003-07:00

Since I have been home for 3 weeks, I figured it was time to share more about my adventures in Vegas.

It certainly was an adventure spending Christmas away from family and with no snow. And it was my very first Christmas not in Canada. But it sure was nice spending it with Alisa. We did what we wanted, when we wanted. It was perfect. Here is Alisa's cute tree surrounded by all our gifts waiting to be opened.

And here is cute little Buddy enjoying his new friend. I want a dog. Real badly.

One adventure happened when I was walking cute little Buddy. I saw a card on the ground- which at first I thought was a credit card but when I picked it up I discovered it was a gift card. I thought for sure there was nothing on it but it wouldn't hurt to check. My investigation proved there was $7.86 remaining. Then I discovered something else. It is from Dr. Phil. And his wife Robin. It started with $500 on it. And my holiday would have been greater if I would have found it then! But I do appreciate the $7.86 towards one of my Target purchases. Thanks Dr. Phil. And thanks to the person you gave it to that dropped it on the ground/tried to throw it away but missed the garbage can.

We decided to ring in the new year in San Diego. So we drove past the tallest thermometer in the world-which was kind of cool except I think it is kind of lame you can't see the temperature when you are next to it.

After a delightful dinner in Old Town San Diego we went to some of the shops where we saw a skateboarding chicken.

But since it was New Year's Eve all the shops were closing early. And we couldn't decide what to do for the rest of the evening- but we did agree we wanted to see the temple. I would have preferred to see the inside of it but settled for the beautiful outside.

That was the extent of our evening's events. Sad but true. We were asleep by 11pm. But that meant we could wake up "early" and head to the beach. Which was beautiful. A little breezy. But sunny and warm. Unless you are from Vegas. Then you think it is freezing. And you bundle up like this-

I don't get it. I couldn't handle the pansy Vegasites complaining about being cold so I went for a walk to discover the beach. It was delightful. I wish I was still there.

We headed back to Vegas that afternoon to continue the adventures there.

My friend had to go back to work so that meant Buddy and I got to spend the daytime together- alone. I was happy about it. He- wasn't so much apparently. This is what I found when I came down the stairs one morning.

He sure is cute- even though he apparently wasn't happy with what he saw.

I spent 3 weeks in Vegas and only went to the strip once. And it was to see-
by Cirque d'Soleil. It was fun. Odd. But fun. The usher who sat us said there was no photography allowed. I assumed that meant of the stage and the performance. But when we tried to take a self-photo of us well before the show started and she yelled at me to put it away- I knew she meant at all. She said they even confiscate cameras. Wow. If she really wants a picture of me and the 6 chins that came out for that photo, be my guest.
So we took one outside- after the show. I look a little freaky. But I had just watched some freaky stuff so it is to be expected.
And to end my adventures- a picture of how they like to hide their cell towers in Vegas. I think it is hilarious. But not as hilarious when they disguise it as a pine tree... because that blends in so well in the middle of the desert.

oh Vegas- how I miss thee. Especially when I returned home to a 45 degree Celsius (85 Fahrenheit) drop in temperatures.

Walking the Streets of Vegas

2009-12-21T09:51:00.005-07:00

Other than shopping and watching movies (which I have done a bit of thus far), the other thing I get to do plenty of is walking this guy...He sure is cute. Until he has to stop at every bush to check it out and every other bush gets this done to it:

But that isn't the only thing I get to see while out on our walks.

We see palm trees. I LOVE palm trees. One day I would like to live somewhere with a palm tree in my yard. Well I guess I did live in Vegas but only for 4 months so that doesn't count.

We see tons of garbage. Which makes me ill since at least half of it could be recycled.

And then there are the weird street names. How many of you can say you've stood on the corner of Tantalizing and Fascinating? The worst I have seen yet- Tender Tassels. Yep. That's a real street name. But it sounds more like a stripper name. or a disease. "My tender tassels have been acting up again." Yikes. If you are not looking up at the street names, you will see these on the sidewalk. Every couple feet. I don't know if this is a Vegas thing or a this neighborhood thing. Either way it is weird. And I don't like it. I prefer my sidewalks to be pure sidewalks.

And rows of empty, never lived in houses. That are apparently being sold for $50,000.

Anyone want to go in with me to purchase a vacation home? I am sure it will be worth at least triple that in a few years.

But the best thing is being able to go on a walk wearing these- capris AND flip-flops.

It is even more exciting since the place I escaped from looked like this when I left :

and it was a freezing -40. (not to be confused with a balmy -40).

The best thing about our walk this morning was finding a coupon on the ground for $10 off a $20 purchase at Kohl's. Hello. Gotta go.

The Twilight Years

2009-12-17T01:04:00.000-07:00

I thought this was VERY funny.

Enjoy!

Twilight Years from

my daughter about needing to blog more.

So here I am.

28,000 feet in the air to be exact. I am currently flying to Vegas for Christmas. Why Vegas you ask? Because nothing says Christmas like watching people drink away their brain cells and gamble away their earnings.

But that is about all you are going to get from me today... since my battery is going to die. And we are beginning our decent.

I will be back. Soon. I promise.

Seriously??!?

2009-11-13T11:43:00.005-07:00

My Mom and Dad's birthdays are exactly 2 weeks apart.

When I was at the post office mailing my Dad's birthday card, I thought I would be smart and buy a stamp for my Mom's card too.

A week and a half before my Mom's birthday (31 days ago) I dropped her card in a mail box. Two days later, I found the stamp I had bought for her card. Oops. So I waited for it to be returned. And waited. And waited.

I thought maybe one of the blessings of having your parents serve a mission was free postage- so I told my Mom to watch out for it.

This morning, I checked the mail and there is was.

Seriously? It took 31 days for them to realize there was no stamp and return it to me.

I think I could have walked it to the Philippines faster than that.

So Mom- now it is really on it's way. Hopefully it will get to you before your NEXT birthday.

The Human Pin Cushion

2009-10-16T21:00:00.004-06:00

The other day I went to get a blood test. And this is what happened...

right arm: left arm:

yup. I got poked 4 times. 4 times!!
And only one of them worked. My veins have become hard to find lately. Apparently VERY hard to find.

The girl poked me once and it didn't work. So she went to get someone else.

Who tried. And holy schmolies did it hurt. Bad.
Then she tried again.

Apparently they are only supposed to try twice.
But as she told the first girl "rules are meant to be broken". Interesting.

She said I might have to come back another day. Which I really did not want to do.
She decided to try one more time. And luckily it worked.

Hopefully I won't have to get another blood test for a VERY long time.

I should post a picture of the 2 beautiful bruises that have appeared.

But I will spare you.

A Word to the Wise

2009-10-16T20:55:00.002-06:00

Whatever you do- DO NOT go see the movie Couples Retreat.

It is NOT funny. (I might have laughed 3 times. maybe.)

It is VERY inappropriate. And dumb.

The only good thing about it was I didn't have to pay since I went as a mystery shopper.
More about that later.

Coincidence?

2009-10-05T12:48:00.004-06:00

It was an interesting week this past week. Monday morning my phone rings at 7:30. It was the substitute system calling with a job. It was for a kindergarten class at the school one of my nieces goes to... and she just happens to be in kindergarten. So I call my sister to see if it was for her teacher. It is. Crazy. I showered, got ready and drove there in time for 8:10. Yikes. I walk into the classroom and discover the teacher's aid is a girl from my ward. Crazy. It turned out that the teacher has a flu and as a precaution she is required to stay home for a week. So I spent a week in kindergarten and LOVED it. They sure are cute and fun.

What are the chances that I got that phone call Monday morning- to be my niece's teacher and with the girl from my ward?? Coincidence? or destiny? ha ha.

Last weekend I was reminded of another crazy happening. 3 years ago my friend really wanted to go camping in Delaware for her birthday. So 4 girls headed out for the adventure Friday night. Saturday we hung out around Cape May before heading back to Virginia. It was the Relief Society broadcast that night so we found a stake center that was on our way home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. We got there right when it was starting and found seats on the front row. As soon as it ended, my friend and I went to the washroom. While I was washing my hands I hear "Shelley?" I turn around and there was a lady from my home stake. She was visiting her parents in New Jersey. CRAZY. What are the chances that we would stop at that stake center? And both be in the bathroom at the same time?

It really is a small world after all.

What's a post without a picture. So here are the 3 girls flying a kite on the beach at Cape May.

Movies

2009-09-16T08:02:00.002-06:00

Let's talk movies.
Or shall I say- get comfortable. Because I am going to talk about movies. And then you can have your say when I am finished. ha.

Have you seen (or read) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas? If not go get it. Today. I haven't read the book but I am going to. (as soon as I am finished my current one).
The movie wasn't very advertised. Why is that? Some movies have the snot advertised out of them. And others- you never hear of. I understand budgets and such. But why. I don't think I even heard about this movie until I saw it in RedBox. But seeing it this weekend changed me.
It is sad. And inspiring. And thought provoking. And sad.
Here is the trailer if you would like a little taste of the sadness-

Certainly a different perspective of the Holocaust. The book is for teens and the movie is clean- other than the fact that it is about the Holocaust.

Okay. now to my second thought about movies. Many moons ago they had Cheap Tuesdays. You could go to any theater on Tuesday and enjoy a movie for a "cheaper" price. Then for some reason they had to double movie prices. And eliminate Cheap Tuesdays. I don't get it.

Well the theater by my house stayed strong. They resisted the temptation to rip off their customers... at least on Tuesdays. And boy did they benefit. I think the whole city would come out. You couldn't find a place to park. You had to show up at least 30 minutes early to get a somewhat decent seat.

Until yesterday.

My friend and I went to see a movie. Because it was Cheap Tuesday. There were signs everywhere with the title "Advisory". There were LOTS of words on it. So I read the first paragraph. Something about some company (I will not mention) is sponsoring Tuesdays. You can buy a movie ticket, a medium popcorn and a medium drink for $11.45. That is a savings of 50%. Their words- not mine.

While I was standing in line, I read the other paragraph. Which explained that Cheap Tuesdays were gone and T****S Tuesday's are in. Starting today. I was mad. I only go to movies on Tuesdays. Because I am cheap. I bring my own snacks to movies. See. Cheap.

So the lovely guy at the ticket counter said it would be $11.90 for a ticket. Or I could get popcorn and pop for $11.45. So I took the deal. Who wouldn't.

Which got me thinking. Everywhere you look nowadays the focus is eating healthy and being active. So then this company is willing to put it's name on a weekly "event" that encourages you to do nothing but sit for at least 2 hours. And consume a large amount of popcorn and pop. I don't get it. And I don't like it.

So I probably won't go see a movie again unless it is at the cheap theater. Or I have a coupon.

I am done. (in more ways than one).

STAY AWAY!

2009-08-24T22:56:00.003-06:00

These are evil. And when I say evil, I mean totally tasty. So tasty and evil that once you start, you can't stop. mmmmmm.

A friend told me about them. I saw them. Bought them. And love them. I 've suffered through baked chips before and they aren't so tasty. But Old Dutch got it right. Lots of flavor. Lack of grease.

And guess what? You can eat 27 chips to equal a serving. Hello.

Sorry my American friends... I think these are only available in Canada. But maybe the USofA will get something right and start importing these. ha.

The fruits (and vegetables) of our labors.

2009-08-21T15:29:00.007-06:00

My parents have a pretty amazing garden. And they were kind enough to plant potatos, peas, carrots and beans even though they would be out of the country to partake of the bountiful harvest.
Or help with the weeding or harvesting... hmmm.
how convenient. too convenient.

I spent an hour in the hot sun, battling bugs and thorns and weeds to get these beauties-

Pretty sure it is all going to be worth it when I have a yummy
baked potato and green beans for dinner.
And some raspberries and ice cream for dessert.

Thanks Mom and Dad! I love you!

Super Delicious Yummy Ham

2009-08-20T18:22:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe from Rose- a lady on my mission. So I call it Rose's Ham. But you can call it whatever you want. It is super delicious and yummy. So feel free to call it that.

I tried to take pictures throughout but of course didn't get pictures at the beginning or the end...

First step is to bake ham frozen, with skin on at a low heat (about 150 to 200 degrees) "all day". My ham wasn't frozen so I was a little worried about cooking it all day. Plus my oven would only go as low as 170 degrees. So I put it in the oven before leaving for church and it was "done" when I got home- 3 hours later.

Take out of oven- remove skin and fat.

Now comes the delicious part.

Mix together:
2 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
3 or 4 shakes of soy sauce
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup or less ketchup

(my ham was pretty small so I halved the glaze recipe)

It will be pretty thick- paste the glaze onto the ham. Cover the ham as best you can and just pour in the rest of the glaze.

Return to the oven- but this time at 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes- basting it with the glaze a few times.
I tried to baste it about every 5 minutes. The glaze becomes very liquidy and easy to spoon over the ham.

I made this to take to my sisters for dinner. So I just put it in a container, poured over the glaze- it travelled perfectly.

Just before eating we sliced it, poured some glaze over the slices and dug in. Pretty sure my brother-in-law ate half of it.

My sister also made a plain ham (that was HUGE) so there were lots leftover. I took a few pieces, put them in my container with some glaze and enjoyed it the next day.

Try it. You will love it.

Dorm Food.

2009-08-05T11:07:00.002-06:00

Living in a dorm for 3 weeks is an interesting experience. Especially when you only have a mini fridge and microwave (and have to share a bathroom and showers with 9 other ladies). My friend/roomie Rachel and I decided to do a lot of experimenting with her sandwich maker. or Snack Master as she likes to call it.

Here is what we made-

Pizza Sandwiches. Pretty tasty. Put sauce, cheese and desired toppings (we enjoyed ham and pineapple) on a piece of bread. Top with another piece of bread... and enjoy.

Have you seen that infomercial for the GT Express 101? She makes something called Stuffed Soup so we decided to give it a try too. You mix stuffing, chicken and cream of chicken soup. It was pretty messy as you can see... But it was tasty.

We were pretty good at making breakfast... We made eggs which were probably my favorite. I don't know that I will make eggs in a frying pan ever again.

This is when we made eggs the first time. The next few times we added cheese and ham. Mmmmm.

We also made pancakes. Rachel loves sausages so we added them to her side.

Here is the final product... So yummy. Not sure if I will ever make pancakes in a frying pan ever again either.

Here is Rachel enjoying the goods.

We made cupcakes. I saw this mix a couple months ago and knew it would be perfect for our dorm living. And it was. While they don't look like cupcakes they sure tasted like them. Especially with yummy cream cheese frosting.

My battery died so I didn't have a chance to take pictures of everything we made. Other breakfast foods included muffins. And other desserts like brownies and cookies.

We made breakfast for our class one morning. It was so fun feeding 10 people a meal of muffins, pancakes, sausages, and eggs all made in a sandwich maker.

Now I need to go purchase one for myself.

Remember me?

2009-07-19T10:07:00.009-06:00

Holy Schmolies it has been a long time since I lost blogged.

It has been a CRAZY month.

-I finished my 5 week teaching assignment and found out that a GYM teacher was getting the position. I don't want to talk about it.

-My parents left on their mission. And should now be in the Philippines although the last time I heard from them they were in the Taipei airport. Really hope they aren't wandering aimlessly.

-Celebrated Canada Day with some of the family. Yummy breakfast. Delicious BBQ. Too bad I was just recovering from the 24 hour flu so I didn't get to enjoy as much as I would have liked to.

-Started 2 online classes. Statistics and Research Methods. There are about as fun as they sound. Luckily there are only 2 weeks left of them.

-Unluckily they happen the same time as my 3 on campus classes. Yup. I am living it up in the dorms again. I am enjoying the delightfully fresh produce available in Washington. I am not, however, enjoying the fierce wind that comes with being in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Wind is my least favorite element. I would take snow, rain and of course sun over wind any day.

-What am I talking about? I have been enjoying the produce of Washington before I even left Alberta. I seriously think I have personally consumed at least 6 pounds of cherries in the last 2 weeks. Mmmmm.

-I had the opportunity and blessing of staying with some Virginia friends who are now living it up in Spokane. I was hoping to get pictures with all of the friends I was reuniting with this summer but forgot to take a picture. But I did get a picture of the cute little welcome gift Megan left on my bed. So fun. (and my battery just died as I was loading the pictures on to my computer so it looks like I won't be getting any other photos either since I forgot my charger at home).

-Amidst all the studying and paper writing I have had a few opportunities for fun. Like shopping at Target and Grocery Outlet (I seriously LOVE that store), going to the Seattle Temple (which p.s. is the MOST confusing temple I have EVER been to. And no workers to direct you), eating at Sonic and Chipotle. Mmmm. We were told about this amazing thrift store on Mercer Island in the Seattle area. Apparently the island is quite hoitey toitey and everything they donate is too. It was pretty impressive. But I was surprised how many clothes were stained/dirty. Apparently their maids didn't wash the clothes before donating them. And apparently no one on the island is larger than size 12.

-And my friend Anna (who I knew from home but married a guy from around here) had me and my friend/roomie Rachel over for dinner last Sunday. It was so nice to get out of the dorms, have real (and mighty delicious) food, play fun games and do lots of catching up.

-Today starts the last week of my on campus classes. I am more than overjoyed. We have a new professor each week and our professor for this last week is goooood looking. Pretty sure our class of 18 ladies isn't going to have any problems staying awake.

Mmmmmm.... Pie.

2009-06-26T09:47:00.002-06:00

Over 3 years ago I said that I would share a recipe for the greatest pie EVER and never did! I am not a big pie fan but this one is delicious. It tastes like cookie dough/chocolate chip cookie. Mmmm. The first time I had it, I was in LOVE. I asked my friend for the recipe and he was kind enough to share it. I have made it 3 times since then (3 times in 3 years... there is something serwiously wrong with that) but for some reason it doesn't taste AS amazing as it did the first time. Maybe he is like the lady on my mission that would leave out an ingredient whenever she shared a recipe with someone so that theirs would never work out and hers would always be the best. Funny. But mean.

So anyways- it is really yummy. And I will just have to keep making it until it is as delightful as the original.

*Note: okay... so I did some research looking up other pictures and recipes online and it is indeed supposed to be gooey in the middle (like I remember). I am not sure why mine always turns out more like a cookie. I will do some experimenting and get back to you. But in the meantime- give this a try. It is still mighty tasty.

Kentucky Derby Pie

1 pie shell
2 eggs- beaten
1/2 cup butter- melted & cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans- chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix eggs & cooled butter.
Add sugar & flour, then vanilla , nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes.
(watch the crust & cover with foil if getting too dark)

I made little tart size for our family's monthly birthday celebration. What says Happy Birthday more than a sparkler in a tart?
Not much.
Not much.

Adventures in Organizing

2009-06-25T21:56:00.005-06:00

Here is a glimpse into some of the organizing I have been doing the past 2 weeks. There is a great pantry in the Foods Lab... but it is FULL of stuff. Every shelf was completely packed. And dusty. Oh my. So here are some before and after pictures. Sorry they are not the exact same shot but hopefully it all makes sense. And it is a small room so hard to get a lot in one shot.

The top left side- before:

Top left side- after: Bottom left side- before:

Bottom left side- after:

Top middle- before:

Top middle- after:

Bottom middle- before:

Bottom middle- after:

Right side- before:

Top right side- after:

Bottom right side- after:

It is SOO much better. Pretty sure there was stuff in there that hasn't moved since I was in high school. I love just walking in there and looking around. It makes me smile. Shout out to my sister for helping me out with the final touches!

J-E-L-L-O

2009-06-21T23:03:00.006-06:00

I love Jell-O. I don't know if it is necessarily the taste of it. Or more of what you can do with it. (especially with the fabulous molds/jell-o cutters out there).

It is almost always a side dish for our Sunday family dinners. Some like it with fruit. Some like it without. So we have to have 2 different kinds to please everyone. The kids tend to eat more jell-0 than the "normal" food. But who can blame them?

Not me.

For our today's Sunday dinner I made everyone's name in Jell-O.

It was a special Sunday for 2 reasons.

1) It is Father's Day. (Hi Dad! I love you!!)

2) It is the second last time my family will be all together for 18 months. (my parents leave in 8 days for the Philippines -via the MTC of course!)

9 batches (or 18 boxes) of Jell-O later we were blessed with this:

plus one more table that I didn't get a photo of.

And me. I was actually short an S so I had to steal one from my sister Kristi for this photo.

Until I ate the evidence I was known as Helley.

(Please ignore the nasty hair and makeup. I was in a rush this morning- hence the waves and I bought new powder that apparently makes me look like more of a freak!)

To make jell-o Jigglers you need:

4 boxes of jell-o (the normal 4 serving size)

2 1/2 cups boiling water.

Mix and pour into 9x13 pan.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes (the longer you refrigerate, the more solid it gets)

In my adventures of making 9 batches of jell-0 I learned a few things.

*halve the batch when making lots of different colors (so 2 boxes & 1 1/4 cups boiling water in a square pan)

*mixing the power and water in a separate bowl (or liquid measuring cup) and then pouring in your pan creates better jell-o. Not too sure why- but it does.

*the recipe says to place the bottom of pan in warm water for 15 seconds to aid in getting the goods out. I found the greasing the pan with a little cooking spray works much bigger wonders.

Okay.

2009-06-17T20:53:00.003-06:00

Okay. Okay. I will keep blogging. The problem wasn't lack of comments. It was that my life us dull and I assume people don't want to hear about it. But you spoke. And I listened.

So here is my dull life.

My teaching job has been an adventure. NOTHING like what I thought it would be.

I was so excited to do the film study with the drama classes... but quickly realized they were not ready to handle anything like that (or anything really!)

I have met some of the rudest teenagers ever. But thankfully have met some amazing ones too. My fellow teachers are fabulous and have been super welcoming. I am asked daily if I will be coming back next year. And because everything in the world of education is so last minute, I still don't know. Hopefully I will know soon. Some days I want to teach there forever (okay, maybe not forever but at least another year) and other days I don't even want to finish up the day. For some reason Tuesdays are the roughest days. I cried the last 2. Thankfully last Tuesday I was able to hold the tears in until I was alone in my room at lunch time.

There are only 7 school days left. And 5 of those are exam or activity days. I am in the process of cleaning the kitchens and sewing lab. Everything is a huge mess. The teacher I replaced pretty much just walked out (not sure why. There are rumors of her being fired and her Dad being sick. Not sure what to believe). There is stuff everywhere. After I clean something I think "I should have taken a before picture." So I will try to be better from now on and show you the mess I am dealing with.

The time has come.

2009-06-09T23:31:00.002-06:00

I have finally realized what you have known all along...

My life isn't worth blogging about.

It's been fun. I appreciate you joining me in my "adventures".

Thanks!

There is a first time for everything...

2009-06-02T15:33:00.002-06:00

Today.
Was an interesting day.
And it is only 3:30. But I am ready for it to be over.
Today I cried in front of students for the first time. And hopefully the last.
Luckily it was the last class of the day.
But unluckily there was still 30 minutes left in the period.

Let's just say I forgot how rude teenagers can be.
Now I need to go make some IFHRTCB Bars and eat half the pan before I go to bed tonight!

IFHRTCB Bars

2009-05-26T20:33:00.007-06:00

I saw this recipe on the cooking blog- Sweet Sista' and knew right away that I HAD to make them.

She called them Pink Slip Bars because she made them for co-workers after finding out they were all being laid off.

I made these 2 months ago. But if I made them today I could name them:

I Just Got a REAL Job Bars.

Or I Forgot How Rude Teenagers Can Be Bars.

Or I Filled Up With Gas Before the Price Went Up Bars.

I the last one hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will tomorrow and then I may just have to celebrate with these bars.

They are perfect for any "celebration" in your life!

1 cup butter- softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (I used a 10x 15, but maybe 13 x 18 would be better).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter- softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons milk

food coloring (if desired)

Frosting: Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined. Then add milk and food coloring mix until smooth and spreading consistency. I like to beat frosting for at least 5 minutes so it's light and fluffy.

I was told by a friend that this is the most amazing frosting she has ever had. She couldn't eat the bars but asked for a container of frosting instead!!

They are so delicious.

This is what the pan looked like the next morning. Pretty sure the rest were devoured shortly after this picture was taken.

I apologize for the large clump of words. I have tried several times to put spaces throughout but they disappear when I post. Can anybody help me?

I got a job!!

2009-05-21T12:45:00.005-06:00

9 months into the school year and I finally got a real teaching job.
The good news is- there is only 5 weeks left of school. And I am teaching Foods and Fashion!
The bad news is- I have to teach drama as well.

My interview- if you can call it that- consisted of 2 questions.
1- Do you have any Home Ec. experience?
2- Do you have any Drama experience?

oh and I guess a 3rd- Do you want the job?

If only they could all be like that. I am not too sure what happened to the lady I am replacing??

When I said no to the drama experience, the Principal said that I could just do film studies with my 2 classes since there are only a few weeks left.

So that is where you come in. I need some help. And great ideas.
I think it might be fun to pick an emotion or issue and show a bunch of clips that show it- and then have the students rate each one as to how it came across, if it was real, convincing, etc.
Is that a good or horrible idea?

And then I thought it might be fun to show either a movie or clips from each genre of movie. And then we could discuss each one, etc.
Is that a good or horrible idea?

Please help. I need suggestions of movies, emotions, good genre examples, better ideas, etc!!

What would YOU like to do if you were in a junior high drama class for the last 5 weeks of school?

I am in love...

2009-05-19T22:36:00.005-06:00

with a cookie.

We had an opportunity to fall in love years ago. But I couldn't see past it's cakey texture and not so delicious taste (made from a different recipe).

But then yesterday, we had a couple very ripe bananas that were screaming to be baked into something delicious. So I went to my favorite website and typed in Bananas.

Amongst a ton of recipes was Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies. With 7 practically perfect ratings, I thought I would give our relationship one more shot. (fyi- it is only available on the Kraft Canada site. Hmmmmm... interesting).

It was love at first bite. And when it says crunchy peanut butter- it means crunchy peanut butter. The little chunks of peanut add a delightful contrast to the moist texture.

So next time you buy bananas grab an extra big bunch. Then you will just HAVE to bake some Peanut Butter Banana cookies with the ones you just couldn't eat before they got too ripe.

Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies
(Kraft)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar-firmly packed
3/4 cup each: KRAFT Crunchy Peanut Butter
3/4 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in bananas
Combine flours and baking powder. Add to banana mixture, mixing well. Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 35o◦ 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack

**Don't have too high expectations though. Just like going to a movie... (hopefully I am not the only one this happens to) when you expect something truly amazing you are prone to disapointment. So just expect something mildly tasty and you may end up being pleasantly surprised!!

Spaghetti Pie

2009-05-16T09:46:00.006-06:00

It is so easy. And I love it.

Spaghetti.

There is just something about it.

When I was younger I would request it for my birthday meal. And still enjoy it today!

Fast. Cheap. And easy. What's not to love?

The other day when I got a hankering for spaghetti, I decided to do some investigating to find a recipe* for spaghetti with a twist. And this is what I found.

Spaghetti Pie
(Kraft)

1/2 pound lean ground beef-cooked & drained
1 cup pasta sauce
3 eggs
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 cups cooked spaghetti
1 cup mozzarella cheese- shredded

Mix meat and pasta sauce; set aside. Beat eggs and Parmesan cheese in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add pasta; toss to coat.

Spread pasta mixture onto bottom and up side of lightly greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350◦ for 20 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.
Let stand 5 min. Cut into six wedges to serve.

I thought 3 eggs sounded a little much. So I only put in 2. It worked fine. But probably would have resulted in a more clean-cut-pie-slice-look if I had added the 3rd.

Still delicious. And fun.

*The Kraft website is a WONDERFUL resource for recipes. You can type in a couple ingredients and it will bring up lots of recipes for you to choose from. Check it out: Canada USA (be careful when you click on the US site. I had my volume up and it almost scared me right out of my pajama pants!)

For my favorite Mom.

2009-05-10T08:33:00.000-06:00

FYI: This may look like the real deal, but it isn't. I made it. So please don't judge them by my lack of abilities. The real bouquets are fabulous and delicious. And much more professional looking.

Vacay #3: Idaho

2009-05-07T13:41:00.004-06:00

Yep. I went on 3 vacations in the month of April. The 3rd one happened quickly- the planning and happening. I heard about a "summit" that was happening at my Alma Mater.
I really wanted to go for various reasons.
My parents got a little jealous of my vacationing lifestyle and wanted to join me. And my sister decided to tag along too.
Their coming meant the gas money wasn't just coming out of my wallet (which means more money for shopping at Target). But unfortunately also meant less (no) time for visiting my friends in that neck of the woods.

The best part of our 64 hour vacation was when I opened my fortune cookie after enjoying a delightful meal of sweet & sour chicken and fried rice from Fong's and saw this:

Nice. Looks like Vacay #4 is just around the corner!

So delicious.

2009-05-01T21:49:00.002-06:00

Do you love these cookies as much as I do?

They are so soft and delicious.

If so- wipe the drool off your keyboard and

join the Lofthouse Cookie Club HERE.

I joined 2 months ago. And since then I have received 2 coupons each for a $1 off AND a complimentary tote bag!!

And for my birthday I received a coupon for a free package of cookies. Growing old has never tasted so good.

Join today and enjoy a package of my favorites: Sugar Cookies.

Or these: Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut cookies. I had no idea they made these. But, oh my, they are tasty.

And I just found out they have an outlet in Ogden, Utah. ummm.... pretty sure I will be making a stop there on my next journey south on I-15. Anyone want to meet me there?

Have you ever...

2009-04-30T12:51:00.001-06:00

Had Cheetos the size of a marshmallow?

I have. And they are fun. And big.

My one complaint-They need to put a little cheesyness in the middle, as it is a lot of "fluff" with just a little cheesyness.

But I love it that you don't have orange fingers after eating them!!

Most Talked About Recipe

2009-04-29T18:00:00.001-06:00

A long time ago (12 years ago maybe), my sister Kristi introduced me to a recipe for Chicken Roll Ups. They were delightful. I would forget about them. But when I remembered them, I would eat them. And love them.

In college, my roommate Amanda made them. I don't remember what she called them but I do remember one thing she did differently.

Then I moved to Virginia. And my friend made them. But she called them Chicken Pillows. And made them a little differently.

When my sister Kim came to visit me in Virginia 1 1/2 years ago, I made them for her and her family. Apparently this was her first time partaking of them. And she ,too, loved them.

About a month ago, my sister Andrea was telling me about this recipe she was going to try, called Chicken Pillows. She told me about the recipe and they were very similar but had a few differences from my Chicken Roll Ups. I laughed as I thought everyone in my family had now been introduced to this recipe.

2 weeks ago I was visiting my friend Anitra in Virginia and she told me about a recipe for Chicken Pillows. Once again, the idea was the same, but had small differences.

Now I truly believe that the whole world has made/tried these. But apparently there are several variations out there. So I will share it for those few people who haven't yet experienced them, or want to try a different variation.

Chicken Roll Ups

2 cups cut up chicken
8 ounces cream cheese
2 sticks celery- chopped
1/2 cup onion- minced
1/4 cup silvered almonds
1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cans crescent rolls or biscuits
4 Tablespoons melted margarine
2/3 cup Stovetop stuffing

Roll out rolls.
Put 1/2 cup of mixture on each roll.

Roll up, dip in margarine and roll in crumbs.
Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

Top with gravy- can of cream of chicken soup diluted with no more than 1/2 can of milk.

So delicious. And I think they make great leftovers. We found out that they even freeze well.

Here are the different versions I have heard of:

Amanda's- used bread crumbs instead of stuffing to roll them in. I usually don't have stove top or am too lazy (or hungry) to take the time to coat them so I just eat them plain. This time I made them, I used bread crumbs. There was a little too much coating for me. I preferred the plain.

I ran out of margarine and bread crumbs so 2 stayed plain. The plain ones cooked a little faster!

Martha's- put mushrooms rather than almonds and celery. I'm not a fan of mushrooms.

Andrea's- didn't call for almonds, celery or onions. And says to use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken. Don't really understand that one...

Anitra's- says to put in parmesan cheese and green onions with the chicken and cream cheese. Interesting.
I had never even thought of adding cheese to the mixture. So I gave it a try. Can't say I noticed a huge difference. But "cheese makes everything better..."

I prefer using the biscuits rather than the crescent rolls. They are easier to stuff as with the crescent rolls you have to somehow wrap the small amount/oddly shaped dough around the filling. With biscuits you just fold in half and pinch the dough edges together.

Crescent rolls were much cheaper than the biscuits so we went with those this time.

Have you had/made this recipe before? How is yours different? The same?

Vacay #2: Virginia

2009-04-27T23:45:00.004-06:00

After being home for 2 1/2 days, I needed another vacation. So I went to Virginia.

I knew it was going to be a good vacation when the guy sitting next to me fell asleep before we even took off. His head went straight for my shoulder and stayed there from Chicago to Virginia. Sorry for the dark picture but I had to cover up the red light and turn off the flash so he wouldn't wake up and see me taking his picture. Second sign that is was going to be a great vacation: I arrived with this bag:
And left with these bags: My 9 year old bag looked like this when I arrived home from Mexico:

and yes, the zipper is zipped. And some airlines make you pay to check bags. So I threw away my bag and did carry-on there. I planned to purchase a new big bag and check it for the trip home. The bags were on sale so I had to buy 2. And boy, am I glad I did. There were so many things I just HAD to buy.

Like fun cereal we don't have in Canada.

and cool crackers

And sprinkles to add to my collection.

But my trip wasn't all about shopping.

We ate delicious food. Like Mac & Cheese, Taco & (way too spicy) Buffalo chicken pizza from CiCi's.
I drove past my favorite cemetery which consists of 2 graves. In the parking lot of a shopping center. I would like to know who those people are. Were they the only 2 buried there? Or were their families the only ones who wouldn't allow them to be moved for Starbucks to be built on their final resting place? Weird.

I saw pretty blossoms. And green grass.

And hung out with my good friend Oscar (at the American History Smithsonian).

For some reason I failed to take pictures of the fabulous friends I saw from Church and School (and the fun things we did). Or the cute family that was gracious enough to let me stay with them for a whole week. And drive me to Sonic and all of the stores I HAD to shop at. How grateful I am for fabulous friends. Although seeing them made it really hard to leave. Thanks for the fun times.

sand & snow

2009-04-27T21:44:00.001-06:00

27 days ago, my feet were here. Today, they were here.
It wasn't snowing when I left the house. And thank goodness it was melted before the sun set this evening.
I love snow. But once I break out the flipflops it is hard to put socks and shoes back on.

What to do??

2009-04-21T19:30:00.003-06:00

So I have 2 email addresses that I don't really use too much- one less than the other. I had the less used one forwarded to the other one but I noticed I hadn't received any forwarded emails recently. So I logged into it. And saw a note that said: To stop sending automatic vacation message, go to options.
What??
I hadn't set up a vacation message.

I read the emails in my inbox and read an email that said this:

Hello!How are you recently?I would like to introduce a good company who trades mainly in electornic products.Now the company is under sales promotion,all the products are sold nearly at its cost.They provide the best service to customers,they provide you with original products of good quality,and what is more,the price is a surprising happiness to you!It is realy a good chance for shopping.just grasp the opportunity,Now or never!The web address: (I am not going to share it with you as they have already gotten enough advertising from me!)

Then I noticed that it was sent to 7 different email addresses from MY email address. Luckily- 5 of them are addresses that bounced back as they no longer work at those jobs with those email addresses. But unfortunately 2 of them worry me. One was sent to my former Principal. And one was sent to the Human Resources of a school district I am still hoping to get a job with. What do I do? Do I send out an email apologizing and somewhat explaining what happened? Or just drop it and hope it doesn't affect my future employment?

And how did it happen? Someone totally logged into my email and changed the settings. Kind of scary. Luckily it was my email I hardly use and not one I use everyday with lots of addresses in my contacts.

Very interesting.

Vacay #1: Mexico

2009-04-19T13:42:00.003-06:00

My deepest apologies for taking forever to blog about my cruise. I have had a stressful 3 weeks of vacationing, shopping, eating and sleeping.

I don't have all the pictures from my fellow travellers... so here are some highlights featuring my photos.

Speaking of my fellow travellers... here they are. Joanna, Alyssa & Melissa. I had the privilege of sitting in the front seat of our taxi from LAX to the Los Angeles temple at 1am. Good times.

We stayed in the L.A. temple patron housing Friday night. It was much cheaper than a hotel and we had planned to go to a session at the temple Saturday morning before getting on the boat. The housing lady told me to call security when we were getting off the freeway to have them open the temple ground gates for us.

I called.

No one answered.

We pulled up. And the gate was locked. We were on the outside trying to get in. And there were some guys with their car on the inside trying to get out. I walked up to the gate to get the scoop. As soon as I looked at the guys I totally recognized them. They were roommates of a friend (of mine from Ricks College) that I had met in Virginia. Did you get that? Weird. We met twice in Virginia. And again after midnight on the L.A. Temple grounds. They said they were trying to get their car out and that security was no where to be found. They told us about a spot where the gate was lower and we could easily hop over. Our taxi took us there where the guys met us to help us also put our luggage over the gate. I think our taxi driver thought we were nuts and was probably considering calling the cops. Luckily, he didn't. Here we are jumping the fence, with our good buddy helping us out.

Such a beautiful temple. I felt like a celebrity. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling 100% yet. My cough was pretty much the only thing remaining. And it was loud and frequent. Throughout the session I was offered cough drops, tissues, water, etc. I received pats on the back, words of encouragement and so much more. From the temple, we took a $90 taxi to the port where we got on our boat. The Norwegian Star. Saturday evening & Sunday were days at sea. This was the view from our port hole. We had 4 of us in a small room. But it was much bigger than what we thought it would be. I was sure one of us would have to sleep in the shower. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Monday- our first port was Cabo San Lucas. We were attacked my offers for taxi's. We had a guy down to 500 pesos when we spotted a guy with a sign that read "Special LDS rate" and had a picture of the Salt Lake Temple. We chatted with him to see what special rate he would give us. We got him down to 800 pesos. I am not sure why we went with him when we had a much better deal with our other guy?? We took a boat taxi to Lover's Beach. It was gorgeous. Our driver/ captain (what are they called if they are driving a boat taxi??) took us to a few of the features of Lover's Beach- like the cool rocks and the smelly sea lions.

My favorite part of the beach experience is when the boat just pulls up to the beach and you jump off. While the waves are crashing and the boat is moving. I was the last one to get off and of course a big wave came up and knocks me off the boat. I fell under the boat, my flipflops fell off and I later discovered that my pockets and bathing suit filled with sand. Luckily, watching me was a man who caught my flipflops and travelling companions who laughed and laughed at me. Our taxi captain said he would be back in an hour to pick us up. So I tried to dry off while trying to avoid contact with sand. That was fun.

We returned to the town where we browsed the shops and street vendors. My goal was to try guacamole at each of our ports. (Sadly this was the only place I experienced it- other than the ship). So when I saw this sign, I knew we had to eat at this restaurant. And it was good. Holly Guacamole indeed.

Tuesday- Port numero 2 was Mazatlan. We caught a taxi to the "Golden Zone" which was pretty much a "Let's sell the same crap to these dumb American tourist Zone". Wasn't very impressive. There was a spot between the shops where you could walk onto the beach. But you got attacked by guys selling stuff, so it wasn't too relaxing.

Exhibit A. Joanna on the beach. The rest of the people in the picture= guys selling stuff.

Here are my feet relaxing on the dark sands of Mazatlan. One regret is not collecting sand at each of the beaches. The taxi's were pretty snazzy though. Our driver even let me pose as the driver. I should have taken off and become an illegal Canadian living it up in Mexico.

Wednesday- Our last port was Puerto Vallarta. This was our longest port but unfortunately, we saw and did the least here. Joanna and I decided to get pedicures at the spa. Then we ventured out to find nothing but a Super Walmart across the street, beckoning us.

I know that Walmart is dumb and American. But it was probably one of my favorite places, other than the beach. It was neat looking at all the fun, unique products. My favorite was this:

I love it. Second regret, not buying 10 of these. It just makes me smile. Since it was our last stop in Mexico, I had to spend my pesos. So spend them I did.

On fun chapsticks. And oddly named candy. And a churro mix that comes with a free pasty bag. Ha ha. And delightful flavored juice crystals. Like Apple, Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Mango. I am not sure if that one brand is Clight or perhaps C light... like Crystal Light. Clight just sounds like a disease.

But don't worry. I didn't give all of my pesos to Walmart. I did buy this fun little bowl from a nice senorita in Cabo. I think it really needs some salsa or guacamole in it.

Thursday & Friday were days at sea as we sailed back to Los Angeles.

Thursday was a sunny day. But windy. Too windy. Wind is probably my least favorite element. We were trying to enjoy our last 2 days of cruising by sitting on the deck, soaking up the sun and reading. But the wind made it too cold so I headed back inside. And it is a good thing I left when I did as later that evening I developed some weird wind/sun burn combo on my feet, shoulders and a knee. Yes. A knee.

We were deeply saddened to wake up Friday morning to find the sky cloudy and the wind still blowing. It was soo chilly. So we hid inside. All day.

When the wind blows, the boat rocks. On the first day, I felt a little sea sick, but nothing major. By the last day I was feeling fine, while my travelling companions were all Nauseated Nancy's. The worst place for feeling it was in the theater as shown by the rocking and rolling set.

Being our last night, we decided to live it up and eat at Endless Summer, a Mexican restaurant on the ship. I was full after the guacamole, mango salsa & chips they started us out with. Then we received our complementary margaritas. We were pretty much an anomaly- cruisers over the age of 18 that didn't drink an ounce of alcohol.

Unfortunately I was full by the time our food arrived. But I managed to eat some of my burrito and a smidgen of the mango/pineapple dessert.

My pasty skin (other than the burnt patches) rejoiced to see the sun out and the clouds/wind gone when we ported in Los Angeles. We spent the day amongst the palm trees, DSW's, Targets and walked along Hollywood Blvd. And even hit Downtown Disney for dinner. It was quite the painful experience to be so close to Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones & Soarin' Over California and not ride them. We were wondering if you could buy discounted tickets (since it was 9pm and the park closes at midnight) but just like every party has, we had some poopers that didn't want to. So we returned to our hotel room. Where we slept for 3 hours before heading to the airport to return home.

It was a great trip as evidenced by Exhibit B. My awesome tan lines.

Yowza.

2009-04-15T23:08:00.004-06:00

6 airports
8 flights
4 boats
3 countries
6 states
5 Targets
4 DSWs
3 JoAnns
4 books

all in
18 days.

I am finally home.

Pictures and stories to come. But this old Grandma's gotta roll her ol' bones into bed.

So there I was...

2009-04-13T21:32:00.005-06:00

So there I was shopping in one of my favorite stores. I was with my dear friend and her cute little baby. He was tired of shopping. And shared these feelings by crying. We were quickly trying to find more items since you gotta spend money to save money, right!?!?!

A sales lady (S.L.) is helping us as we walk to the check out. My friend was in the lead pushing the stroller. I was following her with the S.L. behind me. As baby cries,

S.L. says: I think Grandma needs to pick him up.

me thinks: What is she talking about??

S.L. says: Aren't you the grandma?

me thinks: Holy schmolies. She thinks I am the grandma.

me says: ummm. no.

I am a little scared about turning 30 in 2 weeks. But this is ridiculous. A grandma. Seriously?

my friend may look like she is 16. But that would mean I either had her when I was 16 and look 32. Or I had her when I was 20 and look 36. But that is only if this lady thought my friend is 16.

Do I really look old enough to be her mother?

Don't answer that.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate

2009-03-27T16:32:00.001-06:00

I received my latest copy of Kraft's What Cooking and immediately had to check out the tasty recipes. This one caught my eye. Peanut Butter & Chocolate. A delightful combination. Usually.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

1 package (450 g) brownie mix
3/4 of 250-g (8 ounces) Brick Cream Cheese- softened
1/4 cup smooth Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup thawed Cool Whip
12 maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350ºF. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package. Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar with mixer until blended. Spoon 1 rounded Tablespoon into centre of batter in each cup, pressing down slightly into batter.
Bake 25 minutes or until centres are set. Cool.

Serve topped with Cool Whip and cherries.

The ones I made look nothing like their picture- of course. Even without the toppings. Why is that?

So this wasn't my favorite recipe. But there could be several reasons for that.
like:
1) I used light cream cheese. Which doesn't usually make a difference but I tasted a little of the mixture and it wasn't very tasty.
2) I forgot to put sugar in the peanut butter mixture. So I just sprinkled some on top before baking. Could be why the mixture wasn't tasty.
3) The brownie mix I used was smaller than what the recipe called for... so it only made 9.
It was also a generic mix. Which I normally don't like. But my Mom had previously bought some. I guess you have to lower your standards a little when you live with your parents. Ha!
4) I also didn't do the whipped cream and cherry on top. But we did eat them with ice cream which makes anything taste better!

So if you give this recipe a try, let me know. I am sure yours will be tastier!

Under the Weather

2009-03-24T19:55:00.002-06:00

I think I have been sick more since I have moved home than I was the whole time I lived in Virginia. Weird.

It hit me again. This time I have a fever, aches, runny nose and coughs. It really needs to go away. And soon. Because in 3 sleeps I am going on a cruise to Mexico.

3 of the 4 girls going are sick. I guess it is good that it is happening now and not during the cruise.

And 3 days after I get back from the cruise, I am going to Virginia. That is a lot of travelling but I am super duper excited. Gotta take advantage of having a flexible work schedule. :)

Need to go make some orange juice. My throat is killing me.

Hope the cold/flu hasn't found you lately. If it has/does I will think of you while I'm doing this

Fast, Cheap and Easy

2009-03-19T22:22:00.007-06:00

and delicious.

I found this recipe while flipping through a magazine while the Kindergarten class I was subbing for was enjoying their nap time. It looked easy and yummy. And I have a bunch of broccoli left over from our Relief Society dinner.

It was so fast and easy.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
from http://www.campbellskitchen.com/

1/2 of a 1-pound package linguine or spaghetti

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

2 Tablespoons butter

1 pound chicken breast- cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the linguine according to package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking.

Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

I read some of the reviews from other people who have made it. They recommended adding a little garlic. I had a little bit of Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese so I put that in there. I am not sure what difference it made but it was tasty. But a little garlic would make it even more delightful.

I LOVE that you put the broccoli in with the pasta to cook it.

We ate it with a side of carrot sticks. And not just any carrot sticks. The BEST carrots in the world. Truly. They are Al's Carrots grown in St. Paul, Alberta. They are only available at Sobey's (to my knowledge). When I bought some last week the cashier said they will be gone in 3 weeks. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up!

Top O' the Morning to Ya.

2009-03-17T17:22:00.003-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What did YOU do to celebrate?

To celebrate this special day, I decided to get a haircut. Afterwards my hairdresser made me pancakes for lunch. Green pancakes even. Does YOUR hairdresser do that??

Then I went to IKEA to return some things.

And continued to celebrate with green frozen yogurt.

(Please forgive the squinting and the man hand.)

Even the city of Edmonton celebrated with green signs.

And I enjoyed the day driving a green car.

Arrivederci Fettuccine

2009-03-12T19:59:00.001-06:00

Here is another delightful recipe from Pillsbury.
Fettuccine with Chicken & Herbed Vegetables

12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion- chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 pounds chicken- cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small green pepper- cut into bite sized strips
2 cloves garlic- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 small zucchini- cut in half lengthwise- sliced
3 large tomatoes- seeded- chopped (3 cups)
3 Tablespoons chopped basil leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook fettuccine. Drain; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in chicken, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes, basil and oregano. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Place fettuccine on serving platter; spoon chicken mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Why is it that the pictures in the recipe book (or online) look sooo much better than what it looks like when I make it?

My taste testers stated that it would be bland without the parmesan cheese (we just used grated instead of shredded). This could have been because I used dried basil and oregano instead of fresh. I don't know if that really makes a difference... I am spice challenged. But I do know it is delicious. And healthy!

On top of spaghetti. All covered in cheese.

2009-03-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

I don't remember ever having spaghetti & meatballs growing up. But I always wanted to have them because they just look fun. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it.

To fulfill my childhood dream.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs & Spaghetti

from Pillsbury

4 mozzarella string cheese- cut into 18 (3/4 inch) cubes
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 jar (48 ounces) pasta sauce
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 Tablespoons onions- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 egg
12 ounces cooked spaghetti
2/3 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Place cheese cubes in small plastic zipper bag. Seal and freeze for at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375◦. Line 15x10x1 inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 Tablespoons of pasta sauce. Stir in beef, onion, salt, oregano and egg. Shape mixture into 18 inch balls. Press 1 cheese cube into center of each ball, sealing it inside. Gently place in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour remaining pasta sauce into 5 quart pot. Cover; heat to simmering over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Be cafeful when doing this step. See that little geyser at the top of the picture. It caused a lot of splattering. Unfortuntely my cookbook got the brunt of it.

Gently stir in meatballs; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti. Keep warm.
Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

My meatballs didn't survive going from the pan to the pot. Or being stirred in the pot. Now I can see why my Mom never bothered making spaghetti and meatballs. I am not sure what would make them keep their shape...

*baking longer?

*making them bigger?

Even though it wasn't as meatbally as I had hoped, it was still fun and delicious. And I will for sure be making this recipe again!

yummy.

2009-03-03T20:32:00.004-07:00

I have been trying new recipes. It's the blogging about them that is the hard part for me. I made this yummy recipe a couple weeks ago. There was a little bit left over and it was equally delightful for lunch the next day. It is so delightful, I suggested we have it for our Relief Society's March 17th party dinner. MMmmm. I hope there is lots leftover. Ha!

Cashew Chicken & Broccoli
from Pillsbury

1 cup uncooked rice
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (if desired)
1 pound chicken breast- cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 green onions- sliced
1 cup salted roasted cashews

Cook rice.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix soy sauce, gingerroot, sugar and sesame oil. Stir in chicken until coated; let stand 15 minutes to marinate.

In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the broth and the cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

In skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and add to heated oil in skillet; reserve any remaining marinade. Cook chicken about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center.

Stir broccoli and remaining 1/2 cup broth into chicken in skillet; cover and cook 1 minute. Stir in onions and cashews.

Stir reserved marinade into cornstarch mixture. Stir into chicken mixture; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over rice.

We like to put sesame seeds on our stir fries. Although in this picture it looks like I like a little stir fry with my sesame seeds!

The sauce didn't really thicken- it actually disappeared. So when I make this again I think I will double or at least 1 and a 1/2 the marinade.

Mind Your Manners Monday

2009-03-02T19:10:00.002-07:00

Don't make the mistake of presuming that all dates have to end in a big clinch- or

even a little hearty handholding. Girls distrust a boy who's a "grabber"; boys don't

stay interested long in an "easy number."

- Etiquette for Young Moderns

I had a dream.

2009-02-26T18:23:00.002-07:00

A weird one. And I would REALLY like to know what it means.

Last night I dreamt that I was at a grocery store with Kate Gosling (from Jon & Kate Plus 8) and her children. Except some of them were teenage boys. Weird. I know. We were getting into their van but it wouldn't start. So I volunteered to rent a van for them and I would take them home. So I went into the grocery store (apparently it was one you could rent vans at) but had to take a quick trip to the bathroom. Well I got locked in (or something like that... this is where things start to get a little fuzzy) and wasn't able to help them.

I think I woke up around this time as that is all I remember.

Any insights as to what this means? Please share.

Did you eat pancakes today?

2009-02-24T19:24:00.004-07:00

I sure hope so! I wanted to try something new in addition to the traditional pancake. So I made

German Apple Pancakes from Martha Stewart

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more for tin)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar (plus more for tin)
2 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 450◦.
Butter inside each muffin cup of a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin; coat with granulated sugar.
Peel, core, and slice apples into 12 wedges, then cut wedges into 3 pieces.
In a medium bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and saute, turning occasionally, until caramelized (10 - 12 minutes). Remove pan from stove; let cool 5 minutes. Divide caramelized apples among prepared muffin cups. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and milk; process for 3 minutes.
Pour batter over apples.

Transfer tin to oven; reduce heat to 400◦.
Bake until pancakes puff up, about 15 minutes.

Remove tin from oven; invert onto a flat work surface.
Dust with confectioners' sugar; serve immediately.

Oh my. They are tasty. I highly recommend this recipe. They aren't too healthy though. You could maybe do whole wheat flour and less sugar. 5 Tablespoons seemed like a LOT of sugar. So I only put in 4. Try them. Today. mmmmm.

The other day I was in the grocery store with no real purpose (I had some time to kill during my lunch break). As I roamed the aisles I found some fun products that I had never seen before. One of which was-

Caramel spread*?!?! It says it is great on toast & hot rolls. Pancakes were not mentioned but I gave it a try.

All I can say is Be still my soul. I don't think I will put syrup on my pancakes again. So yummy. I don't know how different it is from the caramel you put on ice cream or dip apples in. But it is gooey. And delicious. And can be drizzled on the German Apple Pancakes. Hello!

*There are so many products out there that I have never discovered before. My goal is to try 2 new-fangled foods a month. And share my thoughts with you. Stay tuned to see what I try next!

Mind Your Manners Monday

2009-02-23T14:59:00.001-07:00

It's back. And hopefully better than ever.

I have a special place in my heart (and bookshelf) for books about manners/ etiquette. So when I saw this book at D.I. last summer, I had to snatch it up.

Especially when I need alot of help with succeeding in my social life!

As I perused the pages, I found some gems. As true today as they were in 1954 (or at least they should be).

What to do in public; on a bus.

"A girl boards the bus before her date does, but the boy gets off ahead of her. This is so he can help her alight- and also catch her pocketbook, scarf, or gloves, should they fall.

Have your fare ready when you get on. Naturally, a boy pays both his own fare and his date's but a girl who accidentally meets a boy she knows at the bus stop should not expect him to pay her fare. If he insists, though, she should let him pay. Such a small amount isn't worth a traffic-blocking argument. The girl stands aside while the boy takes care of money matters and waits for him. If the bus is very crowded, though, it's better for her to move back and let him join her later.

As a "healthy young thing" in a crowded bus, you should be glad to offer your seat to an older person who is standing- especially to a woman accompanied by a small child. And, sweet Sue, if a husky Hank beside you stays right where he is, that's all the more reason for you to offer your seat to an elderly person. Hank deserves to be embarrassed when you do!"

Well, I know what I will be doing this weekend. Waiting to "accidentally" meet my husky Hank at the bus stop.

Happy bus riding!

I tried it.

2009-02-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

And it works!

After finding out you can make hash browns in a waffle maker, I HAD to try it.

Hash browns have always been a struggle for me. I am too impatient and stir them too much, which makes them gluey.

So the waffle maker is perfect.

You put them in.

Close it.

And let them cook- both sides at the same time.

It does take awhile so you do need to be patient- but there is no stirring involved!

Love it.

I was tempted to try to cook an egg in there, too... but didn't.

One day I might have to though.

p.s. Don't forget tomorrow is Pancake Tuesday!! So put away your waffle makers until Wednesday... and make some yummy pancakes.

A happy, happy birthday to you from me!

2009-02-22T14:39:00.004-07:00

Today we are celebrating the February birthdays in my family.

My fabulous sister/hairstylist Andrea.

And my super cute niece, Lydia.

So as promised- I made a lip cake. Mmmm. Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. With a few cupcakes on the side in case the cake doesn't feed all of the 26 people in our family. I was so excited to use these cute heart sprinkles. I almost forgot that I had them. I found them at my local Grocery store in Virginia- Harris Teeter. I had shopped there for 3 years before I discovered them. They were on a stand in the bakery section where they sold giant chocolate cookies, tubs of icing and sprinkles (for you to decorate yourself at home). They had other cute selections too. And reasonably priced. (it's a big tub) Much better than what you get at some craft stores. So check out your local grocery store and see what they have to offer. And let me know so I can buy some too!!

I have a lot of needs.

2009-02-21T14:31:00.002-07:00

Instructions: Type in your name and the word 'needs' in quotes (eg. "Shelley needs”) into a search engine and see what comes up. List the first 10!

1) Shelley needs some help.
2) Shelley needs help. (I am seeing a theme here...)
3) Shelley needs to go.
4) Shelley needs a mega. (??)
5) Shelley needs cocoa and cookies. And Prozac.
6) Shelley needs parts to put used bikes back on the road to usefulness.
7) Shelley needs your vote.
8) Shelley needs a new roommate. (hmmm... interesting)
9) Shelley needs to be house trained.
10) Shelley needs to pull out all her playmate tricks and give them a crash course in the ways of makeup and men.

Oh my, that was funny. Give it a try. And let me know when you do, so I can read it and laugh!

Lasagna. Take dos.

2009-02-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

I decided to try another lasagna.

A Lasagna with Mex-Appeal to be exact.

from Looneyspoons

2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes-undrained, cut up

1 cup salsa

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (19 ounces) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

8 (7 inch) flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 small tomatoes- thinly sliced

Sour cream (optional)

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in black beans and kidney beans. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over bottom. Cover with half the tortillas (overlapping as needed), and half the cheese. Spoon another 1/3 of bean mixture on top of cheese, followed by remaining tortillas, and last of bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with tomato slices and green onions. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

It was pretty tasty. But next time I think I would make a few changes.

Like replace one of the cans of beans with chicken. It was a little too beany for me.

And it makes alot. So unless you are feeding a lot of people- you might want to half it. I think 3 of us had it for 3 meals and still ended up throwing the last bit out as we had had enough.

WHY?

2009-02-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Why do beans always "bubble" when you rinse them?

I don't get it. And it kind of disturbs me.

But not enough to stop putting them in delicious recipes.

Did you know?

2009-02-17T09:19:00.001-07:00

(I am sure you do know... but I will share anyways!)

French Toast can be made in a Waffle Maker.

It cooks both sides at the same time.

Why should waffles get all the fun of having indents for your syrup and Elmo & Cookie Monster on them!! Or Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty,the state of Texas or (my personal favorite) a keyboard. (Apparently it isn't real, but incredibly awesome!)

While googling "waffle irons" I found something about making hashbrowns in a waffle iron. Genius. I am going to try it.

What have YOU made in a waffle iron?

P.I.F.

2009-02-15T18:31:00.001-07:00

Pay It Forward

I have seen this on a couple of blogs... and have been quite disappointed with the response. So come on people. Step it up. Be a man. Take some pepto bismal and leave a comment. (name that movie... changed for my usage, of course)

This is how we roll: The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me during this year—when and what will be a surprise.
There’s a small catch. But a good, loving, caring, sharing catch...

Post this on your blog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you’re in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

It might be a big bowl of popcorn. Because that is what I am going to go make me right now. Mmmmm. But likely not. Unless you really want popcorn... then we will work out a deal.

Two Lips

2009-02-14T07:58:00.002-07:00

A couple weeks ago I found a lip shaped cake pan at a local thrift store for only $3.99. I was soo excited. And couldn't wait to use it.

My niece and nephew were having a cake walk at their school so I agreed to bake some cakes for it. And being the day before Valentine's Day, I knew exactly what I was going to make.

Two Lips!

The first one was a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. I just realized that the dividing line is totally wrong- that it should go down in the middle. ha!

Second one was a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting.

I thought brown lips might look a little weird- so I covered it with a gazillion pink sugar sprinkles. It was hard to give them away.

I just hope they tasted as delightful as I imagined they might.

But there are plans to make another one for the

February birthdays in my family.

mmmm....

Happy Valentine's Day.

Hope you had a fun day. I worked at one job from 7am to 11am.

And another from 4pm to 9pm.

With a nap, a shower and a workout in between.

I did make heart shaped muffins to share with my morning co-workers, but forgot to take a picture. Oops.

Cookies for Breakfast??!!

2009-02-05T19:41:00.001-07:00

yup. That is right. Cookies for Breakfast.

I was babysitting my niece & nephews the other night... and while they were sleeping I perused the Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook they got from the library.

Of course the

Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies caught my eye.

1/2 cup butter-softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (I didn't have WHITE whole wheat flour... so I used 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat and 1/2 cup white flour).

3 cups multigrain cereal flakes with blueberries (I couldn't find just blueberries, but I did find this. And it worked perfectly!)

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking soda.

Beat until mixed. Add eggs. Add flour and beat until mixed.

Stir in cereal.

Place 1/4 cup of dough on greased cookie sheet. (Or a fabulous Silpat!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Let sit on pan for 1 minute.

Remove and cool on cooling rack.

Makes 12 cookies (I only got 9??)

Delicious AND Nutritious AND so easy. Well I don't know how nutritous. But they have cereal in them, so they have to be healthy. Right?

Heaven

2009-01-29T16:00:00.002-07:00

Today I witnessed a little bit of heaven at the grocery store.

943 grams of deliciousness.

I couldn't bring myself to purchase one.

Since they cost $13.

And I am pretty sure I would have them eaten in less than 9.43 hours.

The Final Cake

2009-01-27T11:35:00.004-07:00

This is my final cake for my cake decorating class.

The ribbon was an after thought... I didn't want to do a tacky icing border. Next time, I think I would put the ribbon on first and then decorate it. (I am sure you can see why!)

It is a fun-fetti cake with fun-fetti icing. mmmm. The icing doesn't stand up too well under the fondant. So I guess buttercream is the way to go from now on!

My instructor just kept saying "your cake is so cheery." Pretty sure she had nothing else nice to say about it! ha!

Want some? Come on over!! We can have cake and ice cream. While watching Facts of Life!

I made a goal to make a cake for family members birthdays. But that would be 26 cakes in 12 months. With 5 in October. Ummm... No thanks. So I am going to try making a cake each month. And I just bought the AWESOMEST cake pan EVER! Stay tuned to see what it is. (I will be making it for the February birthdays).

Yummo... well sorta.

2009-01-21T16:08:00.009-07:00

I tried my first Rachel Ray recipe. She said it was the perfect American meal- a combo of Cheeseburgers, Chili and Mac & Cheese. It was super easy. Not as amazing as I was hoping- but still yummy.

Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 to 2 cups beef stock (depending on how liquid-y you want it)
1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (the sharper the better!)

Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes.

Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard and beef stock to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
While the chili is working, salt the boiling water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot.

Add the chili to the pot with the pasta and give everything a good toss. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a simple salad alongside.

And that is what we did.

(we didn't have any macaroni so I used penne noodles. Wouldn't recommend it- they were a little too large.)

We had something else with our meal... which was truly the highlight of the meal.

A-maize-ing Cornbread

(From Looneyspoons)

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg- lightly beaten

1/2 cup cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons butter-melted

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) diced green chilies- drained (didn't have- so didn't use)

1 cup whole kernal corn (thaw first if frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, cottage cheese, honey, butter, chilies, and corn. Beat with a whisk until well blended.

Add corn mixture to flour mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into an 8x8 inch baking pan (I used a round pan) that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into 9 squares and serve warm.

The cottage cheese sounded a little strange. But it totally cooks out so you don't know it is there. It helps make the corn bread moist- because there isn't anything much worse than dry cornbread.

Veggie Lasagna

2009-01-21T12:01:00.010-07:00

I have a LOT of recipe books. And I always want to try new recipes. So my personal challenge this year is to make 2 new recipes a week.

And share them with you!

So here we go-

"Not Nearly as Complicated as it Looks" Veggie Lasagna

from Looneyspoons cookbook

(Great recipe. Will for sure make it again. See notes at bottom.)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic-minced

2 cups sliced mushrooms*

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup chopped sweet red peppers

1 cup thinly sliced zucchini

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes- undrained- cut up

1 cup "Italian-style" tomato sauce

1 can (5 1/2 ounces) tomato paste

1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles- uncooked

2 cups low-fat (1%) cottage cheese

1 egg white

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach- thawed, squeezed dry & chopped**

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, red pepper and zucchini. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 7-8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, basil, oregano, brown sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.

In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg white, Parmesan cheese, and spinach. Set aside. In a separate bowl, toss mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together until well mixed.

To assemble lasagna spray DEEP**** 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over top. Spread 2 cups sauce over noodles, followed by 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture, and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Top with 3 more noodles, 2 cups of sauce, 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Layer final 3 noodles on top, followed by 2 cups of sauce (you should be left with 1/3 of the cheese).

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes before slicing. (Be patient. It will hold together much better if you wait!)

Makes 8 servings. (34 calories & 8.6 g fat per serving)

I think it took me longer to type that up than it did to make it!

Changes I did or will make:
*I (nor any of my family members) don't like mushrooms. So I didn't want to put them in. But I felt like 2 cups was a significant amount of an ingredient to just leave out. We had some leftover chicken so I cut it up and added it instead.
** This was a little too much spinach. It wasn't bad- but just a lot. So unless you have a great love for spinach, I would put a little less next time.
***So I have a problem. I just skim recipes before making them. And then will realize I missed a step when it is a little too late. I didn't realize there was supposed to be cheese layered throughout until I was at the 2nd cheese layer. I decided to just put lots of cheese on top. It ended up tasty. But oh my- it would be even more tasty with cheese throughout. So ALWAYS read your recipe thoroughly before making it!
****I did not use a deep pan. And had to put a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch the drippings that were surely (and did) going to happen. It doesn't necessarily be a big pan, but just not a shallow glass one!!

Decorating Cakes with Fondant

2009-01-12T16:23:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to take the Wilton Level 3 cake decorating class since I took level 2 last April. I finally enrolled. And this is my first cake for the class.
It was so exciting learning how to use fondant. But boy is it expensive and such a waste. It doesn't taste very good so it just gets thrown away. It looks good though.
I am excited for our final cake. Stay tuned for that!

Movies

2009-01-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

Christmas break= Movie time. Here is my take on what I have seen. And my ratings of them according to what I would pay to see them again.

Marley & Me. Such a cute movie. I truly loved it. It made me Sad. Laugh. Cry. Think. Happy. Hopeful. It made me happy to not have a dog. It made me want a dog. It brought back sad memories of when we had to put dear ol' Snuffy down. Thank goodness I wasn't sobbing like the lady across the aisle from me. I really want to read the book now.

I would pay $$$$$$$$$$ to see it again.

(Not really a family movie! Due to a little bit of loving and Jennifer Aniston skinny dipping.)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I don't know what to think. It was a very interesting story. Long. And slow. A little weird at parts. Inappropriate at some. But funny at others.

I am glad to have seen it. But don't think I have any desire to see it again.

Eagle Eye.

I really liked it. It was pretty action packed. I was confused. Wondering what was going to happen next. And satisfied at the end with what happened. The fact that I only paid $3.50 to see it probably made it that much more enjoyable.

I would pay $$$ to see it again.

Twilight. I had read the book. And wasn't too impressed. I had no desire to read the rest. But I did want to see the movie. Although the acting was cheesy. And the makeup was horrible. I really liked it. And it actually made me want to read the rest of the books. (New Moon down. 1/3 way through Eclipse). Read them. Unless you are lactose intolerant. Because they are loaded with a LOT of cheese.

I would pay $$$$$$ to see this movie again.

It Can Be a Great Year!

2009-01-01T21:57:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a great Christmas and an exciting New Years!

I have a feeling 2009 is going to be a great year.
Here are my goals for this year:

My friend did such a cute thing for New Year's day.
She made yummy caramel corn.

Canned it at her local Home Storage Center. Made fun labels.
And delivered them anonymously to people. So fun. I need to be more like her. What do you want to accomplish this year?

So many memories.

2008-12-21T08:48:00.004-07:00

On this day ,many moons ago, I returned home from my mission.

The best 18 months of my life for sure.

1- when my family was making their final guesses before I opened the envelope my mom said "Halifax." and I said "I am NOT going to Halifax." I went to Halifax. I am convinced that my call was for Africa or New Zealand or Ireland. But when I said that, Heavenly Father decided to teach me a lesson. And I am sure glad He did. It was truly the best mission in the world. Located in the most beautiful part of the world. (I should have my family guess who I am going to marry. And my mom can guess John Krasinski.

and I will say "I am NOT going to marry John Krasinski." And I will marry John Krasinski).

2-had 12 companions. 2 of them were officially crazy. Or drove me crazy. I was convinced that one of my crazy companions was going to take off while I was in the shower. I don't know why. She never did. But she did try to jump out of the car once when were were pulled over. I grabbed her and stepped on the gas. She was weird. It hurt her to smile. Seriously. Maybe I should have taken off while she was in the shower.

Can you spot the crazies? And no. I am not one of them.

She is from Hawaii. I need to go visit her.

The one in the middle was my trainer.

Her brother was dating one of my friends from home.

I look freaking tall in this picture.She was a fun companion. Not crazy at all!
She had never had a Blizzard before.... even though DQ was her Dad's favorite restaurant. What?? We were both supposed to be taking bites. I did not know mine was that big!

I told her that this was how Canadians celebrate Canada day!

Those Californians will believe anything.

Tracting in the pouring rain.

1 million beautiful husband points were earned that day.

The ocean. One of the best parts of my mission.

You were never more than 1 1/2 hours from it.

We got to spend one night on Prince Edward Island. We were so excited that we had to take a picture to prove we were there for 13 hours.

Apparently I look special when I am excited.

She was actually a member. But became my companion for 2 weeks when my companion became sick and went home. So fun.

3- served in 5 areas. All of them (except the last) were switched from sisters to elders when I was transferred. I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing. One of my areas was Trenton. While serving there I thought it would be cool to name my son after it. But why should that area get all the glory? Kentville. Clayton Park. Miramichi. Yarmouth. What lucky children. At least their father will be good looking.

Other highlights included:

4-losing 2 CTR rings. So we borrowed a members metal detector to look for them. It was so funny. And embarrassing. And pointless. Never found them.

5- Buying apples on the side of the road from local orchards. What I wouldn't give to be able to do that every month. (see what I meant about looking special when excited!)

6- Made a giant oreo cookie for an elder's birthday. I should have taken a bite.

7- Eating lobster for the first (and last) time. (excited= special)

8- Chasing chickens while waiting for our truly crazy investigator to come home.

Those were the days.

So lucky!

2008-12-12T09:18:00.002-07:00

And the winner of these cute magnets is:

Darin said...

My favorite is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by the Barenaked Ladies (a fine Canadian group) with Sarah McLaughlin, and a very close second is "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey.
But Dominick certainly is at the top of my list.

Congrats Darin. Apparently your luck runneth over with my contests!

And good choice of song. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is my second favorite!!

So cute!

2008-12-04T23:32:00.004-07:00

Tis' the season for giving.

So leave me a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song and you will be entered to win these:

Cute nativity magnets.

And in case you were wondering what MY favorite song is... it hasn't changed from last year.

Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey.

You can watch a silly video of it here or check out a light show done to it that I posted here last year.

And don't blame me if it is stuck in your head all day.

"Jiggitty-jig hee haw hee haw."

So much fabulousness. So little time.

2008-12-03T21:30:00.006-07:00

I am sure you are all dying to know what I did in Vegas. So here we go.

After the most turbulent flight that almost made me yammy, my dear friend Alisa took me to In-N-Out where we ordered our fries animal style. mmmm. I wanted to go back and have a burger animal style but never made it. Guess I will just have to go back again!
I was blessed to be there at the moment Alisa received the keys to her very first home. Which I am totally and completely jealous of. But she is going to let me move in and since I can't work down there it will be rent free. What a gal.

Thanksgiving day we went to a casino. To partake of their feast buffet. Oh my. It was a feast and it was a buffet. There was so much food. My first plate consisted of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pizza, ribs, and spinach quiche. Holy smokes it was good. My other plates held delicious items like donuts, fruit, egg rolls, french toast, pot stickers, fried rice, mint chocolate chip gelato, brownies, cookies. And that wasn't even an hundredth of the food offered. God bless America.

After rolling ourselves out of the buffet, we dropped a couple hundred in the slots.

Just joking. I didn't even play a penny.

I met up with my friend Rachel at the Bellagio where we drooled over the largest chocolate fountain. Then I was lucky enough to have 3 other friends in town. Well maybe the little guy isn't my friend. Since he cried the entire time I held him. Whatever. Sorry the pic is a little dark. Hopefully my friends with a not dark picture will email it to me. (hint hint)

It made me laugh to see this sign in every bathroom. Well laugh in a "that's really sad that people need to be told this in a bathroom or at all" sorta way.

And I did a lot more. Shopping. Eating. Talking. Sleeping. Movie watching.

Vegas rocks.

So funny.

2008-12-01T15:20:00.001-07:00

I drove past a tire shop today. In front was a sign that read:

The best place in town to take a leak.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I heart Las Vegas

2008-11-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am going to Vegas tomorrow. And I am excited.

I am excited to be reunited with:

Target
Kohl's
In-N-Out
Trader Joes
Sonic
Joann's
palm trees
Chipotle
day after thanksgiving shopping
Rachel- who is also spending Thanksgiving in Vegas

and most importantly:

Alisa.
The whole reason I am going to Vegas.
I would visit her even if she lived in Wisconsin.

But boy am I grateful she lives somewhere warm with slot machines in every grocery store.
I just know I am going to win big money this week.
Then I can afford to fill a whole suitcase with Chipotle burritos. And a couple In-N-Out burgers. Mmmmmm.

Retail Pet Peeves

2008-11-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Now I know that working at a store for 2 months doesn't make me a retail expert.
But I do know when something is annoying.

And people are annoying.

So before you head out to do your Christmas shopping, or stand in line for hours to get some great black Friday deals, let me share with you a few shopping don'ts.

1) When you are in line- BE in line. When I say "I can help the next person" I don't want to have to yell it 3 times before you remember where you are and what you are doing.

2) If YOU write "Check ID" on the back of your credit card, show YOUR ID. Did YOU write it on there to test the cashiers or to prevent someone else from using YOUR card. I appreciate the fact that you want to prevent identity theft. But those people who hand over their cards and ID together, I appreciate even more.

3) Don't ask for an extra bag so you have something to put the gift in your are buying for someone. Go to a dollar store, buy a cute bag, and put your present in there. Nothing says "I am cheap and lazy" like giving someone a present in the bag you bought it in or had to beg for.

4) When something is buy one get one... the get one free or half price is always an equal or lesser-value. Always. So don't act surprised, return everything and re-buy it all in equally priced pairs to save $3.78. I am sure the 15 minutes we spend together doing that is worth more than that!

5) If a store provides you with a shopping bag for your shopping convenience, do not (once it is empty) try to fold it up and/or place/hide it somewhere randomly. Pretty sure you are not the only person that has used a bag and there is a designated place for them to go.

6) When placing your items for purchase on the counter, is it fun to place them in the most awkward places/ distances for the person who is scanning and bagging them for you? Because I am pretty sure it isn't fun for them.

7) I support paying with cash. And paying with exact change is even better. Why not clean out the change purse- if you can do it in a timely manner. (side note- I once had a lady who was digging in her purse and pockets for at least 10 minutes looking for a $20 bill. 10 minutes. Not kidding). But if the cashier is standing there with her hand out, please don't place your 5 pennies, 3 dimes and 2 nickels on the counter. Especially when she just cut off all her nails. Thank you.

I don't mean to be negative Nancy.
And I know that cashiers/sales associates can also be annoying.
I work with one of the craziest ones out there. Stay tuned for those pet peeves.

Please-Feel free to share your complaints/pet peeves about shopping/working here.

Unless it is about me.

Cute Stuff!

2008-11-20T23:34:00.003-07:00

Check out this cute blog Creative Cookie.

You can order some fun stuff. And even win some things too.

One of my favorite things is the menu planning system. So fun.

Adventures in Subbing

2008-11-15T16:45:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was my first day as a Substitute teacher.

And it was even for a foods class.

Let's just say...

I found 2 boys hiding in the closet behind the door with the lights off.

A group poured their potato soup down the sink (no garbage disposal) and clogged it.

I didn't get to leave the classroom all day. I almost peed my pants. But luckily the bell rang when it did.

I had to grade presentations on Canadian explorers. (she had one social studies class)

On Monday I get to sub an elementary class. Stay tuned for more adventures.

One Word

2008-11-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

The rules with this tag: Answer the following questions using just one word and tag seven people.

Where is your cell phone? nonexistent
Where is your significant other? good-question
Your hair color? poo
Your mother? funny
Your father? retired
Your favorite thing? sleeping
Your dream last night? forget
Your dream/goal? employed
The room you’re in? chilly
Your hobby? sewing
Your fear? kidnapped
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Idaho
Where were you last night? movies
What you’re not? sexy
One of your wish-list items? real-job
Where you grew up? canada
The last thing you did? chocolate
What are you wearing? clothes
Your TV? on
Your pet? heaven
Your computer? on
Your mood? happy
Missing someone? husband :)
Your car? dirty
Something you’re not wearing? socks
Favorite store? target
Your summer? short
Love someone? yep
Your favorite color? blue
When is the last time you laughed? recently
Last time you cried? yesterday

I choose: midge, rachel, kristi, andrea, amanda, mikaela, sydney

Mmmmmmmm... part 2

2008-11-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

I know you have all been dying to know what my other delicious cheese and cracker snack is.

May I introduce to you....

crackers,

cheese

and

marshmallows

Divide a cheese slice into 4 pieces. Place each piece onto a saltine cracker. Top with 3 mini or 1/2 a large marshmallow.

Place under the broiler until the marshmallows are toasted and the cheese is melted.

Don't knock it 'til you try it.

The wedding is off.

2008-11-05T21:51:00.003-07:00

Darn that Obama.

Since he won the election, my future husband won't be moving to Canada.

If only I hadn't eaten my last boyfriend.

Canada- 1 USA- 1

2008-10-28T12:40:00.002-06:00

While I appreciate MuchoBurrito's attempt at a delicious burrito:

It just doesn't compare to Chipotle's deliciousness.
And unfortunatley Chipotle is only located in the US of A.
But maybe if they had the lime cilantro rice- like their menu said they serve and every picture shows. Or if the corn salsa didn't contain more beans than corn.
But they did grill it! And give you the choice of a whole wheat or white tortilla!!

So it will do in the case of a major burrito craving. But the USA wins a point for their amazing Chipotle Burrito's. Mmmm.

Canada- 1 USA- 0

2008-10-27T20:27:00.002-06:00

Today Canada won a point in the Ultimate North American battle.

May I introduce to you-

Girl Guide Chocolatey Mint cookies.

Now I know that the USA has Thin Mints. But those pale in comparison to these beauties.

Look at the delicious creamy mint filling. Mmmmmm.

I bought them from a girl a work today. And the box is almost empty.

Anyone know of any Girl Guides that might want to sell me some more??

Sooooooo tasty.

Candy Corn Cookies -attempt #2

2008-10-26T21:02:00.005-06:00

I decided to give these Candy Corn cookies another try. Last time I made them I did a brown row instead of orange (which actually looks more pink than orange).

Can't decide which ones I like better.

This is what is leftover after giving some to my visiting teachees and companion. And having a few family members snack on them.

They are fun to make but I can't seem to get them to look like Betty Crocker's. She is the master though!

Guess I will have to try again next year. Or maybe tomorrow. :)

I found him.

2008-10-17T23:13:00.005-06:00

I found the man of my dreams.
Thanks be to Craigslist for bringing us together:

Disgruntled American Seeks Canadian For Political Asylum, Maybe More

Date: 2008-10-01, 6:00PM EDT

Like so many in the USA, I've become increasingly fed up with my country. The last 8 years have been a nightmare of perpetual motion. The presidential election is almost a month away, but let's face it. If Bush's cronies were able to set him up for two terms, then McCain and Palin are practically a shoo-in. When that happens (and it will, just you watch) I would rather be somewhere else. Like The Great White North!
Are you a lonely, possibly desperate Canadian woman aged 18-50? Tired of trying to find a good man among your flannel clad, Labatt's drinking, moose hunting country men? Willing to take in an American who is fed up with his country? Then I'm the guy for you! Maybe you're a bit overweight or suffer from "Lifelong Ugly Duckling" syndrome. I don't care.

What I'm All Aboot:
32, tall, a bit pudgy around the middle, starting to go bald, but other than that it's all good.
IT Professional, skilled with computers, can fix yours.
Will get whatever job(s) available to help support us.
From Washington State, appreciates nature.
Willing to learn French.
Polite, working on being more humble.
Hates littering.
Will pet your cat(s)/dog(s) and tell you how cute it is.
Enjoys Rush.
Can fake an interest in hockey.
Knows the first line to the Canadian National Anthem.
Will do whatever it takes to get the freak out of here.

What You're All Aboot:
Canadian.
18-50 year old female.
Willing to marry me for citizenship.
So there you have it ladies! This is your chance to help your neighbors to the South. Get at it!

I am Canadian. And female. And between 18 and 50.
If that ain't a match made in heaven, I don't know what is.

maybe he could live in Canada and I could move to the States with my new dual citizenship.
Being reunited with Target, Kohl's, Chipotle, Sonic....

Mmmmmmm....

2008-10-16T16:38:00.005-06:00

Today I had one of my favorite snacks. I created it while I was in College. And probably haven't had it since then.

So yummy.

What is it you ask?

Why ritz crackers. with melted cheese. and a pickle on top. Of course.

Stay tuned for another favorite snack involving crackers, cheese and....

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-10-15T16:44:00.005-06:00

It was my Dad's birthday on Tuesday. Being the good citizen that he is, he was busy working at the election polls ALL day. On his birthday. So I decided it would be fun to welcome him home with a mini celebration. So I bustled home from work and whipped up these puppies:

And my sister and her little ones came over to help celebrate.
Lydia really wanted a cupcake so decided to attack her mom until she gave in.

When Dad wasn't home after 8, we decided to have our own party.

And what a party it was.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-10-14T23:53:00.006-06:00

This Sunday was a special day. I got to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family. For the first time in 11 years. 11 years. That's how long ago I moved away from home. When I was 13. :)

Ha!

we needed 3 tables for all of us.

I am thankful for my family. All 26 of them. It is weird to think the last time I was home for thanksgiving... there were only 10 of us. My, how we have grown.

I voted.

2008-10-14T20:16:00.001-06:00

Today I voted.
The last time I voted was when I was 18.
I have been living in the States during every other election.
One year I tried to figure out how to vote from out of the country.
It was much too confusing. So I didn't.
But today- I did.

It has been interesting to see the differences between elections in U.S. and Canada.

In Canada- our election was just announced less than 2 months ago. So less time for annoying election commercials. In the U.S. there have been annoying elections commercials and news stories for ummm... ever.
In the U.S.- there are only 2 major parties. Canada has 5 parties (plus independents) to choose from. Sometimes more choices are good. But that depends on the choices.
In the U.S.- you vote for your president. In Canada- you vote for your local leader, and that determines who the Prime Minister (the leader of our country) will be.
In Canada- they candidates are required to speak english and french. In the U.S.- it is a fluke if they speak a language other than english.
In the U.S.- I couldn't vote. In Canada- I can.

And I did.

How grateful I am for the freedoms we enjoy and the choices we have.

Professional what?

2008-10-06T08:08:00.003-06:00

So there I was, sewing an apron to sell at our craft sale when suddenly my machine made a horrible noise and stopped moving. I don't consider myself to be a professional sewing machine repairer- but when you have 130 teenagers jamming machines on a daily basis, you quickly learn how to fix most problems. And for those unfixable jams, we had a fabulous repair guy named Gary. Well. It was Friday night. And my machine. And no Gary.

***

But luckily there was a Terry.

My dad. After I took half of my machine apart twice and couldn't fix the problem, my Dad came to the rescue. We took my machine apart completely (well, the plastic cover). Found the problem. Fixed it. And 2 hours after I first started the repairs, I was sewing like the wind.

***

So there I was, a few days later, sewing again. When my machine made the same horrible noise. But my Dad was at work. So I took the machine apart. Fixed the problem. Put it back together again.

***

So there I was, 2 days later, sewing like the wind. Same noise. Same problem. All alone. Got the screw driver. Took it all apart. And was back to sewing in about 15 minutes.

It wouldn't do this.

And then do this.

So I could do this.

So I did this.

But if it does it again- I may have to throw it out the window. I bought it at a thrift store 7 years ago for $2.99. Is it really worth the hassle?

Have a problem with YOUR sewing machine? Give me a call. And Relax. I'm a professional.

Crafts and a contest.

2008-10-05T21:36:00.006-06:00

My sister and I decided to get a table at a craft sale together. It was fun spending the day with her. But we only made $30. Well I made $20 and my Mom made $10. No one even came for the last hour. See...

No one to the left.
No one to the right.
How my sister felt about our day.

I don't know why her stuff didn't sell. It is all so cute.

And everyone there agreed. She is having a contest on her blog where she will make you a fun necklace. Post a comment quick though- she is picking a winner Monday night!

Four Four

2008-10-02T06:26:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by my sister Kristi-

and the deal is, you go to your fourth photo file, and post the fourth picture from that file.
Here we go....

so this is it. the fourth picture on my fourth file.
This is me and my Sonic buddy- Anitra. I was feeling a little ill back in May- so I took a sick day. We heard about a new Sonic that opened which was slightly closer than our usual one over an hour away. So we decided a road trip was in order. I have heard Lemon- Berry Slushies cure everything. Mmmmm. 44 ounces of pure heaven. I want one right now.

so- now I am supposed to tag four people to do the same-
Anitra, Mikaela, Midge, and Rachel.

And anyone else that wants to.

update

2008-10-01T13:43:00.005-06:00

I didn't get the teaching job. But I did get the other job.

And I don't know if that lady was American or Canadian. But she was crazy.

Now I know how to get you all to comment!! :)