I had zinfandel and goldfish crackers to keep me company while watching American Idol last night. Danny isn't a big fan so he kept himself busy by playing Word Challenge on facebook. Here are my thoughts.
Matt - sang Let's Get it On - He's so good. I gave it two thumbs up. I really liked the changes he made to make the song his own.
Kris - sang How Sweet It Is - I've liked him but I never realized what a great voice he had until last night.
Scott - Can't hurry love - It was just ok to me. I'm ready to see this guy go. I think he is still getting the sympathy vote and the judges seem to really like him. I don't see him going anytime soon because of that.
Meaghan - sang For Once in my Life - I really like Meaghan. She looked great but she blew it. It wasn't good. I really hope she doesn't go.
Anoop - sang Oh Baby Baby - The song got better as he went along but I'm tired of slow songs Anoop. Crank it up again.
Michael - sang Ain't to proud to beg - We all know I'm not a big fan. I enjoyed the song but he just doesn't compare to the others.
Lil - sang Heat Wave - I agree with Kara in that she was screaming the song at times. It was good but not what we expect from her.
Adam- sang Track of my Tears - He did a great job. Still doesn't mean I like him. I'll never like him again after he butchered Ring of Fire.
Danny - sang Get Ready - It was good as always. That's what we come to expect from him.
So who do I think is going home. Meaghan. Not who I want but I think Michael will still get the "blue collar" worker vote to stay around another week. Maybe America will surprise me and vote him off. We'll see tonight.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
It is fire season
Two signs that it is fire season. You see billowing smoke in the distance and you smell it in the air. Last night leaving work I saw this (photos below) and then this morning when I walked out of my apartment I was hit with the smell of smoke. I couldn't see where it was coming from though.
Time for Spring Cleaning
For the past month or so I kept looking in my closet and thinking, "I really need to clean this thing out." We had clothes jammed in there and I knew I didn't even wear half of it.
So on Sunday it was time to start spring cleaning. I went through my sweaters first. I picked out what I wouldn't wear again and then picked out the heavier ones that I wouldn't wear again next year. That cleaned out two shelves. Then it was on to my pants. Most pants went into the donate pile. I then had one shelf dedicated to sweaters and one to pants. Danny now gets an extra shelf.
Next it was time to go through my hanging shirts. I had the entire left side all to myself. I started in the back. If it didn't fit anymore it was getting donated and if I didn't remember the last time I wore something it was getting donated. So I was able to get rid of a million things. The stack was getting quite high.
I didn't throw much of Danny's stuff out. He doesn't really have a lot of clothes. So this pile below is mostly my stuff that is getting donated. Four bags full ready for Goodwill.
So on Sunday it was time to start spring cleaning. I went through my sweaters first. I picked out what I wouldn't wear again and then picked out the heavier ones that I wouldn't wear again next year. That cleaned out two shelves. Then it was on to my pants. Most pants went into the donate pile. I then had one shelf dedicated to sweaters and one to pants. Danny now gets an extra shelf.
Next it was time to go through my hanging shirts. I had the entire left side all to myself. I started in the back. If it didn't fit anymore it was getting donated and if I didn't remember the last time I wore something it was getting donated. So I was able to get rid of a million things. The stack was getting quite high.
I didn't throw much of Danny's stuff out. He doesn't really have a lot of clothes. So this pile below is mostly my stuff that is getting donated. Four bags full ready for Goodwill.
We've got crabs
I meant to post this on Saturday but I never got the picture off my camera. So here it is.
On Saturday night, Danny and I elected to stay in to watch basketball and because I had picked up 4 lbs of crab legs from the grocery store the night before. I had been craving this yummy goodness and just happened to see a bag of it while walking through the store. So I just had to have it. I had never made my own crab legs.
It turned out to be super simple. You just boil them for 5-7 minutes if you don't have a steamer. They were so yummy. Danny and I feasted on it for like an hour and we made sure to finish off every last drop.
On Saturday night, Danny and I elected to stay in to watch basketball and because I had picked up 4 lbs of crab legs from the grocery store the night before. I had been craving this yummy goodness and just happened to see a bag of it while walking through the store. So I just had to have it. I had never made my own crab legs.
It turned out to be super simple. You just boil them for 5-7 minutes if you don't have a steamer. They were so yummy. Danny and I feasted on it for like an hour and we made sure to finish off every last drop.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Random useless knowledge
At work I decided I wanted to get more involved in our social media efforts. I decided before I did this that I needed to learn more about social media than rely on just what I know from my own personal experience with my personal accounts. So I ordered a few books to read and have been reading articles online. I just came across this interesting tidbit that I felt like sharing.
The term "spammer" - loosely based, unfairly, on Hormel's canned meat - was coined to describe people sending email filled with questionable content.
I had never thought about it like that or put two and two together. I'll let you know what other tidbits I pull out of my reading.
The term "spammer" - loosely based, unfairly, on Hormel's canned meat - was coined to describe people sending email filled with questionable content.
I had never thought about it like that or put two and two together. I'll let you know what other tidbits I pull out of my reading.
Friday, March 20, 2009
You win some and you loose some
So I was almost right with my American Idol prediction. It came down to Alexis and Michael and I knew it had to be Michael. Well it ended up being Alexis. Too bad for her. She got sent home because of her song choice. Michael got lucky. Oh well at least it'll be easy for me to pick who's going home next week...let's hope Michael.
So it is March Madness time. With the Gators not being in the tournament, the only thing keeping me interested in all the action is my bracket. Danny and I entered the bracket pool at my work. We had 32 people put in $10 a piece. 75% goes to the winner, 25% to second place, and 3rd place gets their money back. So hopefully one or the both of us will walk away as winners.
Yesterday was the first day of the tournament. I didn't do terrible. I guessed 12 of the 16 games correctly. The only downfall is that Mississippi State and Illinois both lost and I had them both going to the Sweet 16. Oh well. Let's hope my Final Four teams hold on and maybe I can make a run for the money.
Today's action is just starting up at noon so I'll have to start following scores and checking my bracket here shortly.
So it is March Madness time. With the Gators not being in the tournament, the only thing keeping me interested in all the action is my bracket. Danny and I entered the bracket pool at my work. We had 32 people put in $10 a piece. 75% goes to the winner, 25% to second place, and 3rd place gets their money back. So hopefully one or the both of us will walk away as winners.
Yesterday was the first day of the tournament. I didn't do terrible. I guessed 12 of the 16 games correctly. The only downfall is that Mississippi State and Illinois both lost and I had them both going to the Sweet 16. Oh well. Let's hope my Final Four teams hold on and maybe I can make a run for the money.
Today's action is just starting up at noon so I'll have to start following scores and checking my bracket here shortly.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Very exciting two days
I can't believe I didn't blog yesterday about the exciting news I received. Then today I got another surprise at work so now I must blog about them both.
Most of you probably know that I traveled to 10 tournaments last year and had been planning on doing the same again this year. Well with the "state of the economy" my travel budget was slashed to mere pennies. That meant no traveling for me except for The Solheim Cup in Chicago because that tournament was covering my travel costs.
My coworker Donna knew that I wasn't traveling and had been keeping her eye out for any free travel that might arise. Well it just so happens there was one extra ticket to the RICOH Women's British Open and she threw my name out there as the lucky ticket recipient and it was approved.
I can't tell you how excited I was. I have been to the Women's British Open the past two years and I couldn't imagine missing it. I always take a little European side trip once I'm over there. So this was the best news of the day. The past two years I've taken my side trip to Scotland. I think this year I'm heading to Dublin, Ireland. The only part that stinks is I'll be alone going to Ireland but I'm sure I can find some Irish pubs to entertain me.
Today's surprise was a new blackberry. I can't tell you how old mine was. It was a model that people didn't even recognize. I called it a dinosaur. The screen was black and white and had no camera like the color versions everyone else had. I also couldn't use cool applications like facebook and twitter on it.
Now I have the new BlackBerry Curve and it is beautiful. It has color and I can use facebook and twitter from it. The trackball will take some getting use to but it is worth it in the end.
I'm going home a happy woman today!
Most of you probably know that I traveled to 10 tournaments last year and had been planning on doing the same again this year. Well with the "state of the economy" my travel budget was slashed to mere pennies. That meant no traveling for me except for The Solheim Cup in Chicago because that tournament was covering my travel costs.
My coworker Donna knew that I wasn't traveling and had been keeping her eye out for any free travel that might arise. Well it just so happens there was one extra ticket to the RICOH Women's British Open and she threw my name out there as the lucky ticket recipient and it was approved.
I can't tell you how excited I was. I have been to the Women's British Open the past two years and I couldn't imagine missing it. I always take a little European side trip once I'm over there. So this was the best news of the day. The past two years I've taken my side trip to Scotland. I think this year I'm heading to Dublin, Ireland. The only part that stinks is I'll be alone going to Ireland but I'm sure I can find some Irish pubs to entertain me.
Today's surprise was a new blackberry. I can't tell you how old mine was. It was a model that people didn't even recognize. I called it a dinosaur. The screen was black and white and had no camera like the color versions everyone else had. I also couldn't use cool applications like facebook and twitter on it.
Now I have the new BlackBerry Curve and it is beautiful. It has color and I can use facebook and twitter from it. The trackball will take some getting use to but it is worth it in the end.
I'm going home a happy woman today!
Danny's making dinner
Danny didn't have to work today so I enlisted him to make dinner. The recipe I had picked out takes over an hour so if we waited until I got home to cook it, we wouldn't eat until 7:30 or 8:00. That is way to late. So why not let this fully capable man cook. All he has to do is follow the recipe. I think he'll do great. Here's the recipe. I'll let you know tonight how it turns out.
Cheesy Chicken Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
1 cup dry whole-wheat elbow macaroni
3/4 cup fat-free skim milk
10 3/4 oz Campbell's 98% Fat-Free Cream Of Chicken Soup
12 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
4 oz canned mushrooms
1 cup Kraft 2% Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
Methods/steps
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
In a bowl, stir milk into soup. Add chicken, half of the cheese, mushrooms and cooked macaroni; mix well.
Turn mixture into a 2 qt. casserole that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and stir. Top with the remaining cheese;
Bake about 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts.
Eventful drive to work
Most days my drive to work is pretty boring. I keep myself entertained with the Bob & Sheri show on the radio. They always have crazy people calling in with entertaining stories. Today I had a few eventful things take place. I was about 15 miles into the drive and I see a cop car at the top of this hill and he is taking up the right lane. I get over into the middle lane and then as I get closer I see that the cop is actually out of his car and standing in the right lane. He's waving everyone over to the far left lane. That looked a little dangerous.
As I came over the hill there were all these cop cars and a firetruck and a big cloud of smoke. A car was on fire. We all slowed down to look (I also took a picture) and you could see that the tailgate of the truck still had flames coming out of it. Scary.
Thankfully for us there isn't a lot of traffic going this way so there wasn't a back up to sit in. We just drove by slowly and then were on our merry way again.
Not too long after that I saw a turkey on the side of the road. Wildlife along I-95 always amazes me.
I knew that I had to go to the post office before heading to work and about 20 minutes from work I realize that I was a little early for the post office since it doesn't open until 8:30. I came up with the grand idea of going to Starbucks first. I couldn't remember the last time I got Starbucks so this kept me happy until my drive was over.
I got my venti caramel frappuccino and shipped off my package and then off to work I went. What a great way to start the day. Not so great for the person whose truck went up in flames.
As I came over the hill there were all these cop cars and a firetruck and a big cloud of smoke. A car was on fire. We all slowed down to look (I also took a picture) and you could see that the tailgate of the truck still had flames coming out of it. Scary.
Thankfully for us there isn't a lot of traffic going this way so there wasn't a back up to sit in. We just drove by slowly and then were on our merry way again.
Not too long after that I saw a turkey on the side of the road. Wildlife along I-95 always amazes me.
I knew that I had to go to the post office before heading to work and about 20 minutes from work I realize that I was a little early for the post office since it doesn't open until 8:30. I came up with the grand idea of going to Starbucks first. I couldn't remember the last time I got Starbucks so this kept me happy until my drive was over.
I got my venti caramel frappuccino and shipped off my package and then off to work I went. What a great way to start the day. Not so great for the person whose truck went up in flames.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
American Idol through my eyes
I love American Idol so I thought I'd take notes on tonight's show and share with you. I think the last four that sang stole the show. Here's my rundown.
Michael - He sang Garth Brooks. I love Garth Brooks and the song he sang is a really fun song...Ain't going down till the sun comes up. I'll just say it was better than I expected but it wasn't anything special. I foresee Michael going home soon once his "blue-collar worker vote" runs out.
Allison - I love her voice. I think she did an awesome job with the Patti Loveless song. Randy Travis was right...she has such a mature voice for 16.
Kris - He's from Arkansas so I expected him to do well at country and he did. Simon loved him which thrilled Kris. I see him sticking around till next week.
Lil Rounds - She sang Independence Day by Martina McBride. It was just fine for me. It wasn't bad but it wasn't spectacular. She played it safe because country isn't her thing. I don't think holding back this week will hurt her. Let's hope not.
Adam - All I can say is WTF. Seriously...you're going to do that to a Johnny Cash song. It made me sick. I get what he was trying to do and be unique but not with that song.
Scott - Wild Angels, Martina McBride - I was skeptical. He pulled it off but I agree with the judges. He's got to step up. I don't think his voice is the best. I think his blindness keeps people voting. I'm not sure how long that will last.
Alexis - Interesting song choice. It was a little pitchy as Randy would say. It didn't really keep my attention.
Danny - He's been my favorite since the very beginning. I was nervous when I heard he was singing Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel". But I thought he did a great job. The second half was much better but I just love everything he sings.
Anoop - All I can say is welcome back. He did a great job. He got the kick in the butt he needed last week to pull off a stellar performance this week.
Meaghan - Her voice is so unique. I love listening to her. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. I think she did a great job but the girl has got to stop doing the "twist" move all the time. Dance lessons are in order.
Matt - What a way to end the night. He's another favorite of mine and he did great. Carrie Underwood will be very proud of his performance.
So to wrap things up I think/hope Michael will be going home. I wish it would be Adam for that awful performance but that won't happen.
Michael - He sang Garth Brooks. I love Garth Brooks and the song he sang is a really fun song...Ain't going down till the sun comes up. I'll just say it was better than I expected but it wasn't anything special. I foresee Michael going home soon once his "blue-collar worker vote" runs out.
Allison - I love her voice. I think she did an awesome job with the Patti Loveless song. Randy Travis was right...she has such a mature voice for 16.
Kris - He's from Arkansas so I expected him to do well at country and he did. Simon loved him which thrilled Kris. I see him sticking around till next week.
Lil Rounds - She sang Independence Day by Martina McBride. It was just fine for me. It wasn't bad but it wasn't spectacular. She played it safe because country isn't her thing. I don't think holding back this week will hurt her. Let's hope not.
Adam - All I can say is WTF. Seriously...you're going to do that to a Johnny Cash song. It made me sick. I get what he was trying to do and be unique but not with that song.
Scott - Wild Angels, Martina McBride - I was skeptical. He pulled it off but I agree with the judges. He's got to step up. I don't think his voice is the best. I think his blindness keeps people voting. I'm not sure how long that will last.
Alexis - Interesting song choice. It was a little pitchy as Randy would say. It didn't really keep my attention.
Danny - He's been my favorite since the very beginning. I was nervous when I heard he was singing Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel". But I thought he did a great job. The second half was much better but I just love everything he sings.
Anoop - All I can say is welcome back. He did a great job. He got the kick in the butt he needed last week to pull off a stellar performance this week.
Meaghan - Her voice is so unique. I love listening to her. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. I think she did a great job but the girl has got to stop doing the "twist" move all the time. Dance lessons are in order.
Matt - What a way to end the night. He's another favorite of mine and he did great. Carrie Underwood will be very proud of his performance.
So to wrap things up I think/hope Michael will be going home. I wish it would be Adam for that awful performance but that won't happen.
Puppy fever!
It seems everywhere I go I see a puppy I want. I spent the weekend with my friend Vivian who has two dogs. Watching the play together was so much fun. It made me want a dog.
My friend Christine is getting a puppy. Seeing her post photos of it makes me want one.
Last night we watched a hilarious new show...Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory...and he has a new English bulldog puppy that I really want. We watched three episodes and the whole time I oohed and ahhed at the puppy. See pictures below of how cute it is. It's the one he's holding. It's a girl and her name is beefy. Meaty is the boy sitting. They are sooo cute.
The reality is we can't get a puppy. We probably couldn't afford one right now and with Danny and I being gone from our apartment for 11 hours a day just doesn't work when getting a new puppy. This makes me very sad because I've wanted a dog of my own for forever. I keep dreaming of the day that I don't drive an hour to work so that I can get a dog and come home on my lunch break to let it out.
My friend Christine is getting a puppy. Seeing her post photos of it makes me want one.
Last night we watched a hilarious new show...Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory...and he has a new English bulldog puppy that I really want. We watched three episodes and the whole time I oohed and ahhed at the puppy. See pictures below of how cute it is. It's the one he's holding. It's a girl and her name is beefy. Meaty is the boy sitting. They are sooo cute.
The reality is we can't get a puppy. We probably couldn't afford one right now and with Danny and I being gone from our apartment for 11 hours a day just doesn't work when getting a new puppy. This makes me very sad because I've wanted a dog of my own for forever. I keep dreaming of the day that I don't drive an hour to work so that I can get a dog and come home on my lunch break to let it out.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Oh how I love....
Japanese Steakhouses. I just went to dinner with two of my favorite people...Tina and Daniel. Tina now lives in Jacksonville with her husband Daniel so we get to see each other more often. It's so exciting. We've lived in separate cities for two years or so but now we're back together.
We decided to eat at a Japanese Steakhouse. It is so good. And it is good because of the sauce. Oh the yummy yummy sauce. I could eat that sauce on everything everyday. I even have the chef give me two dishes of that sauce instead of the ginger sauce. I then proceed to pour the sauce over my plate while still dipping it in the sauce tray. If only you didn't come home feeling so stuffed. That's the only problem.
We decided to eat at a Japanese Steakhouse. It is so good. And it is good because of the sauce. Oh the yummy yummy sauce. I could eat that sauce on everything everyday. I even have the chef give me two dishes of that sauce instead of the ginger sauce. I then proceed to pour the sauce over my plate while still dipping it in the sauce tray. If only you didn't come home feeling so stuffed. That's the only problem.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Let's talk about American Idol
I'm so excited American Idol is back on. I'm watching the results show right now. I was so happy last week when they picked both Matt and Anoop to make 13 contestants. I didn't know how they were going to choose between them.
I watched last night's show. I wasn't too thrilled that they chose Michael Jackson as the artist to choose from. But my favorites did well. Here's a breakdown of who I like. Danny Gokey has been a favorite of mine since his audition. I'll just have to wait and see who gets kicked off.
Here are my likes:
Danny Gokey
Matt Giraud
Lil Rounds
Alexis Grace
Meghan Corkrey
Adam Lambert
Sometimes:
Anoop Desai
Allison Iraheta
Scott MacIntyre
Kris Allen
Jasmine Murray
Not so much:
Michael Sarver
Jorge Nunez
I watched last night's show. I wasn't too thrilled that they chose Michael Jackson as the artist to choose from. But my favorites did well. Here's a breakdown of who I like. Danny Gokey has been a favorite of mine since his audition. I'll just have to wait and see who gets kicked off.
Here are my likes:
Danny Gokey
Matt Giraud
Lil Rounds
Alexis Grace
Meghan Corkrey
Adam Lambert
Sometimes:
Anoop Desai
Allison Iraheta
Scott MacIntyre
Kris Allen
Jasmine Murray
Not so much:
Michael Sarver
Jorge Nunez
Need new shows to watch!
So I'm bored with all the shows I have recording on TIVO. Now it is up to you to recommend new shows for me to record. Here is what we already record. And before you read the list...no making fun of me. I love reality TV which you can totally tell from the list below. Please help enrich our lives with new programming.
Survivor
American Idol
Amazing Race
Celebrity Apprentice
Desperate Housewives
Biggest Loser
Private Practice
Grey's Anatomy
Girls Next Door
Ace of Cakes
Miami Ink
Deadliest Catch
LA Ink
The First 48
Run's House
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Work Out
Million Dollar Listings
The Hills
Say Yes to the Dress
Project Runway
Real Housewives of ...everywhere
Keeping up with the Kardashians
Snoop Dogg's Father Hood
Celebrity Rehab
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Little People Big World
Top Chef
The City
Ellen
Daddy's Girls
Sober House
Will Work for Food
Intervention
Survivor
American Idol
Amazing Race
Celebrity Apprentice
Desperate Housewives
Biggest Loser
Private Practice
Grey's Anatomy
Girls Next Door
Ace of Cakes
Miami Ink
Deadliest Catch
LA Ink
The First 48
Run's House
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Work Out
Million Dollar Listings
The Hills
Say Yes to the Dress
Project Runway
Real Housewives of ...everywhere
Keeping up with the Kardashians
Snoop Dogg's Father Hood
Celebrity Rehab
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Little People Big World
Top Chef
The City
Ellen
Daddy's Girls
Sober House
Will Work for Food
Intervention
I've got gas!
I'm so proud of myself. I actually filled up my gas tank on the way home from work instead of on my way to work...which I hate.
I have to fill up with gas so much I hate the task. I barely get 400 miles to a tank and during the week I drive 120 miles or more a day. I know I'm crazy. So I usually run low on gas on my way home from work. I always bypass the gas station because I just want to get home. Then I hate myself in the morning when I HAVE to stop and get gas or I won't make it to work.
Well today my gas light came on with 7 miles on the highway from home. I decided that I could make it home and that I would actually stop tonight for gas so I wouldn't hate myself in the morning.
I'm so proud of myself. Proud enough that I'm on my second glass of wine.
I have to fill up with gas so much I hate the task. I barely get 400 miles to a tank and during the week I drive 120 miles or more a day. I know I'm crazy. So I usually run low on gas on my way home from work. I always bypass the gas station because I just want to get home. Then I hate myself in the morning when I HAVE to stop and get gas or I won't make it to work.
Well today my gas light came on with 7 miles on the highway from home. I decided that I could make it home and that I would actually stop tonight for gas so I wouldn't hate myself in the morning.
I'm so proud of myself. Proud enough that I'm on my second glass of wine.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Two Thumbs Up: Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Thought I'd share that my crockpot cheeseburger soup that I had at lunch was very good. It tasted good and it was filling. I paired it with a PB&J sandwich and I was very satisfied. I'm still satisfied at 4 p.m. so that is a good sign. Here's the recipe if you want to try.
--4 cups chicken broth
--1 T dried onion (or 1/2 of a white onion, diced finely)
--1 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained on the stove top
--1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
--3 potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
--2 small garlic cloves, minced
--1 cup milk (to add later, soy is fine)
--24 oz Velveeta, cubed (to add later)
--Tabasco sauce, optional
--crumbled bacon, optional
The Directions.
Brown the meat on the stove top with the onion, and drain fat. I have used 1/2 pound instead of a whole pound before, and we didn't miss the extra meat. Set aside to cool a bit.
In a 5-6 quart crockpot, pour in chicken broth. Add garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes (I didn't peel them), and add. Stir in the browned meat and onion.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until onions are translucent and potatoes are tender. Stir in milk and Velveeta 20-30 minutes before serving. If you'd like the broth thicker, blend a bit with a hand held stick blender.
Garnish with Tabasco sauce and crumbled bacon if desired.
--4 cups chicken broth
--1 T dried onion (or 1/2 of a white onion, diced finely)
--1 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained on the stove top
--1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
--3 potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
--2 small garlic cloves, minced
--1 cup milk (to add later, soy is fine)
--24 oz Velveeta, cubed (to add later)
--Tabasco sauce, optional
--crumbled bacon, optional
The Directions.
Brown the meat on the stove top with the onion, and drain fat. I have used 1/2 pound instead of a whole pound before, and we didn't miss the extra meat. Set aside to cool a bit.
In a 5-6 quart crockpot, pour in chicken broth. Add garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes (I didn't peel them), and add. Stir in the browned meat and onion.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until onions are translucent and potatoes are tender. Stir in milk and Velveeta 20-30 minutes before serving. If you'd like the broth thicker, blend a bit with a hand held stick blender.
Garnish with Tabasco sauce and crumbled bacon if desired.
What's for dinner?
Danny and I did good this weekend. We went to the grocery store to stock up on food for the next two weeks. Here's a list of dishes I will be making for us in the coming weeks. I'll post recipes after we've tried them.
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup - We're both having this for lunch today. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Enchilada Lovers Casserole
Cheesy Chicken Macaroni & Cheese
Chicken Toss with rice
Fiesta Turkey Pie
Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
Chili Mac
Spicy Cheese Soup - another soup to freeze for lunches
(Funny side note...the spell check for this blog doesn't like the word crockpot. It's first suggestion as a replacement was crackpot. Not sure I've heard of a crackpot but it made me think of a crack pipe. Big difference between that and a crockpot.)
Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup - We're both having this for lunch today. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Enchilada Lovers Casserole
Cheesy Chicken Macaroni & Cheese
Chicken Toss with rice
Fiesta Turkey Pie
Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
Chili Mac
Spicy Cheese Soup - another soup to freeze for lunches
(Funny side note...the spell check for this blog doesn't like the word crockpot. It's first suggestion as a replacement was crackpot. Not sure I've heard of a crackpot but it made me think of a crack pipe. Big difference between that and a crockpot.)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Ugly T-Shirt Bowling
Danny and I finally hung out with Laura and Travis and we tagged along with them to Ugly T-Shirt Bowling. It was just regular bowling except you had to come dressed in an ugly t-shirt. I dug through my drawer that afternoon and found Danny and I two shirts to wear. His was this lime green shirt from the restaurant Snooty Pig. My shirt just happened to be my vision, mission, values work shirt.
We all met up at Beach Bowl in Jax. Some of the t-shirts were hilarious. This one guy cut his shirt off to show his belly. It was a site to see. They even made up ballot sheets so we could vote on the ugliest, funniest, and most unique t-shirt. The awards ceremony was hilarious.
Now lets get down to the bowling. I usually start off good and get worse as the night goes on. This time it was the opposite. I started out with a first game of 80 something and came in second to last. My second game was much better. I scored a 99. I almost hit 100 which was my goal.
Before the final game we all started making bets. Laura and Travis bet Danny and I that they would do better than us. The losers would buy lunch for the other group. Turns out Danny had his worst game of the night and I had my best game (scored 100) and we lost. Travis and Laura were on fire. So we owe them lunch. That's ok...it's a good excuse to get together again.
Danny doing a turkey dance after getting 3 strikes in the 10th frame of game 2. Why couldn't he have bowled like this when it counted.
I almost scored 100. If I wouldn't have had a double gutter in the last frame it would have been great.
Woohoo for scoring 100. Booo for loosing to Travis and Laura (otherwise known as Debbie and Mr. Awesome).
We all met up at Beach Bowl in Jax. Some of the t-shirts were hilarious. This one guy cut his shirt off to show his belly. It was a site to see. They even made up ballot sheets so we could vote on the ugliest, funniest, and most unique t-shirt. The awards ceremony was hilarious.
Now lets get down to the bowling. I usually start off good and get worse as the night goes on. This time it was the opposite. I started out with a first game of 80 something and came in second to last. My second game was much better. I scored a 99. I almost hit 100 which was my goal.
Before the final game we all started making bets. Laura and Travis bet Danny and I that they would do better than us. The losers would buy lunch for the other group. Turns out Danny had his worst game of the night and I had my best game (scored 100) and we lost. Travis and Laura were on fire. So we owe them lunch. That's ok...it's a good excuse to get together again.
Danny doing a turkey dance after getting 3 strikes in the 10th frame of game 2. Why couldn't he have bowled like this when it counted.
I almost scored 100. If I wouldn't have had a double gutter in the last frame it would have been great.
Woohoo for scoring 100. Booo for loosing to Travis and Laura (otherwise known as Debbie and Mr. Awesome).
What are they doing?
I had these two flies land on my mirror. They were flying around attached at the butt and then landed on my mirror. I had to take a picture.
My new favorite blog to read.
I found a new favorite blog to read on Friday night while I was home bored. Danny was working of course and I knew that we would need to go to the grocery store this weekend. So I was in search of new recipes and stumbled upon this crockpot blog. This woman made it her New Year's Resolution in 2008 to cook something in her crockpot every day. And she did it. Amazing.
She uses her blog to post the recipe and pictures each day of what she made. She won't be updating it as much in 2009 but it will take me forever to get through 366 days (it was a leap year) of recipes.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
I'm making one of the recipes as we speak in my new crockpot. I'm trying the cheeseburger soup recipe. That way I can divy the soup up for us to use for lunch this week. Very exciting.
I'm also very excited about my new crockpot I bought today. I didn't really need a new one but my problem was that I'm away from home for about 11 hours each day and that is way too long for most crockpot recipes. So my new crockpot has a timer and once the time runs out it switches to warm, so this will allow me to use my crockpot no matter how long I'll be away from home. This is going to be great. I'll probably cook a lot more because crockpot cooking is so easy.
Now who wants my old crockpot? Nothing wrong with it...just no timer.
She uses her blog to post the recipe and pictures each day of what she made. She won't be updating it as much in 2009 but it will take me forever to get through 366 days (it was a leap year) of recipes.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
I'm making one of the recipes as we speak in my new crockpot. I'm trying the cheeseburger soup recipe. That way I can divy the soup up for us to use for lunch this week. Very exciting.
I'm also very excited about my new crockpot I bought today. I didn't really need a new one but my problem was that I'm away from home for about 11 hours each day and that is way too long for most crockpot recipes. So my new crockpot has a timer and once the time runs out it switches to warm, so this will allow me to use my crockpot no matter how long I'll be away from home. This is going to be great. I'll probably cook a lot more because crockpot cooking is so easy.
Now who wants my old crockpot? Nothing wrong with it...just no timer.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Thank you Girl Scouts!
I just wanted to give thanks to the Girls Scouts and their COOKIES. Two nights ago I was craving cookies and had nothing in the house that would stop the craving. I was wishing and hoping that Danny would run out and get my something but he didn't volunteer.
Well thankfully yesterday when I stopped to get gas on my way home, there was a poor girl scout and her mom selling cookies at the gas station in the cold weather. It was 49 degrees outside and they were sacrificing themselves for us who just wanted cookies. So I bought three boxes. HEHEHHE
So today as I'm still enjoying my cookies, I say THANK YOU GIRLS SCOUTS FOR YOUR DELICIOUS COOKIES THAT KEEP ME HAPPY.
Well thankfully yesterday when I stopped to get gas on my way home, there was a poor girl scout and her mom selling cookies at the gas station in the cold weather. It was 49 degrees outside and they were sacrificing themselves for us who just wanted cookies. So I bought three boxes. HEHEHHE
So today as I'm still enjoying my cookies, I say THANK YOU GIRLS SCOUTS FOR YOUR DELICIOUS COOKIES THAT KEEP ME HAPPY.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
My Wii age :(
So tonight after a few glasses of wine for me and a few cocktails for Danny, we started playing the Wii. We now have two nunchucks so we can battle each other in boxing. I knew this would be a tough match because we're both good at boxing. It was very close but I knocked him out in the end. Thank goodness I won because he beat me in every other sport we played. Tennis and bowling. He not only beat me at these...he creamed me. GRRR
So after the beating, I told him he should do the exercise to find out his Wii age. It uses a few games to test your balance, stamina, and skill and then gives you an age. I had heard of other people's ages and was expecting the worst. Danny didn't do so well at tennis, was good at baseball and great at bowling. His Wii age was 44. I thought wow...maybe mine won't be so bad.
Next it was my time. I had baseball first and didn't do so hot. Out of 10 tries I had 2 home runs, lots of balls not go long enough and some foul balls. Then it was Tennis. I think I did pretty good. Most went where they should. Then it was time for bowling. I didn't do so hot. After a few calculating seconds...there it was. My Wii age of 69. AHHHHH.
This is not my Mii but this is what my face looked like when receiving the news. I tried to do it again but I guess you can only try once a day. It is now my goal to lower my Wii age.
So after the beating, I told him he should do the exercise to find out his Wii age. It uses a few games to test your balance, stamina, and skill and then gives you an age. I had heard of other people's ages and was expecting the worst. Danny didn't do so well at tennis, was good at baseball and great at bowling. His Wii age was 44. I thought wow...maybe mine won't be so bad.
Next it was my time. I had baseball first and didn't do so hot. Out of 10 tries I had 2 home runs, lots of balls not go long enough and some foul balls. Then it was Tennis. I think I did pretty good. Most went where they should. Then it was time for bowling. I didn't do so hot. After a few calculating seconds...there it was. My Wii age of 69. AHHHHH.
This is not my Mii but this is what my face looked like when receiving the news. I tried to do it again but I guess you can only try once a day. It is now my goal to lower my Wii age.
Deer graze along I-95?
I meant to write this blog last night but I never got around to it. So just pretend it is Monday night.
So you all know that I drive around an hour to work and an hour home each day. The drive can get long and boring at times so it doesn't take much to keep me entertained. We'll this winter I started noticing deer grazing right alongside I-95 and they would always be in the same general area. This not only fascinated me, it also terrified me. I mean why would deer choose this spot to feed and how are they not scared about the millions of cars zooming past. It terrified me to think that one night a deer could jump out into my lane. That would be a disaster, as my car is usually going 80, so that would be quite the impact.
So each night as I'd get closer to exit 294 I would start keeping an eye out for the deer. It was usually hard to spot them because it was dark by this time of my drive. Well one day a couple of weeks ago I stayed in Daytona after work to have Happy Hour with some ladies and so I was driving back home around 8:30 p.m. and that night I saw at least 10 deer that night. I couldn't believe it. Some were even frolicing down the highway along a fence. This is not something you usually see out in the open like that.
Well last night I was a little bored on the drive and started thinking about the deer. I also thought this would make a great blog story and what would go better than a picture. So I got my camera out of my purse and had it ready so I could get a picture of these deer to prove my point of how close they feed to the highway. I'm starting to near the area and I see three objects up ahead. I'm in the middle lane and there is a car in the right hand lane. So I slow down so that the other car doesn't block my view and I try and take a picture but I was too slow hitting the button and all I got was a blurry picture. As you can see it doesn't take much to entertain me.
On the rest of my drive home all I thought about was how I would try harder tomorrow to get that picture of the deer. It probably isn't the safest thing to do while driving on I-95 but it sure does brighten up my drive. So maybe tonight when I'm driving home I'll get the picture of my deer. Hopefully they'll be out. It is starting to get lighter out around that time so I would think the deer would start eating later but I guess not.
So you all know that I drive around an hour to work and an hour home each day. The drive can get long and boring at times so it doesn't take much to keep me entertained. We'll this winter I started noticing deer grazing right alongside I-95 and they would always be in the same general area. This not only fascinated me, it also terrified me. I mean why would deer choose this spot to feed and how are they not scared about the millions of cars zooming past. It terrified me to think that one night a deer could jump out into my lane. That would be a disaster, as my car is usually going 80, so that would be quite the impact.
So each night as I'd get closer to exit 294 I would start keeping an eye out for the deer. It was usually hard to spot them because it was dark by this time of my drive. Well one day a couple of weeks ago I stayed in Daytona after work to have Happy Hour with some ladies and so I was driving back home around 8:30 p.m. and that night I saw at least 10 deer that night. I couldn't believe it. Some were even frolicing down the highway along a fence. This is not something you usually see out in the open like that.
Well last night I was a little bored on the drive and started thinking about the deer. I also thought this would make a great blog story and what would go better than a picture. So I got my camera out of my purse and had it ready so I could get a picture of these deer to prove my point of how close they feed to the highway. I'm starting to near the area and I see three objects up ahead. I'm in the middle lane and there is a car in the right hand lane. So I slow down so that the other car doesn't block my view and I try and take a picture but I was too slow hitting the button and all I got was a blurry picture. As you can see it doesn't take much to entertain me.
On the rest of my drive home all I thought about was how I would try harder tomorrow to get that picture of the deer. It probably isn't the safest thing to do while driving on I-95 but it sure does brighten up my drive. So maybe tonight when I'm driving home I'll get the picture of my deer. Hopefully they'll be out. It is starting to get lighter out around that time so I would think the deer would start eating later but I guess not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
