Pixie Dusted

Lifes a Roller Coaster

2010-06-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

okay, so after all that crappy news, I had a minor break down on Sunday night. I just lay in bed and cried for ages. I felt so lost and so helpless. my world is spinning faster and faster, and I cant control it anymore.

when Sweetheart lost his job, I put him on my insurance at work. I figured that once my annual raise was figured in, I would be taking home the same amount as this year. of course, then they didnt give me a raise at work, so I am now taking home a lot less.
and, of course, now we have a mortage. and the utilies for a two story home are much higher than they were at Sweethearts little apartment. I knew all that beforehand, I just didnt realize the amount of stress I would be feeling. being the sole income earner is very difficult. I feel guilty for taking time off or sick time, because Im afraid that it makes me look like a bigger expense to the company and that if they have to lay off more people, they will be looking at me.
while Im not a tightwad, I am much stricter in general about spending money than Sweetheart is. I never count my chickens before they hatch. Im always super cautious. and while that can be a good thing, it also means that my worries are huge.

I try not to worry. I really do. but when you have almost completely depleted your savings safety net and no extra money is in sight... its scary. I actually asked Sweetheart to apply for food stamps, because sometimes we honestly dont have money for groceries. they turned us down. I hope this doesnt offend anyone, but it was embarrassing for me to actually have to apply, and then for them to turn us down... like, we dont have any money!! do we have to lose our new house before we can get help??? do I have to go to the food bank and literally be taking food away from homeless people instead of getting food stamps? I mean, I have cousins who NEVER work and pop kids out without ever getting married, and they have food stamps and cash assistance and WIC. we are struggling and spent all our savings and are down to the bottom and just now asking for help, and we cant get any?? its frustrating and demeaning and makes me heartsick.

we only have one car, and the bus doesnt run near our house, but Sweetheart has applied at every Circle K and grocery store and fast food chain for miles, in addition to every job in the field he was in before he got laid off. NOTHING.

then, on Monday morning, his CNA license number came in. oh, I cried tears of joy. now he can get a CNA job!! he went down to where my brother in law works, applied, had an interview and was hired! all in like 6 hours. I cried again. I felt like this huge monster weight was gone. I felt so light and so happy. everyone at work kept asking me what was up, since I was grinning like I hadnt since I got married. I told them all how Sweetheart got a job after not working steadily since October. I got handshakes and thumped on the back. I got hugs and squeezes. congratulatory phone calls from family members. it was the best day in my whole life since the day that I got married. for the next two days, I floated happily through life.

and then on Wednesday, Sweetheart picked me up after work. I showed him the bottle of champaigne my boss had sent home for us (we were too poor to go out for a celebratory dinner). and Sweetheart put the car in park and burst into tears. and my world fell apart, yet again.

Ugh

2010-06-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

the weekend of June 11th was one of the worst of my life.

first, Sweetheart realized that he broke his wedding band. how he broke it, we dont know, but it was cracked and pieces were missing.

next, Sweethearts attorney called to tell us that his trial was being postponed... again. we were supposed to get this done last November, but it has been pushed back and pushed back. that was really devastating for me. I want to move on with life. until his name is cleared, he cant get his license with the State Board of Nursing and until he gets his license, he cant work. he has been out of work since October. yeah, he picked up a few one day jobs here and there, but he needs a real job. the stress of being the sole incomer earner has taken a huge toll on me. Im struggling at work and having trouble sleeping and getting migraines. Im falling apart. I try to keep it together, but I feel like Im drowning every day. I try not to cry when Sweetheart is around, because I know that not working makes him feel like a failure.

last, our puppy got sick and died. she was sick one night, and the next morning when we woke up, she was dead. Sweetheart went out to check on her, and I knew instantly. it was the last straw for him. Zoe was his first pet, you know. you can only take so much bad news in a 24 hour period. Zoe was our baby. the three of us were a little family. I had some friends who called her Zoe the Cutest Puppy Ever. and she was. she had such a cute little personality. we called her Zo-Zo and Zoetrope and Trope and Tropee. I miss her. if she came into the room when I was taking a bath, she would take a flying leap and jump in with me. I dunno why she would do that, since she hated water and never enjoyed her own baths, but it was always really cute and we would laugh at her.

sometimes, I just feel like "life sucks and then you die."

SOS

2010-06-15T14:28:00.001-07:00

okay, so people still arent holding parties. whats a girl to do?

call on all those in blogland for ideas.

what incentive could I give that would make you want to hold a sexy party? a promise that it wouldnt be rowdy? a guarantee that it would be?? lots of games and giveaways? zero games and mostly demos? a free vibrating toy to each hostess? regular hostess incentive (10% of party sales) plus one item at $25% off?

I really love my products and believe in them. when I went to my first party, I had a definite idea of what the party and the consultant would be like, and I was completely wrong. it was classy and not trashy at all. it really opened my eyes and got me thinking outside of the box. and I want to show that to other women. I feel like if I can just get my foot in the door, I could change attitudes. Im not just selling toys and pampering products. Im showing people a new direction. yeah, women know that sex feels good. but its so much more. God gave us sex to be close to each other. husbands and wives truly need to be intimate. to explore each other and themselves. to communicate. to enjoy each other. sex is playful and serious and silly and fun and sensual and mind blowing. lets give it the respect and time that it deserves. and THAT is why I want to get women to host parties.

I Joined A Cult... Or Not

2010-06-10T16:18:00.002-07:00

anyone who reads my blog and is friends with me on Facebook already knows this, so its not like I think Im making a breathtaking announcement...

I joined a multi level marketing program. I sell Pure Romance. Ive mentioned my love for naughty parties before. I posted my sex thoughts before. so the idea of me selling Pure Romance probably isnt surprising at all.

my sister sold Avon. she lasted about 4 months. then she tried it ago in March. she didnt even place one order.

why did I get myself into this???

oh, right, because I truly love the products and I thought it would be totally fun to spend my weekends schmoozing with girls over pampering and romance items.

and Im sure it would be, except that no one wants to have any parties. SHOCKING!! I mean, I loved throwing the sexy parties! I loved being the hostess and giggling with my girls and I especially loved getting FREE stuff. I suppose I could flatter myself into thinking that I threw just the best bomb-diggity parties that no one else wants to try to live up to them, but I doubt it. I just dont get it. people want to come to my parties. why dont they want to have their own so they can get FREE stuff?? I have the stuff. I want to give it away. le sigh.

if youre on Facebook, do me a favor and "like" Pure Romance by Cheryl Ann. its... all that I have, really.

An Email Conversation Between Friends

2010-06-02T15:14:00.001-07:00

me: so the other day, Sweetheart and I had meat, stuffing, corn, and French bread for dinner. since we had so much of the French loaf left over, I made French toast for dinner last night. (the bread from the bakery at Safeway doesnt have preservatives in it, so it goes bad fast.) Sweetheart likes his French toast pretty thick, so I sliced it just how he liked. then I buttered it and put syrup on it and powdered sugar. he was all "oh this looks so good" and stuff. he took it to the living room so he could eat and watch TV. he set it down on the coffee table so he could find the remote, and Zoe snatched it and ran. ha ha. I laughed so hard. Sweetheart was angry and chasing her all around the house. it was awesome.

friend: Hahaha poor [Sweetheart]. Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer? Zoe wouldn’t have done that if she considered [Sweetheart] the alpha male… She thinks she’s top dog.

Haha, I would’ve been dying laughing too if I had seen that. Did Zoe end up eating the whole thing?

me: no, what channel is the Dog Whisperer on? can I dog whisper Zoe myself? last week when I felt sick, Sweetheart went to buy himself some Panda Express, since I didnt feel like eating or cooking for him. he ate and put his leftovers in the container on the coffee table. then we went upstairs and I was in bed and he was getting me medicine and stuff to be comfortable. when he went back downstairs, Zoe had pulled his container onto the floor and eaten everything that was left. he said the container looked clean cause she licked it up. since he had already eaten what he was gonna eat, he wasnt mad and he didnt punish her at all. THATS why she thinks she is top dog! so, its his fault!
no, he was so mad about the French toast that he took it from her and threw it away. then he threw her outside. I laughed the whole time that I made more. I TOLD him that he should have spanked her when she ate the Panda Express, but he thought that was cute. I told him that its not a good idea for small dogs to think they can have people food, but he was all "she is sooo cute blah blah blah" so thats why I laughed at him last night.

30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30

2010-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

1. Try some type of seafood
2. Go skinny dipping
3. Read 20 new books
4. Go to the D23 Expo
5. Get a passport
6. Watch Citizen Kane, Soylent Green, Cool Hand Luke, and Saw
7. Become a Pure Romance consultant
8. Get my eyebrows threaded
9. Dye my hair blue
10. Play a hand of Blackjack in Vegas
11. Become a shareholder in the Walt Disney Company
12. Vacation in Texas
13. Visit a city I've never been to
14. Stay the night in above city
15. Take Sweetheart to the Silver Pony
16. Lose 25 pounds
17. Bake an apple pie from scratch
18. Spend a day at the spa
19. Ride California Screamin' at DCA
20. Go on a VIP Tour at Disneyland
21. Learn to make beans from my sister's MIL
22. Get a spray on tan
23. Cook a meal with veal
24. Eat at Pizzeria Bianco
25. Trade pins with a collector
26. Learn to make rice from my cousin
27. Make a D23 scrapbook
28. Dye my hair blonde
29. Finish reading Robinson Crusoe
30. Volunteer for a political cause

Ooh, More Posting!!

2010-03-30T11:30:00.001-07:00

I forgot one huge event when I posted the other: my baby sister got engaged!! she got engaged on Valentines Day. awwwwwww. they are getting married on May 15th. I know thats kinda soon, but thats just how we roll in this family. my cousin Ames is her maid of honor, and Ames and I are throwing her a bridal shower. and not just any bridal shower... a naughty one. *evil grin*

also, I mentioned that Sweetheart is in school right now. because he is gone all day long, I get to be a housewife. I stay at home and clean and cook. its awesome!! I gotta say, to all of you who get to stay at home and tend to your house, you are very, VERY blessed. I have taken this time to exercise, play with my puppy (did I mention that Sweetheart got me a puppy for Valentines?), and learn new recipes. I love having dinner all ready and served when Sweetheart walks in the door. he is gone so long that he is STARVING when he gets home, so everything that I cook is gobbled up and raved about. =) Ive really pushed myself to make new entrees and sides, and I am really proud of how much I have learned and grown as a cook.

I got a copy of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, so Sweetheart and I plan to start that now. actually, he started yesterday, but I had an attack of terrible cramps, so I laid on the couch covered with a blanket and critiqued his form. it was fun! I have put an effort into saving money and eating healthier, so hopefully a healthier, happier Pixie will be greeting you in the future!!

Been a Long Time Coming

2010-03-23T16:39:00.001-07:00

wow, so its been ages since Ive updated. life has been really crazy.

Sweetheart has started CNA school. he couldnt find a job and it was really discouraging. I told him that if there was no opening for his skills, then maybe he should try something different. my sister and brother in law are both CNAs. my brother in law went to a school that fast tracked his CNA. I suggested it to Sweetheart, not necessarily being a CNA, but going to school to get some type of certification. after thinking about it, he decided to go to CNA school, too. he isnt done yet, but he is really enjoying it and doing really well. Im very proud of him. after being away from school for almost 10 years, he was a little intimidated about the immersive nature of the CNA program, and, dont get me wrong, it has been an adjustment and a lot of work. overall, he is really enjoying the program and much more hopeful about his job prospects once its all completed. he will be taking his State Board exams on our 1st anniversary.

yeah, thats right, in two and a half weeks, we will be at our first anniversary. how is it that time can fly, but also it feels like we have been married forever? I mean, I remember that we used to say goodbye to each other at night and go home. now we just mumble goodnights and roll over. we arent newlyweds anymore. I feel kinda sad about that. there is something special about being a newlywed. not sure what it is, but its there.

my CNA sister is pregnant. first baby. second overall in our family. do I need to tell you that Im excited beyond words?? I actually cried with happiness when she told me. they were planning to move to Texas this year, but that got canceled because of the baby coming, which I am also quite happy about. we started planning a jungle theme baby shower, but then she got hit with a severe case of depression. Ive been really worried about her and the baby. her husband didnt know that what she felt wasnt normal, so it took a little bit before she got to the doctor. she has been feeling better these last few days, but she still has downs that are kind of scary.

lastly, we are headed to court next month. I dont want to talk about that other than to ask for prayer. trusting in God is easy to say but can be so difficult to practice. my head knows that no matter the outcome of the case, all is okay because God is with us. my heart is just having troubles. the unknown is tremendously frightening. Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Pizza Makes Me Happy

2010-02-12T13:52:00.003-07:00

so, I went to Fresh n Easy last weekend. first time Id ever gone, and I wasnt impressed. we bought some refrigerated pizza dough and some pecan granola. I was fairly sure that I would never return...

until I made a pizza with that dough. sooo yummy! I used the Safeway brand of marinara for the sauce, the Safeway Italian blend of cheeses, and some presliced pepperoni. cook for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and it was one of the easiest and yummiest meals ever. we ate it while we watched All in the Family on TVLand. first time watching that show, and it was hilarious. I think I will be headed back to F'n Easy after all.

Im Sorry You Had To See Me Like That

2010-02-04T13:58:00.001-07:00

its back!! Lost is back!! the end has officially begun. its T minus 16 hours until Lost is no more. as much as I want answers, I dont want Lost to end. May 23 is going to come awfully fast. here are my Lost thoughts...

Rose is calm? Jack has a bloody hickey? oh, its 2004 again! it was nice to see Rose & Jack meet, and Im glad that Rose and Bernard are together. I wonder if Rose is calm because in this timeline she isnt sick??

scary scary Dharma shark!! gave me the creeps.

Des!!! so happy to see you... alive... and not trapped on Craphole Island.

Juliet, I knew you were toast when I saw you on V last fall. I still love you. Suliet for life!!! Im glad that Miles came through for Sawyer. I was afraid that Miles would pretend to know what Juliet was gonna say. I thought she was pregnant, but It Worked is better.

it was great to see Charlie again, but why is he still a junkie? and ugh, Claire. just ugh.

Hurley is my main man. he is a good leader and has a good heart. and, hes way smarter than most of the dopes on the show. and, bonus, in the other timeline, he is lucky!! possible theory: he won the lottery with other numbers (or The Numbers arent cursed), so he isnt cursed.

I dont think that Sayid is Jacob. Sayid was confused. he said "what happened?" and I think Jacob wouldnt have said something like that. he is freakin Jacob, after all.

uh, where were Shannon, Michael, and Walt???

Baby Names

2010-02-01T14:14:00.002-07:00

dont get excited. I have no baby news or anything like that. its just... lately, we have been talking a lot. what ifs and stuff. personally, I think its nothing that a cute puppy wouldnt drive right out of our systems, but we have been talking baby stuff lately.

unlike most girls, growing up, I always said wanted to wait before I got married. I knew lots of girls who wanted to be married by 21. I always said that I wanted to go to school, get a good job, and enjoy life and THEN get married. I never planned a fantasy wedding or looked at wedding dresses. part of it was a revolt against what I felt was expected of me by the other girls. I thought all of that was silly and not as important as keeping up my GPA. the one indugence that I took was baby names.

picking out possible names for future children has always been fun. when I was in high school, I had a hang up with the intitals JR. I had tons of first names picked out that started with J, and middle names that started with R. Jayden Raye. that was my favorite for a girl. and Justin Roy for a boy. of course, Sweetheart hates both of those names, and, actually, they seem a bit silly to me now. no offense to anyone with those names, because they are still nice, but they remind me of high school and I just couldnt name a kid that now.

however, I do love crazy names. when Gwyneth named her daughter Apple, I thought that was the coolest name ever. I still dont get the backlash on it. I love that name and wish I could have used it first!

I managed to extract a promise from Sweetheart that if we ever have a daughter, I may name her Daisy. I love that name. I think its soooooooo adorable. Sweetheart, he doesnt like it so much. but, he did promise. I still havent decided if I would actually go with Daisy, just cause I dont have a middle or first name to pair with it, but the fact that I do have the power really pleases me.

if we had a boring boy, Sweetheart wants to name him after himself. *gag* now, my dad is named after his father, so no one get offended that I dont like that, okay. its just... Sweethearts parents picked his name, and by just naming our son that, Sweetheart is robbing (yes, ROBBING) me of the chance to pick out a boy name. because Sweetheart has his heart set on it, I will, of course, let him pass on his name. that doesnt mean that I wont whine about it, though. in fact, thats how I extracted my Daisy promise from him. =)

one of my newer favorite names is October. I think a daughter named October would be soooo precious. I know that my family would hate it, though. they have no imagination! Sweetheart actually likes October, but he doesnt think he could actually name a child October. so, Im thinking that when (if) we get a puppy, we will use October.

I also used to like these names, Emma Leigh and Abby Gail. Instead of Emily and Abigail, and the kid would get to pick to go by either Emma or Emma Leigh or Abby or Abby Gail. (bonus, one of those names is Sweethearts moms name.) but for some reason, I have drifted away from those names.

I dont know how I feel about naming the kid after someone in the family... is that too much to live up to? (for the kid or the honoree) maybe I should just wait to see if we ever actually want to have a baby before we pick out names. I could always name the furniture if we decide to be childless!

here is Sweetheart as a baby... Awwwwwwwwwwwww, cutest baby, EVER!!!!

what makes certain things stick in your mind?

2010-01-29T16:11:00.002-07:00

I saw this documentary several years ago... in 2002, I believe. it was in one of my engineering classes in college. and it was facinating. Im not being sarcastic. I just loved it. Ive always loved airplanes and aerospace. and after I saw this PBS documentary on Lockheed Martin and the army, I yearned (yes, yearned) to work for Lockheed Martin.
sadly, life isnt a Cinderella story and I have never been able to work for Lockheed. but I still dream of it and I still fondly remember that documentary. from time to time, I have browsed video stores and the library to see if they had it. I never found it.

until today.

I dont know what I was doing other than mindlessly chit-chatting with a coworker, when suddenly, the name just popped into my head. Battle of the X-Planes. I jumped on the Internet and rushed to the librarys website. low and behold... they had it!! be still my heart. my library has two copies on the shelf right now. I put one on hold, just in case some Battle of the X-Planes fans rush the library between now and whenever I can get there.

now, if anyone knows the name of a childrens book about a girl and a boy (prolly brother and sister) who either run away or are kidnapped and held in a home where the two male kidnappers watch over them and the cover of the book is a house with either a door open or a window open and a light pours through the opening... then I will have everything that I have spent years searching for... (no joke, my mom read me this book when I was in 1st grade and I have never been able to find it. Ive spent HOURS Googling, too.)

Heres a Tip

2010-01-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Sweetheart and I went out for dinner yesterday. one of our favorite places has half-priced food M-F until 6p and all day on Saturday. the food is sooooooooooo awesome. we know that once this place gets its name out there, its gonna be pack and the great food deals are gonna go away. so, we try to hit it now as often as possible.

okay, so, now you know that the prices are great and the food is yummy. the place is fairly new, its only been open a year. the service is sometimes slow, but the people are generally friendly.

but, uh, not last night.

last night, I did something that I rarely do, and I knew I shouldnt have done it:I ordered something Id never had before. Im a creature of habit. I always get the same thing when I go out to eat. but last night, I was feeling CrAzY, so I ordered the Firecracker Chicken instead of my go-to, Thai Crispy Beef. big mistake.

and I should have known it was a big mistake before I even ordered it, because the trip started off with our server, who made us wait just long enough to frustrate me, greeting us with "so do you know what you want?" while she looked at her writing pad. ummmmm, eye contact, anyone? smile? "hello, my name is so-and-so and I will be taking care of you today"?

look, I know being a server is tough... I did it for a year. and Sweetheart knows it is tough, he worked in restaurants for 10 years. no one understands about being double/triple sat when you are just gonna get cut, like a former server. people dont get how a bad tip can ruin your night and make you feel crappy about yourself even though you did NOTHING wrong, but a former server knows. believe me, I KNOW. (someday, Ill post about the time I got tipped steak. remind me.)

I also know that no one can be as critical as a former server. "it took longer than 2 minutes to get my drink... I wouldnt have poured a refill that way... she handed the plate to the customer instead of placing on the table... " etc. but, no one tips as well as former servers.

still, this chick was so unfriendly. I was shocked. she never looked at us, not once the whole time we were there. she put the food in front of us, and didnt ask if we needed anything else. she didnt ask us how the food was until we asked for a to-go box. I didnt say anything about not liking the food, since Sweetheart liked it and I took the leftovers home for him.

we tipped her "eh." for us, it was a bad tip to have left, since we are usually VERY generous with servers. for "normal" people, it was probably an average tip. but, I wrote on the back of the receipt "good customer service is greeting the guests." see, I didnt want her to think that we just left her an eh tip because we dont know how to tip. I wanted her to know that smiling and greeting guests goes a long way. she can take my advice or not, but she knows that we felt we werent treated up to standards. next time, Im gonna order my Thai Crispy Beef and hope that Im greeted with a smile!

Pastry Tostadas... Yummy!

2010-01-27T10:46:00.003-07:00

yesterday, I was browsing PuffPastry.com, and I came across a recipe that I just had to try. I bought some puff pastry shells... oh, back last summer some time. Im not really sure why I bought them... I think I was just in an adventurous mood at the store. anyway, when I came across a recipe for puff pastry tostadas that used puff pastry shells, I was soooo happy to finally have a use for them.

I had Sweetheart pull the ground beef and the pastry shells from the freezer to defrost. that way, everything was ready to go by the time I made it home from work. (oh, and how awesome is it when you dont have to go to the store for ONE thing?? I love when I have everything already!) I used the recipe from puffpastry.com as a guide, but I made the meat like my mom taught me. =)

Pastry Tostadas

about 1 lb of ground beef
taco seasoning (either a packet or several tablespoons)
can of tomato sauce
packet of puff pastry shells (there are 6 in a package)
tomatoes
green onions
avocado
shredded cheese
a bit of flour

take shells out of the freezer to defrost (at least 40 minutes).

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. on a lightly floured surface, roll out the shells. mine were not round, sadly, but were more like boat-shaped. eh, tastes the same. I need to practice with my rolling pin more often! place pastry on a baking sheet. I fit about 4 on a sheet. prick generously with a fork. (thats so they dont actually puff up.) I pricked mine all over. I thought I might have over-pricked, but they came out nicely. cook for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

while your pastries are cooking, brown the hamburger on medium-high heat. I broke it up quite a bit, since I didnt want huge clumps of meat on the tostadas. once the meat is browned, youre supposed to drain all the oil from the meat. my mom doesnt do that. not sure why, but since she doesnt, neither do I. add in the taco seasonings and the can of tomato sauce. stir, then leave the meat on low while youre pastries finish up.

when the pastries are done, you are supposed to let them sit for at least 10 minutes to cool.... yeah, that didnt happen in my house. Sweetheart was starving and the kitchen was smelling good, so I just pulled the pastries off the baking sheet and put them straight on his plate. maybe its because I didnt roll mine very thin, but the pastries were very sturdy. I added the meat, cheese, tomato,and avocado (I forgot the green onion) on top. Sweetheart had three (!) and I had two. the second one never got soggy, even though I made them at the same time but ate the second one a bit later.

this was a huge hit. next time, Im gonna add beans and remember to put the green onions on! (and, p.s. Im so proud of myself cause I actually took a picture of the food that I made AND posted it. Im on a roll!!)

2010-01-25T16:03:00.003-07:00

I didnt take many pics at the Sexy Party, since what happens at the party, stays at the party. in my excitement, I forgot to take a pic of the eggrolls that I made. I heard they were really yummy. the smell of soy sauce makes me sick, so I didnt partake.

Sexy Party Preparations

2010-01-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Im having another party tomorrow. another sexy party. Im addicted, I think. to throwing parties, that is. I cant help it. its so awesome to have people over!! Sweetheart has been deep cleaning the house all week long. Im so proud of our pretty little house. I dont think I mentioned it, but Sweetheart got me several electric candles for Christmas. theyre great because they flicker just like real candles.

for this party, Im making eggrolls and taco cups, and Im sooooooo excited. Im also having taquitoes, but those are frozen and Im gonna pop them in the oven. no sense in making myself completely crazy! I just got a beautiful cake display (late Christmas present), and Im going to fill it with pepperjack cheese cubes and red grapes. Sweetheart is gonna mix Hawaiian Punch and pineapple juice for a nice, nonalchy punch.

Mexican Pizza - Aye Chihuaua!!

2010-01-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

okay, so I totally stole this recipe from my sister and BIL. they dont have a blog though, so no harm done. (maybe I should say, they dont read my blog, so no harm done. ha ha)
maybe its because Im Hispanic. maybe its because I hail from Phoenix, Arizona. maybe its cause I grew up hardly ever eating Mexican food. I dont know what the reason is, but I LOVE Mexican pizza. the green chiles! the beans and melted cheese! the BEEF!! yum yum. my favorite Mexican Pizza is from La Pinata, a little hole in the wall place in Central Phoenix. while this isnt the same, it is freaking awesome.

cooked roast
can of refried beans
packet of taco seasoning
burrito-size flour tortillas
melted butter
tomato
green chiles (you can use the ones in the can. I use the frozen hot kind because they taste "fresher")
cheese
cilantro
avocado

take a tortilla and brush it with the melted butter. dont go crazy with the butter or your tortilla will be soggy. place another tortilla on top of the first one. brush the second tortilla with butter. place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. (use a cookie sheet, please.)

warm the roast in a pot. add the packet of taco seasoning. stir until its well mixed. add the can of beans. you just want to warm it up and get it all incorporated.

take the bean/roast mixture and spread it on the crispy tortillas. add cheese, green chiles, tomatoes, and cilantro. pop back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

slice up avocado, sour cream, olives, whatever toppings float your boat.

I made this for Sweetheart last night and got a great back rub AND quiet time to read in return. life is good.

oh, my poor groin

2010-01-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

do you ever have a post mentally typed up in your head? and its witty and funny and makes you seem like a wonderful person? and then, you start to actually type it out... and it crashes and burns?

cause thats where I am right now. I was all set to write about how I woke up in the middle of the night sick to my stomach with crazy cramps. after laying my head against the cool tile in the restroom, I bolted to the bathroom and proceeded to lose my dinner.
nasty, I know. the witty and funny part was gonna be because I vomited with such force that I... strained my groin muscle... ? (do women even have those? I suppose I could Google it, but Im running short of time, and, frankly, I just dont care to Google anatomy questions because Im scared of what I might see.) how I thought that was witty and funny... I just dont know. maybe I hoped that the image of me crashing to the floor because the strain groin muscles meant that my thighs quit working and I could no longer stand would render everyone in stitches. and now Ive wasted a blogging day on this nothingness.

and yet... I feel good to be blogging again. I know. whats with me?!?

Can I Fight the Funk?

2010-01-05T12:07:00.001-07:00

once again, I am finding myself unable to blog. I just dont know why. I have stuff to say. I have pictures to show and recipes that I want to share. I have the laptop and the time. I dont have Internet access at home anymore, but really, thats a cop out. Sweetheart and I go to the library a lot and we use their wi-fi. I did get a Kindle for my birthday, and I am reading a lot more than I have in years, and that does take time away from my blog surfing, so Im not really finding new blogs to read. I just read the same blogs that I always have, but Im not inspired to comment. I feel like nothing I have to say will add to the post, so I dont comment. I just dont get this funk. this stupid bloggie funk.

part of it, I think is that my posts arent up to par. Im not really sure who sets the par, but I know that Im below it. I dont have a nice digital camera to take pics, so my pics are always shoddy. Im not the greatest writer, and it shows. embarrassingly. I hate to give up because my blog isnt what I want it to be. shouldnt that inspire me to make it better? what the heck is wrong?!?!?

Easy Christmas Eve Cookies

2009-12-21T14:17:00.003-07:00

these cookies taste like junior high to me. this girl in my class would make them and bring them to our Christmas party every year (yes, we had CHRISTMAS parties not Holiday or Winter parties). and oh, how I loved them! I would eat like 3 or 4 which is a lot considering there was always pizza and other junk food.

last weekend, for some reason, these cookies just crept into my head. I prolly havent had them since I was about 13 or 14. but I started craving them so much I couldnt even concentrate on other stuff! so I jumped on Facebook and emailed the girl to ask if she had the recipe still. and, THANKFULLY, she did!! I present to you... Hopscotch Cookies.

Hopscotch Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 oz butterscotch morsels
3 oz chow mein noodles
2 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine peanut butter and butterscotch morsels in top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water until butterscotch melts. Stir until blended. Add noodles and marshmallows and stir until well coated. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Chill until set --about 30 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Cheaters Way: put peanut butter and butterscotch in big bowl and put in micro for 30 sec then stir real good and repeat untill smooth and everything melted.

If you put them in the fridge they "dry" quicker.

I decided that my Christmas Eve tradition is going to be baking. I will be making these, pecan sandies, piggy pudding, and pumpkin cheesecake pie.

2009-12-21T11:49:00.001-07:00

trying out mobile blogging... lets see if it works!

Birthday Day

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my birthday. 28 years old now. wow. that seems so old. I feel like Im still 19. but no, Im 28 now. almost 30! and everyone knows that 30 is old, right? Ive thought that my whole life. even now, 30 is old. so how can I be 2 years away from it? it blows my mind. in a few months it will be my ten year high school reunion. 10 years. just... wow. thats longer than high school itself was!

I had a great birthday, despite the looming midlife crisis. Sweetheart woke me up at 7a with a small vase full of pink and red flowers. and then it was time to open presents!! YAY! I love presents. Sweetheart got me an Ed Hardy perfume set, a sexy corset outfit (*wink*), a KitchenAid immersion blender, and a CD of Elvis Christmas songs. I cant wait to try out my immersion blender. no more canned/frozen whipped cream for me!!! we went to breakfast at Matt's Big Breakfast, where I had the best! waffle! ever! Matt's is soooooo yummy. it was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives a few times.

after stuffing ourselves with waffles, hashbrowns, freshly squeezed OJ (pork chops and eggs for Sweetheart), we headed to the salon where I got a cut and color. Im a red head now! I love it. I wanted to go red, but I was unsure how everyone at work would react. I pick a red/brown and it looks mostly dark inside. out in the sun, the red really bounces. and Im really happy with it.

my whole family met us for lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant, La Pinata. I shared a Mexican Pizza (quesadilla with machacha beef, cheese, tomatoes, green chile strips) with my Mom and the Skinny One. we are all so busy lately that it was really special for all of us to sit together at lunchtime (soooo rare) and just chat and laugh.

after lunch, we went to my parents house to relax for a bit. Sweetheart got me a strawberry cheesecake Blizzard ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. ooh, it was good and we were all completely stuffed. we lolled around at my parents for a bit longer, and then Sweetheart surprised me with tickets to Zoo Lights. I love ZooLights and we have gone every year, but I didnt have the chance to buy tickets this year so I thought we werent gonna be able to go. it was an amazing, glittery night. and it totally took my mind off the fact that Im old now.

Random

2009-11-24T15:56:00.003-07:00

how come the conditioner ALWAYS runs out before the shampoo? I seriously want an answer. I mean, I buy them at the same time. I use the recommended amounts. is it a conspiracy?? please, someone, tell me why I always run out of conditioner when there is a good third of the shampoo left. geez.

I dont like Jason Kidd. never met the guy. but for some weird reason, I harbor resentment against him. even when he played for MY team (the Phoenix Suns), I still talked trash about him. what is it about him that rubs me the wrong way? also, I really dont care for Tony Romo. again... why?? who knows. Dallas is my team, but I talk trash about Romo all the time. never met the guy. heard only nice things about him. he rubs me the wrong way.

Pecan Sandies

2009-11-18T10:29:00.002-07:00

Friday is our Holiday Boutique here at work. we have one every two years. this year, I decided to really join in the fun by making Pecan Sandies. I love them, and they are the very essence of the holidays for me. I remember my mom making them when I was really young. This is the recipe that my mom uses.

Pecan Sandies

1 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar; add 2 teaspoons water and vanilla; mix well. Blend in flour and nuts; chill 4 hours. Shape in fingers. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees about 20 minutes. Remove from pan; cool slightly; roll in confectioners' sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

B(.)(.)BS

2009-11-16T16:30:00.004-07:00

have I mentioned the time that I emailed a pic of my breasts to a guy on the Internet? not Sweetheart... a guy that I dont know. never met. and this was just... oh, two weeks ago. did I mention that?

I forgot to mention it?!?!? oh, well then, here is the scoop...

everyone out in Blogland knows that October is Breast Cancer awareness month. well, Scope decided to showcase the cause by volunteering to donate to Susan G Komen... provided there were ladies out there willing to showcase their goods. you can see his compilation here. Im the third pic from the bottom... and I really hope that no one would mistake me for the bottom pic!!

some background on my pic... it was taken in November 2006 at my sisters wedding. I was the maid of honor. *curtsies* this was during dinner... which I managed to completely miss somehow... I was sitting with my cousin and my new B I L. ahhh, memories.

oh what the heck... here is the original pic:

you can see that Scope edited out my cousin and BIL. and then I decided that I didnt care if they were in the pic. its a womans right to change her mind, right? anyways, Franklin told me to throw up a gang sign, but all I know is the "peace" sign, so there you have it. Im soooo gangsta.

Lucky Number 7

2009-11-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

yesterday was our 7 month anniversary. wow, time flies!!

when I got out of work, I went home and threw together Sweethearts favorite meal. okay, maybe its not his favorite, but he really loves it. it doesnt have a name, we just call it "The Meat that Sweetheart Likes." what we called it before Sweetheart entered our lives, I dont remember.

Sweethearts Steak Meal

Ribeye
onions
bell peppers
garlic
diced tomatoes with green chiles OR a can of stewed tomatoes and a jalapeno or serrano chile
salt
pepper
cumin

(I dont really like this meal, as Im not a steak fan. we bought 1 Ribeye and that was enough. I just ate 3 pieces.)

cut the Ribeye into stripes or cubs, depending on how far you have to stretch it. brown the meat, onions, and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Im shy with the salt, but not with the pepper!! my Mom usually uses garlic powder, but since I had actual garlic cloves, I used one of those. I did end up adding a pinch of garlic powder, though. I also added a small pinch of cumin.

when the meat is almost cooked, add the can of tomatoes. my Mom usually does the stewed tomatoes, but I only had the diced ones. I didnt add the fresh jalapeno because I didnt want too much heat, the green chiles added enough. Mom serves this with tortillas, but Sweetheart doesnt like tortillas as much as we do, so I just gave it to him straight.

Sweetheart bought us a bottle of Pinot Noir. I just sipped it, but it was nice to have wine with my husband. after dinner (and after V), Sweetheart went upstairs and called me up a few minutes later. he had drawn me a huge bubble bath and surrounded it with candles... I relaxed in the bath and thought about how much I love him and what a great evening we had. (and seriously, it was a HUGE bubble bath. I think he used half the bottle!! but it was the kind of bubble bath you always see in the movies... and I LOVED it.)

Success!!

2009-11-05T16:34:00.003-07:00

we made the tortillas last night (yes, Sweetheart helped). ooh, they were all warm and yummy! they werent round, but Im pretty sure that will come in time. I remember occassionally "helping" my Mom rolls out the tortillas, and yesterdays were much rounder than those were! so, see, I am already better than I thought Id be.

also, Sweetheart found a job as a server. he is still looking for something with a steady income, but we are excited and happy that he found a job. God is so good to us. Sweetheart has court on Monday, and we have been praying very hard for a long time now. there is a good chance that the case will be dismissed.

Sweetheart and I have been using the library, and I had forgotten how much I love that place! I'm currently reading The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer. Im about 1/4 of the way through, and so far, Im really enjoying it. its like a coming-of-age book about a young fatherless boy and a bar. lately, I just cant read enough, so if anyone has ANY book suggestions for me, please let me know. I recently finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and it is amazing. I highly recommend it. yes, its a kids book. its basically The Jungle Book set in a graveyard. weird concept. great book. I liked it so much that I made Sweetheart read it. he liked it so much we got the audio version and are spending time cuddled up being read to. being read to is an awesome thing.

Theres Nothing Quite Like Life

2009-11-04T16:24:00.001-07:00

I geniusly forgot the recipe for tortillas at work, so I will be attempting them tonight instead. yes, you might have realized from that last sentence that WE HAVE NO INTERNET AT THE HOUSE. honestly? its killing me. no Facebook. no blogs. no Twitter. no gmail.

we were thinking about getting the Internet, but that will have to wait until Sweetheart gets a job. speaking of which, Sweetheart might have something! we will know more tomorrow, but a old acquaintance of ours opened a sports bar about a month ago and said that he would hire Sweetheart. its a bit far, but Sweetheart wants to give it a try. if nothing else, it will be money coming in while Sweetheart hunts for something closer to the house.
we only have one vehicle, so Im gonna start scouring Craigslist for a bike for Sweetheart. see, we moved to a house a bit off the beaten path, and the buses dont run all the way to our house. Sweetheart might need to bike to the bus stop so he can take the bus over to the sportsbar. this is all just me thinking ahead, since we really dont know what is gonna happen. life is scary exciting right now!

some superficial good news, we have FREE cable! yes, FREE, not stolen. right before we got married, we bought a pretty awesome TV for ourselves. with our new TV, we just plugged it into the wall and the cable channels started playing. its awesome! although it looks like my new favorite show is on network TV... any new V fans out there??

Tortillas

2009-11-03T16:12:00.003-07:00

Im trying my hand at tortillas tonight. heres the recipe... let me know your results if you try, too!

Flour Tortillas

6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

mix

and add 1/2 cup shortening

mix

and add 2 - 2 1/4 cups hot water

form into little "patties" and roll each one out. cook on the griddle. flip once when large bubbles appear. cook until light brown. flip one more time.

Trying Times

2009-11-02T16:08:00.002-07:00

I dont mean to whine, especially since I have a brand new house to be singing about... and, truthfully, I am determined to be positive and look on the bright side of life.

but life happens. Sweetheart was laid off on Friday. we also still have the trial upcoming. Im torn between wanting to smile and not worry about the future, and wanting to think up every possible dark scenario so that Im not caught off guard by reality.

Sweetheart has narrowly avoided lay offs before, so I am grateful that he was able to keep his job as long as he did. he has been keeping his eyes open for another job for months, but not much is available. now, of course, he is seriously and actively looking.

I know we will make it. everything will be okay.

Party People

2009-11-01T12:55:00.003-07:00

we had Baby Js first birthday party at our house on Saturday. it was a birthday/Halloween party. here are most of the people who dressed up. Im sandwiched between Sailor Moon and Freddie Krueger. Baby J is Mickey Mouse (Sweetheart and I bought him the costume, thats why). the Youngest One is Alice in Wonderland, and the Skinny One is Tinkerbell. Sweetheart was Jack Skellington, but he didnt make it into the pic.

Bright Light! Bright Light!!!

2009-10-29T09:02:00.003-07:00

Sweetheart and I have been having a great time in our new house. it is AMAZING!! we have been busy putting stuff away, trying to keep the place spic-n-span, and enjoying all the time we spend together in OUR place.

we had our House Warming Party about two weeks after moving in, and it was a HUGE motivator to get stuff put away. I really enjoying having family and friends over to see our place. we are really proud of our beautiful home, but having it full of the people we love made it even better.

last Sunday, we had a few people over for a pumpkin carving party. it was BYOP. I did Gizmo, from Gremlins. Sweetheart did Vampire Mickey.

Happy Halloween!!

Closing Day

2009-09-30T10:07:00.003-07:00

today is the BIG day. I cant believe its finally here. I just know that Im gonna bawl when they hand us the keys.

Im really happy. I hope there are no bumps in the road as we approach the finish line!

Random House Tidbits

2009-09-28T15:12:00.003-07:00

thanks for the suggestions on how to keep the house new and purdy! Sweetheart and I went on Friday afternoon to sign all the papers and give the down payment!!!! we dont get the keys until the official closing day, which is Wednesday. we are soooooo happy. there has been a lot of stress and tears.

yesterday, we used some of our wedding gift cards to buy a vacuum at Target. we got a very nice Hoover on sale.

someone else bought the fridge that we wanted, so its back to the drawing board there. I found a nice one at Lowes, and Home Depot promised to match that price. its the same one that we wanted... almost.

Sweetheart and I are in a weird place right now. everything is about half packed... and yet, as much as we are ready to move, we havent really got our bootys in gear. we just keep snuggling on the bed and talking instead of packing. we have so much left to do!

also, Baby Js first birthday is at the end of October, and I told my sister that she could have his party at the new house. am I crazy? I must be!

House Party

2009-09-22T16:16:00.001-07:00

so... I totally forgot to blog yesterday. some days, I know that I wont be able to post. yesterday... I have no idea what happened.

I had a recipe that I wanted to post, but I totally forgot to write it down. once again... no idea what happened. I am soooo scatterbrained lately. I know its the "stress" of getting ready to close on the house. (only 8 more days!) I assumed that this last month would drag by s-l-o-w-l-y, but surprisingly, the days seem to be slipping by faster and faster. I serious only vaguely remember last week. I really feel like a pregnant lady (or, what I imagine a pregnant lady feels like) in her last month: the end is rushing towards me, Im not nearly as prepared as I would like to be, and there is a ton of stuff left to do!

I also stupidly decided to have the house warming party 3 weeks after moving in. I thought it would motivate me to put everything away, you know? instead, Im just realizing the mountain of stuff that I need to do and buy before House Warming Party. I mean, all your regular party planning needs in addition to all your regular just move-in needs. just... what was I thinking? at the same time, I am SO FREAKIN EXCITED for my party. (I say "my" party, but I knows its Sweethearts, too. its just... Im the hostess...) I want everyone to come over and see our new, beautiful home as soon as possible. I want this to be the first of many get-togethers at our house. I want to invite every person that Ive ever SEEN to come to my party!! I want to feed them. I want Sweetheart to give them a tour. I want to share my joy! Sweetheart and I have a place that is all ours!! God is so good to us!!

my planned menu for the party is not exactly what I would prefer to serve, but it is relatively clean. I know, Im inviting people over and spills on the brand new carpet are inevitable. I know. still, Im not going to help things by serving spaghetti or anything crazy like that! also, since I seriously have invited everyone that I can think of, I need to keep it simple and easy to navigate. also, because I am not completely insane, I have asked for help. right now, I feel dumb asking for help, since I know I could manage the menu on my own. however, by Oct 17th, I might be tired from moving and settling in, and I am pretty sure that help will be needed. with that in mind... we will be having sandwiches. specifically, a meat deli tray so people can make their own sandwiches. my aunt works in the Deli at Safeway, and she will be putting this together for me. (thankfully, there is a Safeway about 3 minutes from the house, in case we need to make a last minute food run.)

Meat Deli Tray - Aunt Ruby
Pasta Salad - the Skinny One
Potato Salad #1 - Franklin
Potato Salad #2 - Sweethearts Mom
Chips & Salsa - my Mom

Pumpkin Cookies - me
Pecan Sandies - me
mini pies - me
kettle corn - me
Piggy Pudding - me

Floating Around in My Head

2009-09-18T14:42:00.003-07:00

Sweetheart call me on Wednesday to tell me that the IKEA couch that we are in love with is being discontinued and there were only a few left. HEARTACHE!! we racked our brains about what to do, since we are not supposed to spend any money until AFTER the house closes... The Youngest One rode in to the rescue. we put it on her credit card, and once we close, we will be able to pay her back.

I really hate those Disarrano commercials. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. we GET it. Disarrano on the rocks with ______ is just that. add Disarrano. add ice. add _____. any idiot who has spent time in a bar knows this already. you arent teaching us anything. think up a new commercial. stat.

I dont want to pack. I want to throw everything away and just buy new stuff. I dont have the money to do that, and, you know, its wasteful. but still. I wish I could. packing blows.

Baby J really walks. at least, he did last night. not just a wobbly step or two, but he sturdily walked from person to person cheering himself on. while it is enthralling, Im worried about how difficult it will be to watch him now. he could fake crawl really fast, but soon he will be unstoppable.

I find it amusing that almost everyone who is trying to describe their music tastes say that they are "random" and "like a little bit of everything" but yet think they are the only ones who have "eclectic" taste. people who only like one specific type of music are rare. you dont need to prove how coolly random you are by giving examples of your quirky, offbeat playlist.

Im so glad that the Office started again. I missed Jim. and Dwight. and, of course, Stanley. [poopball? that's genius.]

have a good weekend, and, remember, HARDCORE PARKOUR.

A Girls Best Friend Is Her...

2009-09-15T16:18:00.002-07:00

today is the 15th of the month. besides being Pay Day (woot!!) it also means 15 days until the last day of the month... Closing Day for the House.

the big question... will I last until Closing Day?
the anticipation is just killing me. have you ever wanted something/looked forward to something so much that it absolutely consumed you? cause thats where I am right now. I mean, I wanted to get married so much that I couldnt sleep at night. I would wake up crying and call Sweetheart because I honestly thought that time was slowing down and we would never get married. (okay, so I can be overly dramatic when Im sleepy...) the idea of being married to Sweetheart just enthralled me. we were each making a huge choice in our individual lives. but this is different. this is making a huge choice TOGETHER in our TOGETHER life. our first big deal.

Im trying to prepare myself for more last minute bumps in the road. that something could slow up the process and we might have to close a day late or something. Ill be honest, though. if I dont have the keys to the house in my hot little hand by the end of day on the 30th, I will bawl my eyes out.

all that to say, I CANNOT WAIT TO GET INTO THIS HOUSE!!!

first order of business is the fridge. I want this one. stainless steel (or clean steel), French door with a bottom mount freezer.

isnt she beautiful? she has a special drawer on the bottom of the fridge part specifically for holding deli meats and deli trays. you know, for all the parties that I will be throwing. she has an ice maker in the freezer. I dont like the kind with the water/ice dispenser in the door. my heart is yearning for her. she is living at Home Depot right now. she is the very last one left. I hope that she waits for me to get her. we cant buy her until the end of the month. please wait for me, Ms. Fridge. I will hug you and love you and keep you clean. I promise.

Lesson Learned: RINSE the Dishes Properly

2009-09-14T15:06:00.002-07:00

I was in the mood to bake this weekend. I think it might be because I am aching to move into the house, and there isnt much for me to do. wait, thats a lie. I need to pack. and that is a lot to do... so I guess I mean there isnt much that I want to do.

anyway, I made Pecan Sandies, Pumpkin Cookies, Cornbread, Sweet Corn Muffins, and Chicken Tortilla Soup over the weekend. the recipe that I have for Pumpkin Cookies is pretty much the best recipe ever. I love it. its easy and they are sooooooo good. I like making them at the end of the year, even though canned pumpkin is available year-round. they are really Fall/Winter/Festive. because the recipe makes a large batch, I need 3 cookie sheets to cook them all. I only have two, so I rotate. sadly, the second cookie sheet was not properly rinsed the last time that I used it, and Sweetheart was unlucky enough to get a huge mouthful of liquid dishwashing soap on the bottom of his cookie. ewwwwwwww. Sweetheart gagged and spit for about 5 minutes. I felt really bad... and I tried to only giggle when I thought he wasnt looking.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups cooked chicken
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. chili powder
10 corn tortillas
cheddar cheese
Mix all the ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer while you fix the tortilla strips. Or cook on high in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours.
For the tortilla strips, cut a stack of 10 tortillas in half. Then slice them into 1/4″ slices. Fry in hot oil in a skillet and drain on paper towels. Serve the soup with the tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

that is the base recipe. Sweetheart and I agreed that it tasted like chicken and tomato soup. not good enough for a Native Arizonan such as myself! I added 2 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, a teaspoon of chili powder, 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper, a large handful of cilantro, and a bunch of shredded cheese. the cheese helped to thicken the soup. I wanted to chop up some avocado to add on top, but I forgot. the fried tortilla strips were a great touch. I almost skipped that part, and I am SUPER glad that I didnt!

Remember Remember

2009-09-11T16:33:00.004-07:00

never forget what happened on September 11, 2001.

never stop fighting against the horrible injustices in this world.

never stop praying. God bless America.

Wheres the Love? Not Online!!

2009-09-10T11:25:00.001-07:00

after a super long hiatus, I am back participating in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. today, my assignment is to write about an entertaining conversation that I recently had.

Im going to take some liberties with the word "recently" because this conversation took place a good 10 months ago.

picture this, Sweetheart and I are at his parents house watching TV. we are not yet engaged. a commercial plays on the TV. a commercial for Chemstry.com. we watch it for a few seconds.

me: (excited) "oh, I just got a GREAT idea."

Sweetheart: (bored voice) "what?"

me: (not fazed by his reaction) "we should TOTALLY make profiles on Chemistry.com and see if it matches us up together!!!"

Sweetheart: "it wouldnt"

me: (heartbroken) "WHAT?!?!"

Sweetheart: (realizing his mistake) "oh, uh, I just meant..."

me: (in tears) "why do you think it wouldnt match us up? you dont think we are good together?"

Sweethearts mind: blown

Sweetheart: "I didnt mean that! I just meant..."

me: tears

Sweetheart: "I didnt mean it like that..."

okay, so it wasnt funny at the time, but it was funny a few days later. Im not always like that, it was just a hormonal time for me.

Stale Candy For The Win

2009-09-09T10:38:00.002-07:00

lately, my cooking and baking endeavors have been limited to stuff that I have already made. I dont know if its because Im not in an adventurous mood or what. I have tried exactly two new dishes... one that I cooked wrong and the other that I didnt like. BLAH

the thing is, I dont really like chocolate. on Sunday, Sweetheart took me to get some Thrifty ice cream. I picked out Cookies N Cream and Rocky Road. that was prolly the second or third time in my life that I have picked Rocky Road. I just dont really like chocolate. I like Snickers. I like Butterfinger. I dont like anything that is really chocolately. and thus, my problem with the Frito Candy...

Frito Candy

2 cups of pretzels
1 cup fritos
8 mini peanut butter cups (I used super mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joes)
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bag of chocolate chips
Break the pretzels and fritos up with your hands. Place them in a 9×13 pan that is lined with parchment paper or no-stick foil. Coarsely chop up the peanut butter cups and scatter them in the pan as well.
Melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the brown sugar. Bring it to a full boil and boil 1 minute, stirring once or twice. Pour this mixture over the pretzel/frito/peanut butter cups. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pop it back in the oven for a minute to melt the chips. Spread the chocolate over the top. Cool and then refridgerate for a while. Take it out of the pan and break it up, using a knife to cut it into rough pieces.

oh, and I accidentally used stale pretzel sticks. they actually didnt affect the flavor. I still wouldnt recommend using stale stuff, though. I wish that I had used a lot more peanut butter cups, because I felt that the chocolate flavor was just overwhelming. I can see how if you liked chocolate a whole lot, this would be like crack. I might make this again, because I am looking for different kinds of desserts to make for my house warming party. I would never make it for myself, though.

Overstock Gems

2009-09-04T14:02:00.003-07:00

as much as I love IKEA, Im not all about IKEA. heres some stuff on my wish list from Overstock.com:

I pink puffy heart this table. its simple but classy. I love the way that the legs curve.

I know that I want a chaise for my reading room. I like this chaise, but I think that I would rather have one with an arm. this is a really great warm color, though. I feel that its too pricey for something that Im not in love with...

chairs. ah, chairs! I just love both of these. I think the bottom one would look great in either my reading room, the loft, or the master bedroom. (I still cant quite believe that I will be living in a master bedroom!!) the reviews for the top chair are really good. its supposedly really comfy. comfy and simple are two of my house goals.

I love that Overstock has so many customer reviews. I really wish that IKEA would allow customers to do the same. its nice to see stuff in the showroom, but getting feedback from someone who has actually lived with the item is more valuable.

A Little More IKEA Love

2009-09-03T15:43:00.003-07:00

I really enjoyed sharing my possible house furnishing ideas. today, I have more IKEA gems to share. keep in mind that the first real order of business is getting a fridge. we do have a mini fridge that will live in our master closet, so we could last a few days without a real fridge, if we had to. we are scheduled to close on Sept 30th, and our house warming party is Oct 17th. we MUST have a fridge and some furniture by then.

IKEA is having a sale on a couch almost just like this one. its a fabric cover and it is black. and it is only $199 this Friday-Sunday only, while supplies last. Sweetheart will be stopping by IKEA to pick one up while I am at work tomorrow. it will live in our loft. (note to self: post pictures of the house.)

(note to self: here is a pic of the house!)

this is a view of the living room taken from the bottom of the stairs. you can see that the wall is painted cranberry/maroon. (we will be getting blinds as the second order of business.) the wall color is important because...

...this is the entertainment center that I like. the color of the walls will peek through the cubbies. I just love the idea of that. plus, I thought we could put white stuff in some of the cubbies. it will really pop. we measured to make sure that our TV will fit.

lastly, these are some lamps that Sweetheart really loves. they are like art and a lamp rolled into one. cool, huh? I would like to get one, but Im not sure where we would put it...

Home Furnishings (FINALLY)

2009-09-02T16:01:00.005-07:00

if youve hung around my blog for awhile, you know that I have been on a massive house hunt since January. while I still enjoy looking at houses, there is a certain point where you hit a wall. you start wondering if you will EVER find a house.

I hit that wall on August 15, 2009. I sat in the car that morning and just cried because I was so disappointed. I felt like I just couldnt be positive anymore. I had been praying since January. I wasnt mad at God or anything, but I did think that I couldnt take anymore.

that afternoon, God led us to the house that we will be buying. we have had to make adjustments. the closing was pushed back to Sept 30th. however, the price was also lowered by $5k. so... no complaints from me!

now, with a lot of tears, headache, and paperwork behind us, Sweetheart and I are FINALLY able to start looking at furnishing our place. the house comes with a stove, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. all stainless steel. Sweetheart is on a mission to find us a good stainless steel fridge to match.

we have spent a lot of time looking at Target and overstock.com. and, of course, IKEA. we are thinking of putting together a left handed chaise with a right handed love seat to form a couch. this is the model that we like best, but the color we want is a deep grey.
this is the matching foot stool. its fairly oversized, and I would like it for my walk in closet. I can see myself sitting on it to put on shoes, while I put pants on, etc. while this can be any color, I prefer the dark grey. of course, if one color is on sale, I will get that one!this is a super cute napkin holder. $15. a must have for me!!

I love this dressing table. we might use it as a desk for the laptop. or in the guest room. not sure yet. I just love those sexy legs!!

I love lamp! it comes it two sizes. the small one is $9 and the large one is $17. I find cherry blossoms very refreshing. I would like to put this in my "reading room" which is the den of the house just off of the living room. I hope to put a bookcase and a chaise in that room.

these two tables also have sexy legs. they are the same basic style, just different sizes. I would like to put one in the half bath downstairs. cant you just see a bunch of magazines fanned out on top of this? for your peeing pleasure.

ah, the bed! we have a bed now, of course. it was mine. my parents bought it for me when I was about 4 or 5. its a queen. it has a very 80s look to it. I have always wanted a bed without a footboard. Sweetheart doesnt really care, so I have been looking at all kinds of beds. this bed is very cute and stylish, and when you sit on it, it feels massive.

and this is a sexy-legged nightstand. I like it, but I dont think we will get it. I want a simple, clean look to my house. ideally, we will install floating shelves by the bed to act as nightstands. just big enough to hold a light and our contact cases/glasses. I have a feeling that if we give ourselves room to clutter, we will end up cluttering it up.

Pick Me Up

2009-09-01T16:21:00.002-07:00

Easy Side Dish

2009-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, Sweetheart and I visited a farmer's market. I know, lots of people go to the farmer's market. right? well, not in Arizona. its too hot! I had to do some searching on the Internet before I found a farmer's market close by. and by close by, I mean it was a good 15 minutes away. its open on Sundays from 8a-11a. we got there about 8:30. we stayed for about 30 minutes. we were soaked in sweat by the time we headed back to the car. Phoenix is very hot, people!!

Sweetheart and I both really enjoyed walking around and peeking in at the various fruits and veggies. I had imagined the farmer's market as being much larger that it really was. I think as it cools down, there might be more people out hawking their produce. we ended up purchasing a tomato, 4 small cucumbers, a super large mango, a bottle of sweet BBQ sauce, and an almond croissant. and two ice cold bottled waters. I cant wait to go back to buy more stuff. in the future, I will take one of those cheap reusable grocery bags with me, because I felt weird to be one of the few people there without my own bag. I have a ton of those bags; I just didnt think to bring one. next time, Im going green!

Farmer's Market Cold Pasta Salad

bag of pasta (I used penne)
1 super large tomato or 3 small tomatoes or even a bunch of grape tomatoes
3 small cucumbers or 1 regular cucumber
bottle of Italian dressing

boil the pasta in salted water for 13 minutes. make sure its a good rolling boil! I like my pasta al dente.

cut up the veggies.

drain the pasta and let it cool for a few minutes.

add the pasta to a large bowl. add the veggies on top. dump the whole bottle of dressing on top of that. give it a stir. cool in the fridge for an hour or two before serving.

normally, I like to use rotini, but I had a bag of penne, so I just used that. if I were buying pasta specifically to make this, it would be rotini all the way.

Its Fleece Was White As Snow

2009-08-31T16:12:00.004-07:00

Ive mentioned before that my parents own a tiny lil farm. its 2.5 acres right in the middle of Phoenix. we have chickens, ducks, geese, goats, sheeps, pigs, etc. sometimes we have horses and cows, too. it just depends. all of our neighbors just have regular houses, we are the only ones with land and animals. its been like that since we moved in, 20 years ago. we have always had an odd assortment of pets... a flying squirrel, peacocks, imus. when I was a little girl, I even had a pony.

its not all fun and games, though. sometimes, my dad is forced to defend his castle and his animals.

Easy Dinner Idea

2009-08-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

once again, this is heavy on the "idea" and easy on the "recipe" although it is technically cooking.

other than Mexican families, I dont know anyone else who makes this. its easy and fast, which are both very important when you have a starving Sweetheart breathing down your neck. we call it Sopa (which just means "soup") but my friends family calls it Sopita.

Sopa/Sopita

oil
medium shells (any pasta will do, but shells are my favorite)
tomato sauce
water
onion
pepper
garlic powder
shredded chicken (optional)
grated cheese (optional)

heat the oil in a large pan. cut up an onion and place in the oil.

I hate onions, so I cut mine in HUGE pieces so I can pick them out later. I suppose I could just use onion powder, but I like the flavor of the real onion. its the texture after its been cooked that icks me out.

once the oil is hot, add the shells. be careful, the oil can splatter and that isnt pleasant at all. fry the shells. sometimes a few of them turn black. eh, its no big deal. as long as they are all cooked, it doesnt matter if some are blackish. its still yummy.

after the shells are cooked, add a can of tomato sauce and some water. I wish I had measurements, but I just dump the can in and add enough water so that I cant hear any sizzling sounds. its prolly a cup and a half of water. if you add less, the Sopa will just be drier. sometimes I feel like eating it that way and purposely add less, sometimes more people are around and you need to stretch out what you have, so you add more water.

I love pepper, so I add tons of black pepper and some garlic powder. most people stop and eat it like this, but Sweetheart likes his with meat, so I add some of my wonderful $5 Safeway rotisserrie chicken to my Sopita. I add a bit of shredded cheese, but mostly I wait and add that to each persons bowl. one, because other people dont like cheese as much as I do, and, two, because melted cheese in a pan is a pain to clean!

house update: we have picked a homeowners insurance, and now we need to pick a home warranty company. there really isnt much for us to do while we wait on the paperwork...

Easy Lunch Idea

2009-08-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

although Im going to tag this under "recipes" and "cooking," it really isnt either one.

another lifetime ago, I worked at Satans Workshop.... um, I mean, a medical answering service. several of us girls would each bring one item for lunch, and we should share. one person would bring corn tortillas, one would bring a few tomatoes, and one would bring a few avocados. then we would just slice up the tomatoes and avocados and each them on warmed up tortillas. soooooo delicious and fresh tasting. I took this idea to the next level to make it Sweetheart appropriate. that is... I added meat. chicken, actually.

I really love the rotisserrie chickens at Safeway. only $5 for a whole chicken! and you can use it for so much stuff. I use either corn or flour tortillas, slice up the veggies, and add chicken and shredded cheese. it really makes a delicious, fresh, and filling lunch.

here is a not that random tidbit: the inspection on the house went unbelievably well! the inspector told us that if we didnt buy the house, he would. cant get a better review than that!! we are still waiting to get a copy of the HOA rules to review. I got an important letter from a credit card company on Saturday. the Loan Guy really needed that letter, so its good to not have to worry about that any more. lets see... other than the HOA rules and saving up money, there really isnt too much for Sweetheart and I to do now. September 16th is 24 days from today.

September 16th

2009-08-21T13:50:00.003-07:00

thats the day that we are scheduled to close on this house. the house that I have been praying for since January 1, 2009. its been a long road, but God has been with us the whole time.

Adorable!!

2009-08-16T16:33:00.004-07:00

Baby J is getting bigger and cuter by the day... see for yourself!

Divers Temptations

2009-08-14T11:46:00.002-07:00

I had a post written for today, but it has to be put off for another day. I have big news to share. sadly, big news isnt necessarily happy news.

James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

we heard back from our real estate this morning. the bank denied our short sale offer for the house.

its very difficult to handle. we have been waiting on this house since March 14th. I thought that if we were just patient, we would get it. I am sad, but I shouldnt be. I shouldnt be because I have been praying for God to open and shut doors. this door is now shut. I am happy to follow the path that God has laid out for me. that doesnt mean that its easy to follow that path. but I will do it with a happy heart. although God didnt allow us to have this home, He did give me an answer. No is usually a hard answer to get. we dont want to hear that. we want God to tell us Yes Yes Yes! for the last few months, God has been telling us Wait. and now He has given us a No. Im disappointed, because I really wanted a Yes to follow that Wait. but I know that in His time, all will be fulfilled. I dont know what the future holds. I dont know what God is trying to hammer into my little brain. I do know that I have an open heart. God knows my dreams. He knows what I want. I am confident, that, as long as I follow His path, I will always be happy.

Lord, my life to You I bring
may each song I have to sing
be to You a lovely thing
in Your time.

in Your time, in Your time,
You make all things beautiful
in Your time.

Lord, please show me everyday,
while You're teaching me Your Way,
that You do just what You say
in Your time.

She Sells Sea Shells By the Sea Shore

2009-08-13T11:30:00.001-07:00

since Sweetheart likes a good variety of foods, I am always looking for new, yummy recipes to try. lately, I have been seriously in love with pasta. I like to cook it and then eat it plain so I can get the taste of it without anything else. Im like a wine taster.

I made this on Sunday night. HUGE hit with my family. Sweetheart, the Skinny One and I all took the leftovers for lunch the next day. personally, Im not a huge fan of all the cheeses, but it was really good. I accidentally only bought half the ricotta needed, so I ate some of the shells plain since there wasnt enough cheese filling. I used one jar of Prego instead of the 3 smaller cans. I wish that I had tossed the leftover Parmesan on top of the shells before popping in the oven... although next time I made this, Im gonna skip the Parmesan altogether. I think that might be what I didnt love about this. stinky cheese isnt really my thing.

oh, I topped this off with some rolls. I bought frozen Rhodes dough and let it rise for 6 hours. HUGE rolls!! the Youngest One devoured her meal, and I was quite proud of myself because she is so picky. Sweetheart, the Youngest One and I all finished our meal with some cherry Italian Ice from AJs. yum!

Stuffed Shells
1 box jumbo shells
4 cups (2 lbs) ricotta cheese (oops, I only had 2 cups)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs (I only used 2 eggs)
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt (eh, I shook the salt once over the bowl. good enough for me!)
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-3 cans of spaghetti sauce (1 jar of Prego with meat sauce)

Cook the shells according to the package directions. Drain them and cool in a single layer on wax paper or foil. Meanwhile, combine the cheeses, eggs, and seasonings. Fill each shell with 1 1/2 Tbs. of the cheese mixture.
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place the shells in the pan in a single layer. Cover with remaining sauce. Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Sweethearts Birthday Present

2009-08-11T11:50:00.001-07:00

while, yes, we did go to Disneyland for Sweethearts birthday, and most people would consider that to be a HUGE present... I dont.

I love presents and I love surprises, so I really love surprise presents. how awesome it is to find a wrapped present (no gift bags allowed) when you totally werent expecting it?!?!
I also firmly believe that presents should be given on your birthday. yes, I know that sometimes a gift must be given early. but I really believe that everyone should have at least one present to open on their actual birth day.

so, even though the Disneyland trip was Sweethearts present, I also had a SURPRISE present for him. I bought it a few months ago, and gave it to my mom because I didnt trust myself. I was so excited about it that I wanted to give it to him right away, but I knew that whipping it out as a surprise on his day would be a great payoff, so I resisted temptation long enough to give it to my mom. she gave it back to me two weeks ago, when I promptly wrapped it in special Dunder Mifflin wrapping paper. I knew that once it was wrapped, the temptation to just hand it to him would die down just a bit. I snuck my pretty wrapped box into my suitcase when Sweetheart wasnt around.

we got to our motel around 1p on Wednesday. I so wanted to give him the present!! instead, we dropped off the suitcase and our luggage, and headed right out the door. I was glad to be away from the present, because my excitment about giving it to him was becoming unbearable. we walked around Downtown Disney for a few hours, then headed back to the motel to get a good nights sleep before spending the day at Disneyland.

I woke up every 30-45 minutes during the night. at one point, I accidentally woke him up. since he was awake, I asked him what time it was. "about 2." I could not believe it. I honestly thought that the morning would never come and I would NEVER be able to give him my totally awesome SURPRISE present.

finally... FINALLY... morning came. I knew that Sweetheart would awake up first, since he planned to shower in the morning and I had showered right before bed. I waited until he was out of the shower and rummaging through his bag. I whipped out my beautifully wrapped present and matching card, and put them on the bed next to me. Then I just waited until he noticed. He stood with his back towards me for awhile, chatting excitedly about what rides and shows were MUST dos and how happy he was to be spending his day at the Magic Kingdom. and then... finally... FINALLY... he turned to glance at me. he glanced down at the present, and then started to turn away again... and then it hit him what he just saw.

ahhh, the look on his face!! he said "hey, whats that???" with a shocked but happy smile. he loved the wrapping, but tore it off to reveal...

Disneyland Pictures

2009-08-10T15:38:00.004-07:00

so happy to be there, Sweetheart ran to kiss the ground!

A is for Sweetheart

we love Blue Sky Cellar!

I found a Hidden Mickey all by myself!!

I also found the word "sex" at Disneyland. ha!

look at me, Im sweet as can be!

celebrating his birthday at the House of Mouse...

I love this pic. I made him pose in the sun and he cant even open his eyes! ha

Wordless Weekend Post: Disneyland Trip

2009-08-08T20:01:00.005-07:00

Two Times Tuesday

2009-08-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

whoa, two posts in one day?

yeah, but it will be the last post for the week...

because Sweetheart and I are headed for DISNEYLAND!!!

hurray! we can use a vacation. we had originally planned to go for several days, but with all of our various situations (house, legal stuff), we had to cut our trip short. still, it is a HUGE blessing that we are able to go on vacation. especially since it is Sweethearts birthday. (ahhh, to be 27 again. oh wait, Im still 27.) I have never spent my birthday at Disneyland before, but I am super excited for Sweetheart to spend his day there. I will be marching him right up to City Hall for a FREE "It's My Birthday" pin. and I will be marching him to the Tortilla Facory in DCA for a FREE bag of birthday tortillas. (Disneyland doesnt do too many FREE things, so you gotta take all that you can get.)

it will be nice to get away, and this will be the very first time that Sweetheart and I have been to Disneyland alone. so its like one long date!

S-E-X Part 3

2009-08-04T08:11:00.001-07:00

in case you missed it, Part 1 and Part 2.

I held on to my virtue like it was a lifeline. and I purposed in my heart, that I would have sex with only one man... my husband... whoever he was...

I ended up becoming burnt out at school. after 5 years in college and switching majors several times only to end up working in the field I had chosen but being deeply unhappy really took a toll on me. I went from a wonderful straight A student to drop out in 2 years. I was ashamed. at school, I was an engineering major. maybe I should say I was an engineering snob. we prided ourselves on being more intelligent than lowly English and Literature majors. we laughed at nursing majors and sneered at theatre majors. we felt we were the cream of the crop. even within the engineering school, there was a hierarchy. and I was on the last rung. deep inside, I knew that I was unhappy, but I put on a brave face and joined in making fun of everyone and anyone who hadnt taken at least 3 semesters of calculus. deep inside, I longed to become a business major. but I couldnt swallow my pride. and one day, I just didnt go back to school.

I took all of the energy and time that I had sunk into school, and I switched it to work. if I wasnt a success at school, well, that was because I was a great success in my job, I reasoned. I put my whole heart into work. how I was thought of at work became who I was. I couldnt define myself as a Straight A Engineering Student anymore. I defined myself as a workaholic. sadly, the company where I was working took advantage of my weakness. they took and took and took, and gave me very little in return. I became romantically involved with my direct superior. very bad idea. we were always professional at work, but as I look back on it, he took advantage of my feelings for him to get me to give more and more at work. I constantly felt like I wasnt good enough. I killed myself to be everywhere at once, and everything to everyone. my sister worked there with me, and, later, she told me that I turned into someone else who was only about work and that she really didnt like me anymore. when the daughter of the owner of the company decided that SHE liked my direct superior and that he and I were too close for her comfort, she had all of my promotions repealed. they decided to return me to an entry level position with corresponding pay and told me it was for budget reasons. and this is how desperately lost I was: I offered to do the same work and MORE for entry level pay. the thought of losing my title was too much for me, so when they declined my offer, I left the company.

I had now failed at school and at work.

I took a job at an engineering firm, with plans to ease my way back into school and engineering. surely it wasnt as bad as I remembered... the job was horrible. engineering was horrible. I saw myself as a huge failure. all I had ever been good at was school. I excelled at school. and now everything felt like it was yanked away from me. I took a part time job at Applebees to get away from all of my stresses. and there, I found something to distract me from my previous failures. BOYS. maybe, I could succeed in a relationship. maybe, that would erase my earlier failures. maybe I didnt need to be such a prude. maybe kissing a guy wasnt such a huge deal. maybe going even further would be okay. maybe a guy could fulfill me. maybe I didnt need my virtue as much as I thought. maybe everything wasnt such a big deal. maybe. maybe.

Apple Buddies

2009-08-03T08:46:00.003-07:00

Ive said before that Sweetheart and I met while we were both working at Applebees. he worked at a different store, but transferred to mine at the end of February 2006. I thought he was intriguing, and I wanted to stand around and talk to him all the time. I worked Carside at the time, which means that I was a Car Hop. Carside is easier than serving, which is why I did it. Carsides always had a lot of free time, which I used to talk to Sweetheart. I also used some of it to take pictures of life at Applebees, because I was working on a poster for a career fair. a few of us girls volunteered to represent our store at the career fair at the local community college. the manager wanted a guy to join in the mix, so I helpfully suggested that maybe Sweetheart could help us. mostly, I just wanted to see him outside of work. we had to be at the fair at 8a. no big deal, right? uh, except that Sweetheart is NOT a morning person. I didnt know it at the time, but Sweetheart usually refused to speak until about 10a. oops...

well, Sweetheart was up and at 'em by 8a. (he didnt tell me until much later how hard it was for him.) he did a great job, and we snuck away from everyone else to go out to lunch later. I felt my day was a huge success.

Career Fair - March 8, 2006

Ice Ice Baby

2009-07-31T08:02:00.002-07:00

**
today is the one year anniversary of my blog, Pixie Dusted. its my blogoversary!!
**

today is the first annual Bake at 350 Flavor of the Month. this months flavor is pie. ah, how I love pie! I really wanted to do something fun and cool and unexpected. life has been stressful and crazy lately, so, honestly, I wanted to do something easy, too. but what? then, Joy the Baker came to my rescue with a recipe for Apple Pie Granita. I have been wanting to make granita for months now, so, armed with a recipe, I embarked on my journey last night. I have to admit it, the idea of slushy apple pie was really weird. I couldnt even imagine how it would taste. if fact, as I sat with Sweetheart eating it last night, it still felt really odd. it was soooooo yummy and cool, which is awesome to have right now in Phoenix. it was a bit on the sweet side for me, but I still liked it. Franklins daughters loved it and so did my Brother and Sweetheart, so I deem my first granita effort a success.

head over to Bake at 350 for more "pie" recipes.

Apple Pie Granita
3 cups natural, unfiltered apple juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice [I didnt have any, so I used a pinch of pumpkin pie spice]

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Heat and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Place in the freezer until icy around the edges, about 1 hour. [after an hour, mine was still liquid.] Using a fork, scrape the icy shards towards the center of the dish. Freeze again for another hour and again scrape the icy shards. [after 30 minutes, mine was almost all icy.] Continue freezing and scraping until slushy throughout. [I only scraped once more. we were eager to try it.] Serve immediately.

Law & Order

2009-07-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

so, I have completed my jury duty. when I think about it, I find it interesting that I even landed on the jury panel. I work at a law firm, and my husband is in the midst of some legal issues. and yet, they picked me to sit on the jury.

in the case that we listened to, we found the defendant not guilty. we had to, the prosecution did not prove their case. we were given clear instructions that the defendant did NOT have to prove his innocence. you know, because of the whole innocent until proven guilty law of our land. we were told that the prosecution had to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendants guilt. I know that everyone knows that. still, it really resonances with me. I mean, Sweetheart is facing a trial because of a bunch of lies. I pray about it every day, many times throughout the day. it is always on my mind and in my heart.

I feel like, because God knows my worries and fears, He is the reason that I was picked to sit on that jury. I have asked God to show me His hand. I feel like He led me to be on that jury, so I could see how lies from an vindictive former relationship are not the be all end all.

so far, a few small rulings have gone our way. the trial is coming up quickly. God is good. He will not leave us alone. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4
faith is the victory that overcomes the world. what a blessing to my heart! when I feel my steps falter. when my heart is heavy. in my weakness, my emotions can overcome me. I *must* remember that faith can move mountains. we have the truth and God on our side.

as I thought of all of this today, how the Lord used the same legal system that I was fearing to bring peace to my heart, I remembered a song that we used to sing when I was in high school.

How Can I Fear? by Ron Hamilton

When shadows fall and the night covers all
There are things that my eyes cannot see.
I never fear, for the Saviour is near.
My LORD abides with me!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

When I'm alone and I face the unknown
And I fear what the future may be,
I can depend on the strength of my Friend!
He walks along with me.

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

Jesus is King! He controls everything!
He is with me each night and each day.
I trust my soul to the Saviour's control;
He drives all fear away!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!
He ever watches over me!
Worries all cease; He gives me peace.
How can I fear with Jesus?

Ron Hamilton, I have never met you, but I thank God for you and the wonderful, inspiring songs that you write. God bless you.

the Call of Duty

2009-07-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

great legal minds: Thomas Jefferson, Erin Brockovich, John Grisham, me.

I got called for jury duty.

can I admit the truth? its totally exciting. I love the thought of doing my civic duty. I reported yesterday. I liked being in the courthouse, wearing my little juror badge. I dont know if they picked me yet, because we didnt finish with the jury selection. I have to report again on Monday morning.

the awesome thing is that I dont have to be there until 10:30. normally, I have to be at work at 8a. I get to sleep in!!! AND, even if I have to stay all day, I get an hour and a half lunch and the day is over at 4:30. boo ya!! thats a nice gig. yeah, they only pay like $12 per day, but my firm pays me like I was at work. I think I have to sign over my $12 pittance, but Im totally okay with that!

the court house is across the street from my firm, so this isnt an inconvenience at all for me. its a break from the usual, I get to sleep in and I get to go home early. (I normally work until 5p.)

the rest of my S-E-X thoughts will be posted soon.

S-E-X: Part 2

2009-07-23T11:18:00.001-07:00

love is a battlefield. at least, thats what Ive heard. I always knew that I did not want to be collateral damage.

Ive always felt that I was born in the wrong era. dont get me wrong, I love texting and blogs and even *gasp* myspace. but Ive always placed such a high value on my own virtue, that even in my private Christian school, I was alone in those beliefs. I remember my girlfriends telling me, regarding various boys, "its just a kiss. its no big deal. just kiss the guy already!" and I wouldnt. I couldnt. that would have been WRONG for me. at the same time, I didnt think that other girls were bad for kissing a boy or two. it wasnt wrong for them. just me.

why?

because I was determined to be special. I knew that lots of guys and girls were serial kissers. I didnt want that. I felt that the guy that was lucky enough to kiss me would always remember it. I wouldnt be kissed and forgotten. I didnt want to be a number. I wanted to be prized and valued and cherished. all the things that The Monster made me feel like I didnt deserve.

I also think thats why, unlike most teenage girls, I have always been able to separate love from physical acts. I knew that I wouldnt kiss a boy unless I cared for him deeply. because without love, a physical act is nothing. not that it isnt important, but that it is only half of a whole. most silly teenage girls would try to hang on to boys by kissing them or give various reasons for kissing. most girls seemed to think that kissing meant that a boy "loved" (and I mean puppy loved) her. I knew that boys could do these things without any feelings of love for you. boys only loved themselves. well, I was just as determined to love myself.

**
let me also say that I know ALL boys are not like that. but at the time, I thought so. I was confused. I had been seriously, emotionally damaged. I had been sexually abused at a very young age, and it formed my self-image and my self-awareness. and sadly, it has taken years for me to figure things out and try to correct my self-damaging thoughts
**

S-E-X: Part 1

2009-07-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

yes, I want to talk about this. but first, Im gonna give you some background on me.

Im a prude. everyone knows it. I have no problems with it. so why does a prude pick this subject? I dont know. I guess I just feel that it needs to be addressed. why am I a prude? hmmm... well, I grew up in a very strict, conservative Christian home. we didnt have a TV until I was about 8 or 9. I was homeschooled in kindergarten and 1st grade. my mom was determined to keep us sheltered from The World. do I think this made me a prude? it had something to do with it, but not entirely. I remember being very young, and asking my mom how babies came. she told me all about how babies grew in mommys tummies, and I remember thinking how exciting that God gave the mommys tummies a special way to feed the babies. I remember Mom telling me how whenever the baby pee-peed, the mommy would have to pee-pee. that was hilarious to me.
when I was a little bit older, I was struck by a new query. how did the baby get inside the mommy? at first, I thought that when God thought it was time, he just let the baby start growing. I wasnt sure, so I asked my mom. "mommies have eggs and daddies have seeds. the daddy puts the seeds in the mommys egg, and the baby grows from there" wow, thats amazing!
but... how does the daddy put the seed in the mommy? "he just does," she said, kind of vaguely. good enough for me. I now had all the answers to lifes questions.

around this time, my aunts husband began molesting me. I will never describe him as an "uncle," he is The Monster. The Monster molested me for a few years, until I was about 9.

at that point, I was one very sad and scared little girl. as I grew up, I was afraid of men and boys. I felt that The Monster had stolen part of me. I was angry and bitter. sometimes, I still am. The Monster always told me that everything was partly my fault, and, like a little kid who never questioned authority, I believed that. I never trusted boys. I felt that they were all out just to use me. unlike some girls who experience sexual abuse, I did not feel that innocence was totally out the window. I do completely understand how some people can feel that way. especially if you are older and it happens, I can see how you would feel like, since it was taken from you, it isnt a big deal.
I think, because of the way that I was raised, I felt the opposite. I felt like all the innocence that I had left had to be perserved. I wanted to be special to a guy, not used and disposed. I remember being 12 and holding hands with a boy. that meant a lot to me. after that boy left my life, I didnt hold hands with another boy until I was 15. I still flirted with boys and giggled and was a typical teenage girl, but I had very strict personal boundaries. I didnt have my first kiss until I was 20. sure, guys attempted to kiss me (including the hand holding boy from when I was 12), but I resisted because I felt that it had to MEAN something. it had to be SPECIAL. there is no such thing as casual kissing to me. the idea of it makes me sick inside. I know that isnt a "normal" reaction to casual kissing.

because of the sexual abuse, I was very aware of sexual things at an age that it younger than most. and I ran away from anything "sexy." if I was in the room playing, and the TV showed a man and woman kissing or even hugging, I would leave the room to play. PDA has always bothered me. if adults were talking about anything remotely "sexy," I would leave and pretend that I didnt know what they were talking about. at the time, I couldnt explain why I had to get away from stuff that, even for my super strict parents, was really no big deal. now, I believe that my battle to protect my innocence started back then.

so, when I talk about sex, you can be sure that it isnt the way that most people talk about sex.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie

2009-07-17T11:36:00.002-07:00

while at AJs last weekend, I picked up some homemade rigatoni and vodka sauce. I should have grabbed two bottles of sauce, because the pasta bag was HUGE. I used the whole bag of rigatoni, and the sauce wasnt enough, so it ended up being too dry. the rigatoni a la vodka was good, but it lacked the spark of my favorite place, Focaccia. Focacia's penne a la vodka is AWESOME. the description is "A pink tomato sauce, a touch of cream, red peppers with green peas and a hint of vodka." I was actually shocked when I realized that it was vegetarian. I cant believe that something without a cow or a chicken could be so good. AND, I realized that Focaccia sells their penne a la vodka in Family Paks so you can take it home and make it yourself. for $24, I got two bags of pasta, a small loaf of hard bread, a large container of vodka sauce, and garnishments (a bag of peas, a bag of tomato slices, and a bag of shredded parmesan cheese). it serves 5-6 people. tonight, Im gonna cook the pasta, warm the sauce, and eat the pasta a la vodka that I have been craving.

Sugar, How Ya Get So Fly?

2009-07-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter comes out tonight!!!! woo-hoo

*ahem*

of all of the stuff that I have cooked lately, I think that my favorite is Brown Sugar Chicken. it is so unbelievably delectable. Sweetheart and I made it together. he made brown minute rice. we just bought the store brand, but it was really good. the Skinny One took one bite of this chicken and then went home to make some for herself. I cook mine on high and used regular vinegar. I only used 1 clove of garlic.

rating: Sweetheart gives it two thumbs up

Brown Sugar Chicken

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
--1 cup brown sugar (it's okay. you can brush your teeth after.)
--1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (stay with me...)
--2/3 cup vinegar (I used white wine, but think regular white would be fine)
--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
--2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are GF)
--1 tsp ground black pepper

Use a 5-6 quart Crockpot for this recipe. Plop the chicken into your Crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.
Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth.

Staycation

2009-07-13T16:23:00.002-07:00

Sweethearts parents will be celebrating their 35th anniversary this week. (we got them each an iPod engraved with "Love is a friendship set to music") they went to Jamaca. guess who got to house-sit? yup, Sweetheart and I got to spend the weekend in their gorgeous, model-home like home. they live a good 25-35 minutes from us, which is a whole different world. it really felt like we were on vacation. without paying hotel fees!

my boss let me leave a little early on Friday afternoon. Sweetheart picked me up from work with this

and a small box of chocolate dipped strawberries. we headed to his parents house. once we unloaded our stuff, we went to hit up Applebees for Happy Hour. we spent the entire weekend lazing around the house.

we went to AJs, which I have been dying to do for like, a year. let me tell you, it didnt disappoint. pricey? oh, YES. but totally awesome.

3-Peat

2009-07-10T10:39:00.002-07:00

happy 3 month anniversary, Sweetheart!

some might say its silly. some might think its dumb. after everything that we have been through in the last three months, I am happy to celebrate this mini milestone.

before we got married, I was sure that being married would be just like dating... except that we would get to spend the nights together. Im really shocked at how different marriage is from dating. before we got married, I thought that I loved you with all of my heart. now, I know that Im loving you more all the time. now, I know what "all of my heart" really means. before we got married, I thought our first year would be mostly sunshine and roses and Mr Toads Wild Ride, with a few scuffles and trials mixed in. now, I see that we arent promised anything. the stresses and trials that we have faced in the last three months seem unfair... until I decided to take the right perspective. I'm not sure why we are being tested and tried so harshly. I do know that when we emerge from all of this, we will be stronger. as individuals, and as a couple, we will be stronger. I'm learning what faith and trust, in my husband and in God, really mean. Im learning that I cant just rely on myself. Im learning what it means to be a part of one.

Sweetheart, I love you very much. I will fight along side of you. I will support you. I will hold you. I will learn with you. Im yours. I want to enrich your life. Im happy discovering how our life together is growing. I love feeling like each weekend is an adventure. what will we do? what experiences will we share? I cant wait to find out.

our 1 month anniversary was the Panda Express Anniversary.

our 2 month anniversary was the Coldstone Anniversary.

what will our 3 month anniversary be? the California Pizza Kitchen Anniversary? the Whataburger Anniversary? the Chipotle Anniversary? you decide, Sweetheart. Im with you for the ride...

Its Everything Its Crocked Up To Be

2009-07-10T08:08:00.002-07:00

as I ventured into the world of cooking, I found that my heart was yearning for a Crockpot. a little over a year ago, Sweetheart and I decided that we needed a Crockpot. we headed to Mervyns and found that crockpots were much more expensive than we anticipated. so we didnt get one. then, we registered for one when we got married. it never came. someone purchased it for us in March and it is STILL on back order. we gave up on that and went to just buy one. it didnt have all the bells and whistles, but it did come with the Little Dipper, a mini Crockpot. (I thought that was cool)

last weekend, I finally lugged it out and plugged it in. I was excited to actually cook something in it. what should I try first? what is worthy of a 4th of July crock-abration? hot wings, of course! well, not really, but hot wing soup. I wont lie, I was scared to put milk in the Crockpot. I was afraid of the milk curdling. cause, EW. I ended up checking on this often because of my milk fear. (I used 2%.) I didnt use a whole half an onion, because Im not an onion fan. I had shredded cheese left over from the Salsa Chicken, so I used that instead of Velveeta. I am eager to try again with the recommended Velveeta. gosh, I love cheese more than I should. I cooked mine on high & skipped the salt. I always skip the salt. salt is not my thang.

rating: Sweetheart gave it 2 thumbs up

Buffalo Wing Soup

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour (I used rice flour)
2 cups fat free milk (no higher content than 2%, or it will curdle)
3/4 cup chicken broth
4 oz Velveeta
1/2 cup hot wing sauce
1/2 tsp celery salt (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic salt (optional)

The Directions.
A 4 to 6 quart Crockpot will work well for this soup.Make a roux with the flour and butter. In a bowl, melt the butter on high for 45 seconds, then whisk in the flour. Set aside.Chop up the onion and celery, and dump it into your Crockpot. Add the cooked and cubed chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Add Velveeta. Add the salt (note: this is saltier than I am used to. If you are on a lower sodium diet, omit the salt all together. The cheese and the broth are pretty salty on their own. You can always season to taste after cooking.) Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The soup is done when the celery and onion reach desired tenderness and the flavors have melded.

Got Dinner?

2009-07-08T12:01:00.002-07:00

I spend quite a bit of my online browsing time looking at food blogs. I used to be strictly a baking blog lurker, but a few too many ribs from a coworker about how Sweetheart cannot live on cake and cookies alone pushed me into the crazy world of food blogs. I will never be the same! I looked at many recipes before I tried to start cooking. just as I started out as a timid baker, I was an even more timid cook. I mean, the ladies who write these food blogs are super moms. Im not even a mom. however, I was determined to learn and build a repertoire of good recipes. I also needed a variety of recipes. unlike my family, Sweetheart is not a picky eater. he tires of food more quickly that I do. my mom, for example, basically cooks tacos, enchiladas, burgers, and spaghetti every week. of course, since no 3 people in my family will eat the same thing, there is usually more than one dinner prepared. (my brother eats pizza almost exclusively. the pediatrician told my mom that he would grow out of that phase. my brother will be 21 in August.) Sweetheart cant live like that. he needs, not just variety of food, but different types of food. he likes Italian, Chinese, American, Soul Food, etc. and so, I began my journey into the uncharted waters of food.

the very first recipe that I found was Stuffing Chicken. it seemed easy. it sounded good. (I love stuffing.) but, for some reason, I never made it. then, I came across this recipe on Monday. I knew that I would make it as soon as I could. my coworkers told me that everyone has had this before and I was late to the party. I didnt care. I knew that no one in my family had ever had it. and so I made it on Monday night. Sweetheart, Mr Lucky, and I ate it. we ate more than half of it. I want to make it again tonight. SO FREAKIN YUMMY!!!

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

3 cups of cooked chicken, approximately
1 box of cornbread stuffing mix
1 can chicken broth
3 Tbs. butter
1 1/3 cups milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

Put the chicken in the bottom of a baking dish (13×9 or nearly that size). In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the chicken broth and stir in the stuffing mix. Set aside while you mix the milk and cream soup together in a separate bowl. Pour the milk/soup mixture over the chicken. Top with the stuffing mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.

I bought a whole cooked chicken at Safeway for $5. I shredded it in the bottom of the pan. I have no idea how close it was to 3 cups of chicken.

4th of July - A Chicken Celebration

2009-07-06T10:11:00.003-07:00

my family went out of town for the 4th. they headed to New Mexico where it is legal to have firecrackers. I have always loved playing with firecrackers, and it was my idea to spent the 4th in New Mexico. Sweetheart has never experienced playing with firecrackers on the 4th of July (or any other time), so I really wanted to go and have a great time. for a few various reasons, we were unable to go. I was disappointed, but then I saw the silver lining. with my mom out of town, that left her kitchen free for me to use!

I scoured the Internet for easy, tasty recipes that I could try. while I love baking, I was determined to cook lots of yummy meals for Sweetheart. one of the first recipes to catch my eye was Salsa Chicken. sounds tasty, right? it was so super delicious! I mean, I wouldnt have made it unless I thought it would be good, but it was better than I expected.

of course, being from Arizona and being Hispanic, I couldnt use store-bought salsa...

Easy Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 serrano chile
cilantro
salt

in a blender, put the serrano chile. I cut the stem off first. put the entire can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. add a bit of salt. pull off a handful of cilantro and add it on top. blend until smooth, like 20-30 seconds. I know my directions are vague. I usually shake the salt shaker 2 or 3 times into the blender. cilantro is good, and you cant really add too much.

Salsa Chicken
1/3 cup plus ½ cup mild, medium or hot picante sauce (yeah... I just used all of the salsa that I made)
4 medium (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat
6 tablespoons light cream cheese from a block, softened (I already had regular, so I used that)
½ cup (1 ounce) finely shredded Cabot 75% Light Cheddar Cheese (light cheese? you must be kidding me)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/3 cup of the picante sauce in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Set aside. (I did actually measure out 1/3 cup of my salsa.)

Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness. (I couldnt find the meat mallet, so I skipped this step.)

Spread the chicken evenly with the cream cheese. (I did this, except that I have no idea how much cream cheese I used. I think more than the recipe calls for, because I was trying to use up the last of it.)

Lay the chicken, cream cheese side up, in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the remaining ½ cup picante sauce evenly over the breasts. (I used the rest of my salsa.) Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese evenly over the breasts. (I used a whole cup of cheese, because I love cheese like that.) Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until no longer pink. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings

Laptop

2009-07-03T16:03:00.003-07:00

yes, for the first time EVER, I am posting this via my very own laptop!!! its little and cute and I love it.

life has been very stressful lately. I had my annual visit to the lady doctor and my test came back abnormal. I had to go back and have ANOTHER PAP. not fun. I tried not to worry, but its hard. thankfully, I just heard back from the doctor and the second test came back normal.

of course, Sweetheart and I are still dealing with some legal stuff. also not fun. please keep this situation in your prayers.

still waiting to hear on the house. once again, NOT fun. I know that its Gods timetable and not mine. its just difficult for me. please keep me in your prayers. please keep Sweetheart in your prayers.

anyway, after everything thats going on in my life, it was really great to get the laptop. just nice to have a treat. well, Im off to try out some new recipes. have a safe weekend!! Happy 4th!

Homemade Panda Express

2009-07-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

Sweetheart and I went to the grocery store the other day. I had the urge to make something, but I really wasnt sure what I wanted to make. we bought some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and minute white rice. I love watered chestnuts, so we headed to the Asian isle to pick up a can. while we were there, I discovered the Panda Express sells its sauces. Sweetheart and I were really stoked about that, because we LOVE Panda Express. we grabbed a bottle of Kung Pao sauce, then headed to the produce area. a bundle of green onions, two bell peppers and a jalapeno later, we headed home to whip something up.

Made-Up Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry Stuff

3 green onions
1/4 green bell pepper
1/4 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno
1 can watered chestnuts
3 chicken breasts
Panda Express Kung Pao Sauce
minute white rice

I chopped up the green onions, bell peppers, jalapeno (including seeds and membranes because Im tough like that), and watered chestnuts.

Sweetheart made 1 1/2 cups of the minute rice according to the package directions. we just bought the store brand rice.

I chopped up the chicken breasts. Sweetheart put them in a pan. I would just have thrown them in the pan, but Sweetheart put a lil bit of water in there first. I dunno why. he is crazy like that. we let the chicken cook just for a bit before adding all the veggies and some Kung Pao sauce. Sweetheart added the sauce, and I know he didnt measure it. he used a lot though. we were really excited about our creation.

the kitchen was smelling mightly delicious at this point. this was also the point where everyone in my family came home and started sniffing. I served Sweetheart first, of course. we sat down to eat and WOW was this awesome. my family is VERY picky, but my mom, the Skinny One, Brother in Law, Mr. Lucky (the Youngest One's boyfriend) and the Youngest One all ate up. the Youngest One is SUPER picky, so I was shocked that she served herself a plate. its a good thing that Sweetheart and I had generous servings, because there was nothing left but a whiff of sauce. I proclaimed it a success. it feels so good when people like what you make, but TOTALLY AWESOME when you just made it on the fly. we went back to the store the next day to pick up some beef to make it again. Sweetheart preferred the beef but I preferred the chicken. of course, both were awesome. as am I.

Something Healthy-ish

2009-06-29T16:24:00.001-07:00

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 large head cabbage, thinly sliced
1 package Top Ramen Noodle Soup mixture (any flavor soup mix works but I used roasted chicken)
4 to 6 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
½ cup sliced almonds
1 small package sunflower seeds or 2 T. sesame seeds (I couldn’t find sunflower seeds so opted for a full cup of sliced almonds)
Poached chicken, cubed (I used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts; more could be added if desired)

Toast the almonds and seeds in a small skillet, dry, on a low burner. Watch carefully as they can burn easily. Set aside.

Combine cabbage, onions and chicken. Put in baggy and refrigerate.

Mix salad dressing and chill several hours.

Combine all just before serving

Salad dressing:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil, plus flavor packet from Top Ramen Noodles

Combine all ingredients in a small jar or container. Shake well to combine.

I used 6 green onions and that was WAY too much. I am a moderate onion lover at best. next time, Im putting 2-3 green onions in. also, crumble up the dry Ramen Noodles and top the salad with them. I will add more chicken next time, as Sweetheart is very much the carnivore!

oh, and the salad dressing stinks if you smell it in the container. I think its the vinegar. but let me tell you, the dressing is SUPER yummy and it totally makes the salad. just try a lil on the side if you are wary. you will soon be dumping the whole thing on your plate.

I Wish I Could Give Them Hope

2009-06-26T15:19:00.003-07:00

Michael Jackson died yesterday. he wasnt known to be sickly and ill. he wasnt old. he had 3 young children. I dont know him. I dont know what he did or didnt do. I have my suspicions, but I dont know for sure. does it even matter now? he is dead. I dont know if how I feel. but if I could share something with his family, I would share this song. while it brings me to tears, it also gives me hope and peace.

Nearer My God, To Thee

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

There let the way appear steps unto heav'n;
All that Thou sendest me in mercy giv'n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards I fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Listen To Your Momma

2009-06-25T10:12:00.002-07:00

my Moms FAMOUS green chile recipe as written by my momma:

Buy a cut of roast of your preference. [Mom buys whatever is on sale] Spice it (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, to taste), place it in a pot with enough water to cover it and slowly cook it until it is easy to shred. You may add more spices to suit your taste when you shred the beef. Do not discard the meat drippings. You will use part of them later. [Mom said that LOTS of spicing is needed. so go crazy with the pepper!]

You will also need an onion, fresh garlic (optional), frozen green chili (It comes in varying spiciness.), thickening agent (I recommend Wondra.), and flour tortillas if you want to make burritos. [Mom roasts fresh peppers instead of using frozen chilis. you can roast them on the stove if you dont have a roaster. just put them in a pan and roast til they are black on the outside. smells AWESOME]

Saute diced onion, (about a fourth of medium onion), along with minced garlic in approximately two tablespoons of oil. Add approximately two cups of the meat drippings and some thickening agent. Stir to work out any lumps. Add the shredded beef and the frozen green chili. From this point on, you have to add ingredients to suit your tastes. For example, you may want your green chili thicker; then add more thickening agent. You will also need to taste your meat and spice to taste. Do no mistake "hot" for flavor. If you do not spice your meat appropriately, your green chili will lack flavor even if it is spicy.

the Bitchelorette

2009-06-16T13:42:00.001-07:00

have you been following the show? I have, off and on. its so sad and pathetic, and yet so funny, too. I want to know how they get these guys to go on the show. are they all just after fame? is the price of fame being reduced to fighting over a girl who talks like a man? [her throat. its scary. I think she has an Adams apple. ewww.] I think the premise of the show is unrealistic. its the whole camp boyfriend thing. I know that these people, in this moment, really believe the stuff that they say, so I will give them a little leeway, but expect me to " " most words.

they dont even know this girl. she doesnt know them. you cant really know someone when all you do is go on fantasy dates that neither of you pay for. I swear, after every date that Ive seen, she moons about how much fun it was and how this guy could. be. the. one. except, of course, that he isnt, because she has plenty of other horses back at the stable.

and, she kisses them all. GROSS. I know that Im much more of a prude than most people, but how can you stomach slobbering all in some guys mouth only to be sitting in another guys lap 15 minutes later? its just wrong. the guys dont like it. they know that while they are "thinking" of possibly "MARRYING" this girl, she is out kissing other guys. ew. ew. EW. why? she doesnt need to kiss them. I wish that I had seen some of when she was on the Bachelor. I wonder if she was all pathetic and crying over him because he was kissing all the girls.

I see her now like, she just likes being in charge. she was hurt on the last season, and in some sick way, "breaking" these guys "hearts" is her revenge.

last night, Ed came to her with what seemed like an ultimatum from his boss. if Ed stayed on the show, he would lose his job. now, Ed is not guaranteed that the Bitchelorette will pick him. so, Smart Ed weighs his choices, and leaves the show. but not until after the Bitchelorette cries about how he could be the one. could? so then, at this point in time, he is not the one. so then, the smart thing to do would be to go back to your job. she is so needy and whiny. why? not because she "loves" him. but because she didnt get the chance to kick him off. because then, everything would have been sunshine and roses and Mr. Toads Wild Ride. but because he exercised his free will, she turns into a blubbering mess. how pathetic. how entertaining.

Awww, Its Love

2009-06-12T16:11:00.001-07:00

for our two month anniversary, Sweetheart took me to Coldstone for a Banana Split Decision and he got me a card AND he bought me I Am Legend on blu ray. because nothing says "I love you" like vampires & the Fresh Prince.

Berry Good!!

2009-06-10T15:50:00.002-07:00

while life is much less stressful lately, I just cant stop baking. I love making desserts for Sweetheart. it makes me feel like a housewife taking care of my man. I know, its silly.

Ive been checking out my favorite recipe blogs searching for good (read: easy) recipes. I really really enjoy baking, and Ive been sucessful at it, but I just dont feel like I know what Im doing. my only spices are cinnamon and nutmeg. I dont even like nutmeg! I didnt know what it meant to "cream the butter and the sugar." thank goodness my mom knows! I love the smell of flour. I love the smell of vanilla. but... I dont know what is a good price for what. I read some of these food/baking blogs and Im really intimidated. I feel like all these super moms whip up dishes for their families in short order and for like $2 a meal. me, I bought cherries in a bag for $2 at Safeway and I think that might be a good price. but I dont know. and I feel like I should. for now, Im concentrating on learning baking and cooking basics. Im hoping that I will get the hang of grocery shopping for bargins instead of the random Oh-this-looks-good method that Sweetheart and I currently employ. honestly, even though Sweetheart and I have been together forever and been grocery shopping lots of times, its only in the last few weeks that Ive really thought about meal planning and sale items and stuff. aww, look at me! Im growing up.

Sweetheart likes all kinds of berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, rasberries, cherries (are those even berries?). the man enjoys fruit, is what Im saying. when I happened upon this recipe yesterday, I was really excited to try it. my fruit was kinda dry. I stirred it in the sugar for about 7 minutes. *shrug* I just dumped it in the batter and it came out okay. everyone seemed to love it, and Sweetheart requested it in his lunch today.

Berry Cobbler
2 - 2 1/2 cups sweetened fruit
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
*Note* I used about twice the amount of fruit called for and 1 1/2 times the batter recipe. This made a pretty big pan. You can use sour pitted cherries or blackberries or even mixed berries. Just add about a cup of sugar (or since I had twice the fruit, I used nearly 2 cups of sugar) to sweeten the fruit.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the stick of butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt the butter. In a bowl combine the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and milk. Take the pan with the melted butter out of the oven and pour the batter over the top of the butter. Place the fruit over the batter. If your fruit is very juicy, dip it out with a slotted spoon. Some juice is okay, but you don’t want too much. Bake it at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

**happy 2 month anniversary, Sweetheart. I believe that 2 months is the Coldstone anniversary??**

Eight is Enough

2009-06-09T16:14:00.001-07:00

The rules are that I have to tag the person who tagged me, complete a list or 8, and then tag 8 other people (and let them know I tagged them). So here goes nothing:

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To:
1. having my own house
2. owning a notebook
3. my next pedicure
4. going to New Mexico for the 4th of July
5. going to Disneyland for Sweethearts birthday
6. receiving the Ed Hardy watch that I ordered online (thanks, Sweetheart)
7. making cherry cobbler for Sweetheart
8. hearing my nephew say my name for the first time... I cant wait!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. went to work
2. accidentally made guacamole that was too hot to eat
3. watched the Bachelorette
4. forgot to take my no baby pill
5. had sex
6. took a shower
7. held my nephew
8. had sex again (hey, we are newlyweds)

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. have 3 or 4 day weekends
2. lose weight on command
3. dance
4. sleep in every day (just until 8)
5. buy every single cooking gadget at Target
6. go to Nordstroms and buy every single thing in the store
7. get a bikini waxes as often as I wanted
8. have my own personal makeup artist

8 Shows I Watch:
1. Lost
2. Chopped
3. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
4. CSI
5. Law & Order: SVU
6. Wipeout
7. CSI: NY
8. Throwdown With Bobby Flay

8 Favorite Fruits:
1. Pineapples
2. Strawberries
3. Bananas
4. Watermelon
5. Plums
6. Grapes
7. Apples
8. Cherries

8 Places I'd Like to Travel:
1. Kaui, Hawaii (already been here, wanna go back)
2. Washington, DC (already been here, wanna go back)
3. Chicago, IL
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Hilo, Hawaii (already been here, wanna go back)
6. Oahu, Hawaii (already been here, wanna go back)
7. San Antonio, TX (already been here, wanna go back)
8. Seattle, WA (already been here, wanna go back)

8 Places I've Lived:
1. Phoenix, AZ
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 People I've Tagged:
1. Sass
2. Lacy
3. BonDon
4. Amy McMean AKA McSunshine
5. Jori-O
6. Queen Bee
7. Mommy Fabulous
8. tera

My Weekend

2009-06-08T16:07:00.004-07:00

the carwash for Big Mike ended up raising $1500. hurray! it felt really good to DO something. Sweetheart and I woke up extra early to get ready and be at the carwash. it started off kinda slow, but picked up after like an hour. we also sold tamales, cupcakes, and popcorn balls. I didnt know that there was gonna be a bake sale, too. I would have whipped up something! we are planning another carwash soon. also, (answer to prayer) Big Mike was in church on Sunday morning.

Franklin and I did end up going to the mall. I called ahead and made reservations at the MAC counter. I love makeup so very much!! the reservation required a $50 purchase, so only Franklin ended up getting her makeup done. Sweetheart treated me to a pedicure earlier, so I just couldnt spend more money like that! Franklin ended up dropping... over $200 on makeup, can you believe that? she bought practically everything that the girl put on her face! I dont think she realized how much it would be... she really doesnt keep up on higher end makeup. I almost went to get my eyebrows threaded, but I ran out of money and courage, so maybe next time...

although Sweetheart and I are trying very hard to save money... and, honestly, we are doing much better than we ever had... there are just so many things begging to be bought. Sweetheart and I ended up buying a lot of stuff this weekend... okay, not that much stuff, but a few big ticket items. we bought... a blu ray player. Sweetheart saw that the display model was on sale for only $100. he begged and begged, and eventually I relented. yes, as much as I like shopping, I am the one who says no to him. it sucks, because inside I am screaming "YES!! lets buy that!! screw the future! la la la la la la live for today!!!" but on the outside, I have to be all grown up and responsible. poop on responsibility!
and... we bought... a notebook! HURRAY!!! I am so excited about it. blogging whenever and wherever! I have been wanting a notebook for about a year and a half (see how much more patient I am than Sweetheart?). my mom mentioned yesterday that she saw a great Dell notebook for only $400ish on QVC. and, they come in pink! be still my heart, right? well, mom said that they would be back on QVC at 6p until 7p... the exact hours of church at night! I knew that I couldnt stay home from church just to buy something off of QVC, so I went to qvc.com (a very dangerous place) and luckily, you could buy them online for the same price! and, they have like a payment plan thing, so they split the cost (including the shipping and tax) into 5 payments. Sweetheart didnt want a pink one, so we got a black one.

I didnt do any baking this weekend... but I did make some kettlecorn. we got a Whirley Pop as a wedding present. I love kettlecorn, and this was SOOO easy to make with the Whirley Pop, too!! see here if you dont have a Whirley Pop.

Kettlecorn
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil

preheat range to medium hot.

pour all ingredients into Whirley Pop. rotate handle until popping stops or it is too difficult to turn handle. it should take no more than 3 minutes. after popping, pour onto cookie sheet to cool. (soak Whirley Pop in soapy water for easy cleanup.)

enjoy!

Fan-freakin-tastic, its Friday!

2009-06-05T15:09:00.003-07:00

I am SO ready for this weekend. tonight, Sweetheart and I are headed out bra shopping. okay, the bras are for me, but Sweetheart is always happy to supervise. (did I tell you that last weekend, we went to see UP in 3D, but it was sold out so we walked around the mall, and Sweetheart bought a really sexy nightie for me? well, he did. we went to visit his parents and stay the night at their place. the next morning while I was watching TV, Sweetheart went to grab me a small blanket off of the bed and my nightie was entangled in it. horror of horrors, it fell out of the blanket, Sweetheart didnt see it, and HIS MOM FOUND IT LAYING ON THE FLOOR IN THE HALLWAY. hello, awkward!) after shopping, we are gonna grab dinner at Red Robin. the Red Robin closest to home is run by the mafia. Im sure of it.

tomorrow, we are having a car wash to raise money for my cousin Big Mike. Big Mike needs a liver transplant. he has been on the list for a long time. he cant work anymore, so he quit his job and moved back home with his mom. (he is about 35.) Big Mike caught hepatitis from tattoos. his medical bills are out of control, and we are trying to raise money and also show him that we love him.

after the car wash, I plan to go to the mall to do some makeup shopping with Franklin. plan is the key word here, as Franklin isnt always the most reliable. anyone else would drive me crackers, but I just adore Franklin.

me and Franklin when we worked at Applebees

and Sunday, relax day!! and maybe some weekend baking. who knows?? have a great weekend people. may the force be with you.

MYOB - Make Your Own Buttermilk

2009-06-04T12:34:00.003-07:00

when I went to the lady doctor, she was kind enough to give me some birth control pill samples. I finished those up last week, so I needed to take my prescription to the pharmacy. and now I cant find it anywhere. DOH!

I called the doctors office and was only on hold for 8 minutes before I was able to talk to someone. score! hopefully, the nurse will call it in soon. I need those no baby pills!! thats right, Sweetheart will be getting lucky very soon.

*************************************************************************************************

last weekend, flush with the success of my Fish Stick Tacos, I embarked on the Buttermilk Cake Journey. I have used buttermilk before in a cooking endeavor. not successful. I tried to make cheesy bread sticks, but they were too salty to eat. YUCK.
however, since the last recipe this lady posted was a tremendous success, I decided to bite the bullet and use buttermilk again. this time, I didnt go out and buy buttermilk, though. it seemed dumb to waste money on buttermilk when I could make my own with regular milk and vinegar. 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon vinegar + 10 minutes to stand = buttermilk. also, since Sweetheart loves blueberries and they were on sale at Safeway, I decided to make Strawberry Buttermilk Cake and Blueberry Buttermilk Cake. although everyone in my family prefers strawberries to blueberries, the blueberry cake was declared the best. I think its because the dough isnt that sweet, and the blueberries were a better compliment to the dough. who knows, though. one thing, although I buttered and floured my pans, the cakes stuck a bit. next time, I will Crisco the pan and see how that turns out. I did not use any lemon zest.

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh strawberries (you can use any berry you want)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter berries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Pray Without Ceasing

2009-06-03T14:03:00.001-07:00

I wish that I could have been with Sweetheart while he was in court. I had work. I sat and my desk and prayed "God, give Sweetheart strength. be with him. let him know that You are there. comfort us" over and over.

Sweetheart called me as soon as it was over. the warrant was dismissed. we were able to get a Public Defender. our prayers were answered. and they were answered in the way that we asked!

we were given two more court dates. the next one, June 17th, is when Sweetheart will meet with his Public Defender and be offered a plea. the court date after that will probably be for the start of a trial. we won our first battle. now its on to the war...

"Fish" Food

2009-06-02T12:26:00.003-07:00

quick reminder: Sweetheart has court tomorrow morning at 8:30. we need strength and are also asking that the warrant be dismissed and that Sweetheart be assigned a public defender.any and all prayers are appreciated.

as a direct result of my stress level, the number of recipe posts has gone up. before this legal stuff, I was stressed because we hadnt heard much back on the house. we did hear today that the other real estate agent thinks that things should really start moving at the end of this month. which would mean closing on the house at the end of next month. we have been looking for a home since January 1st. I hope this is it!! enjoy these random pics of the house...

the loft

the 1/2 bath downstairs

kitchen

although cooking doesnt come as naturally to me as baking, I do kind of enjoy it. Im a picky eater, and Sweetheart is not. which means that he gets sick of eating the foods that I like. he is much more adventurous. he likes... get this... FISH tacos. I know, barf, right? I dislike seafood. however, I love Sweetheart and I want to make him happy. so... enter... Fish Stick Tacos. yes, I know that Fish and Fish Sticks are very different. I remember eating fish sticks a few times as a very young kid, and they werent THAT horrible. instead of using kid-like fish sticks, I bought fried fish fillets. so... fat fish sticks. (ha) with 6 fillets, I got 9 tacos. I would have gotten more, but for Sweethearts, I put a whole fish in the tortilla. I chopped it up. the other three fillets were divided in half and each half made a taco (this is because after I made his, I had two unexpected pleas for tacos). I also added avocado to the list of toppings, because, duh, avocado is bomb! we felt that the mayo/taco seasoning mix was enough and didnt use the salsa that we had. next time, I will skip the salsa (aka, "taco sauce" to you white folks).

Fish Stick Tacos

24 frozen fish sticks

¾ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

1 medium tomato

1 ½ cups chopped lettuce

12 soft flour tortillas

Taco sauce, if desired

1. Heat the oven as directed on the box of fish sticks.2. Measure out the mayonnaise. Use a rubber spatula to scrape it all out of the measuring cup into a bowl. Measure out the taco seasoning mix. Put it in the bowl. Mix them up with a wooden spoon.3. Put the fish sticks on the cookie sheet. Bake them as directed on the box. While the fish sticks are baking, wash the tomato. Use a sharp knife to cut it into small pieces on a cutting board. Measure out the lettuce.4. Remove the tortillas from the box. Stack them on a plate. Cover the tortillas with a piece of plastic wrap. Microwave the tortillas on High 1 minute.5. Divide the mayonnaise mixture evenly onto the tortillas. Use a table knife to spread the mixture over the tortilla. Top 1 side of each tortilla with fish stick pieces, a little of the lettuce and some of the tomato. Serve the tacos with the taco sauce.

omg, I just noticed... this is my 200th post!!!

Randomness

2009-05-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

thank you so much for all the encouraging words and the prayers that youve said for us. as we find out more and more about how to proceed, we feel better and better. the fear of the unknown and the what ifs are terrible. now we have a plan and are feeling more confident.

after a wild and hectic week, Im really hoping to unwind and relax with Sweetheart. we plan to go to see UP in 3D. at first, I was mostly "eh" about this movie. however, I knew we would go see it because its Pixar. now, Im actually really excited to go see it. hopefully we will get to stop by Red Robin for lunch, too.

we watched the national spelling bee last night. wow, it was intense. I was in a spelling bee once. 7th grade. I was embarrassed to be up in front of everyone and misspelled the first word on purpose. my friends said that my face was tomato red the whole time that I was onstage. I hope to someday forget that experience. Im a terrible speller anyway. did I take University Physics and 3 semesters of Honors Calculus? yes. do I know how to spell independent? no. thats why we have Spell Check.
ANYWAY, I was rooting for the girl who won as soon as I started watching. oh, and the home school boy who took second because us home school kids got to stick together!! (K5, 1st, and 6th) I felt so horrible for the kids that cried when they lost. I know they must have been under a lot of pressure to win... you know, to make your parents proud, and your school and your state, etc. Im sure that most of the parents werent crazy pushy parents, but I remember as a kid just wanting to get good grades so that my mom would be pleased with me. I can imagine that if I had gone all the way to a national, televised, prime-time competition, losing would have felt like letting my mom down. I would have cried, too. of course, Im a big baby. but still.

have you seen Star Trek yet? boo ya, its awesome!! I have never seen any Star Trek movie before, so I cant compare it to anything, but the movie is awesome. Spock is great and the little Russian teenager is AWESOME. Im thinking about becoming a Trekkie. or a Trekker. or whatever the fans call themselves. maybe Ill go as a Star Trek girl for Halloween! I could be an academy Star Trek girl and Sweetheart could be an academy professor. *wink wink* we would, you know... go where no one has gone before!!! ha

so... my naughty party... anyone remember that? yeah, well, I had decided not to blog about what happened because... well, you know. a month later, I feel less embarrassed, so here we are. the party started with EVERY SINGLE FREAKIN PERSON BEING LATE. have I mentioned before how much I am an "early is on time and on time is late" person? well, I am. so everyone shows up, and the first game we play, sort of an ice breaker thing, is drawing a wee wee. on top of our heads. okay, we had clipboards and we put those on top of our heads and drew on them. either way, I blushed. especially since once we all finished, we passed our drawings around the room. the papers that we drew on had a naked man missing his piece already on them, and we just had to fill in the missing wee wee. lets just say that my drawing went almost down to the mans calves. everyone laughed and I blushed. the Skinny One won that game. she won a mini bottle of (I cant believe Im gonna write this) Great Head. its a gel that you put in your mouth and swish around like mouthwash to desensitize your gag reflex. you know. we laughed and laughed at that. then it was time to ease in (no pun intended) to the party. we smelled lotions, glittery edible powders, and body sprays. then... MY MOM joined the party. right when we started passing the electronic items. then we played hot potato with an extra large pee pee. Franklin won that game. I think she won lotion. my hostess gift was a pack of massage oils. I only like the way that one of them smells, so if anyone wants one of the others, email me and its yours. hmmm, should I tell you what I bought?? oh what the heck, heres a partial list: a book... (while yes, it is a sexy book, I can read it. as long as the lights are low and Im alone. ha ha.) some lotion/lubricate that goes on warm and heats up very nicely when you blow on it... (Sweetheart, dont kill me for telling that!!) some refreshing body spray... and... thats all that I care share with you. =)

have a wonderful weekend.

the Backstory & Todays Story

2009-05-28T10:59:00.001-07:00

Gonzo is an ex of Sweethearts. things ended very badly between them. Im talking it didnt just end with name calling, but with Gonzo breaking into Sweethearts cell phone voicemail, changing the password and the outgoing message. Sweetheart had to call the phone company to get the password reset. it was all one HUGE headache. Gonzo also told everyone that Sweetheart went to her house in the middle of the night and threw rocks at her car. then she filed an injunction of harrassment against him, which is basically a restraining order. Sweetheart was angry and wanted to fight it, but I told him to let sleeping dogs lie. I told him that we didnt want to be around her away, so what did we care? plus, I figured if she thought that she "won" that she would be happy and we would never hear from her again. WRONG

cut to a year ago, Sweetheart and I are both at work when he calls me in a panic because his roommate just called him and told him that the cops went to the apartment drug-bust style looking for Sweetheart. Im talking banging on the door and scaring the roommate half to death. I ran to my faithful friend, the Internet, where I discovered that Gonzo had filed ANOTHER injunction against harrassment. what the---? now, because we hadnt seen or hung out with anyone who knows Gonzo in over a year, Gonzo didnt know that Sweetheart had sold his car and was currently at the mercy of me and the AZ public transportation system. meaning that he cant go anywhere in the middle of the night. Sweetheart also had a roommate who stayed up all night watching TV and could vouch for the fact that Sweetheart goes home and sleeps all night long. so this time, Sweetheart and I are fed up with Gonzo and willing to fight this stupid thing.

Sweetheart and I decide to go to my parents house to avoid the police. while we are there, guess who stops in? Gonzo. she didnt know that Sweetheart was there. I went outside to face her and her mom. my dad was with me. Gonzo and FWB (her mom) accuse me of driving Sweetheart over to Gonzos house in the middle of the night so he can key her car. (is it just me, or is it obvious that she thinks she is WAY more important than she really is?) I tell them its not true. they say that they saw the license plate of the white SUV that Sweetheart was in, and that car is registered to me. not true. I tell them that. they say that they called the cops and the cops told them that it was mine. not true, and the cops wouldnt tell them who owned the car anyway. I tell them that if someone is messing with their property, they should call the cops, but I dont care what they do because I know that Sweetheart and I didnt do anything. I tell them to video tape it or do whatever it is that they have to. they leave.

they drive to Sweethearts parents house. they tell them almost the same story. only now, the white SUV belongs to some girl named "Alissa" instead of me. Sweethearts parents tell them to call the cops then. (keep in mind that none of us known anyone named Alissa and none of us know anyone who drives a white SUV.) Gonzo and FWB also throw Sweethearts brother into the mix, adding that they saw him driving the white SUV around town. they dont know that Sweethearts brother has been estranged from the whole family for about 9 months. so, once again, not true.

Sweetheart and I went to the court and requested a hearing. we went to the hearing, but at this point, Sweetheart had still not been served with any papers. until he gets served, there is nothing for us to fight. we postpone the hearing. when the second hearing time arrived, Sweetheart has still not been served, so we didnt go. Gonzo found out and went, but once again, until Sweetheart gets served, there is nothing to do.

Sweetheart and I were careful to avoid any place where she might hang out. it is hard, because she lives like a mile from my parents house, so we have grocery stores, Starbucks, Target, fast food, etc. in common. still, Sweetheart was never served with any papers and we never ran into her. glorious success, right? WRONG

as May of this year approached, I became anxious. for the last two years, we have dealt with all kinds of stuff in May. (did I mention that her crooked cop friend actually placed Sweetheart under arrest during the first round of all this? nothing came of it, but still. it shakes up a person.) Sweetheart tried to reassure me that after this much time passing, it must all be behind us. WRONG

Tuesday morning, I checked online to make sure that the time to serve him papers had expired and we didnt have to be looking over our shoulders anymore. and when I checked online, I found felony criminal charges had been filed against him and there was a warrant for him with thousand dollar bond. and then I cried. will it never end? will she never leave us alone? will anyone ever see through her lies?

Sweetheart and I left our jobs early that day and went to Records. pretty much everything is public record. we pulled the copies of the complaint against him and found that she said that in May 2008 he keyed her car and smashed her wind shield. now, Im sure it is no surprise to you that Gonzo has many people who hate her. I totally believe that someone would key her car. the windshield is excessive, but Gonzo does know some unsavory people. anyway, Im not sure if Gonzo damaged her own stuff and blamed us or if someone actually trashed her car and she blames us. either way, we did nothing to her or her vehicle.

the police, however, see her as the poor victim of a crazed ex boyfriend, and they are pressing charges. the charges and the warrant werent active until February of this year. I just happen to see it all when I was looking for the other thing (which appears to have expired).

I know this post is way too long, and if you have stuck with me so far, you are amazing! its almost over.

thankfully, I work at a law firm. I know people who know people. they have been able to point us in the right directions... from showing me how to look up court stuff online and where to go to get the public records, to which court rooms to go to so we can straighten it all out. so far, we have done everything without the assistance of an attorney. Sweetheart, Sweethearts dad, and I all went to the court this morning. thankfully, I already work downtown, so I am semi-familiar with everything. after getting to the right court building and finding the right place, Sweetheart was given a court date to get the warrant dismissed. I was afraid they would arrest him on sight, but they didnt. we did get a thousand dollars out of the bank just in case, but for now it wasnt needed. since we really dont have an extra thousand dollars to spend (who does?), we really need for them to dismiss the warrant. if they refuse, they will arrest him and we will have to pay the thousand to bond him out... after all, he still has to go to work and bring home the bacon!!

we were hoping to see a judge today to get it dismissed, because otherwise Sweetheart shouldnt really be driving and stuff. but we were told that because Sweetheart is going to court of his own free will, it looks good (and like he isnt in hiding) and we most likely will be able to get the warrant dismissed. at that time, we will be given yet another court date, and hopefully be assigned a public defender. and that, my friends, it the basic story (can you believe that I actually left some stuff out??) all the way up to right now.

Please Pray

2009-05-28T09:16:00.001-07:00

please pray for me and Sweetheart. we are on the way to court. details and backstory as soon as I get back. for now, I ask for prayers for strength. going to court is scary, even when you are innocent.

Open Letter to Gonzo

2009-05-27T10:28:00.002-07:00

Gonzo-

its funny. Ive always believed in Third Times The Charm, but you must believe in Three Strikes And Youre Out. but then again, overall, I am a happy person. I have my family, my Sweetheart, and, of course, my faith. I try to tell myself that your empty life and lack of real friends are what drive you to make others miserable. I try to tell myself that you are just sad and hurt inside, and I should have pity on you and pray for you. well, I cant anymore.

I wish you extreme happiness or extreme pain, whichever keeps you busy enough to leave me and my family alone. I dont care what happens to you anymore. Ive known for a long time that you are a liar. I know that you lie so often and so well that most people are fooled by your deceitful ways. Sweetheart and I were both fooled for awhile, too. now that we can see the real you, its scary.

I know what you might be thinking... "but I havent done anything to YOU." the thing is, when you try to destroy my husband... (shocker) thats destroying me, too. I know that you dont "believe in" marriage, and Im very sorry that your parents were such horrible examples for you. but regardless of if you believe in it or not, marriage is powerful. marriage means that Sweetheart and I are one. believe me, I will not let you destroy us. while I wont resort to lies and false police reports, I will stand up for myself. I wont let you bully me anymore. I wont be intimidated by you. unlike you, I will do things the right way. if that means giving up the house so that we can afford an attorney, then thats what I am willing to do. I will not kowtow to you. I will not live another MOMENT in fear of you and your crooked police officer pal. as Sweetheart told me this morning, the truth is on OUR side. and, more than that, Jehovah is on our side.

if God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31b

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

its funny, in a way... that because of you, of all people, I have renewed my faith. because of you, I am determined. because of you, I will never forget Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

I will never show you any gratitude. I will not let you see me hurt. Sweetheart and I are good, honest, God-fearing people. I am confident that the courts will see through your false accusations. I have faith in my God and my countrys legal system. YOU WILL NOT BREAK US. I promise.

Sincerely,

Sweethearts Wife

No-Baking Baking

2009-05-26T10:37:00.003-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. we had a BBQ yesterday. burgers and chicken and steaks. fruit salad. macaroni salad. ranch style beans. Pepsi. ahhhh. of course, any time the family gets together to eat, I like to make something and set it out for all the guinea pigs. *evil smile* they are usually powerless againt my desserts.

this first one I found at kraftfoods.com. why I was there, I have no idea. I was playing on that website over a year ago and found this. I LOVE chocolate and peanut butter, so I made it immediately. and then I made it again. and then I hid the recipe away until this weekend, when I trotted it out. I like it because its no bake, and it is a nice cool dessert. its so hot here now that eating warm dessert just isnt that much fun. despite what you might think, it isnt a kids dessert. it is very rich. it tastes kind of high end to me. Im not saying that kids wouldnt like it, just that it is more "adult." one thin slice is all you need. (plus, my second recipe is very much for kids.) I would add more Cool Whip to keep it from being too rich. and/or cut back on the sugar a bit.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

12 NUTTER BUTTER Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, divided
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

CRUSH 8 of the cookies in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of foil-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.
MIX cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture into small bowl. Stir in melted chocolate until well blended; set aside. Spoon half of the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Top evenly with chocolate mixture; cover with remaining cream cheese mixture.
FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Invert onto plate. Remove foil, then re-invert onto serving platter so that crumb layer is on bottom. Coarsely break the remaining 4 cookies. Top dessert with remaining whipping topping and cookies.

Sweetheart loved Jell-O as a kid, so I have been wanting to make him Jell-O for a long time. this recipe came from trusty ol justjenn. she is kinda famous for her Jell-O (and her Burger Bites). I had never even seen unflavored gelatin before, let alone work with it, so I was nervous about trying this. I really wanted it to come out pretty, so I read all the comments on the post. the key is (I think) to pour slowly. when I poured it quickly, I got bubbles that I couldnt really pop. thankfully, I realized it quickly, so only the bottom layers had small bubbles. the top (most visible) layers were smooth. also, I kept stirring to keep the liquids from setting. finally, I didnt use boiling water, just hot water. then I stirred until it was room temperature before I poured it in the pan. I didnt want my layers to smear. I can happily report that my Jell-O was gorgeous. sadly, I also must report that I dont like Jell-O like I did when I was young. the consistancy kinda freaked me out. (I let Sweetheart pick the flavors for my layers. justjenn uses orange, lime, blue rasberry and strawberry)

Layered Jell-O

Ingredients:4 packages JELLO (3 oz each) -lime, pineapple, blue berry, cherry6 envelopes KNOX unflavored gelatin1 cup sweetened condensed milk
Mix 1 cup condensed milk with 1 cup hot water. Set aside. Mix 2 envelopes Knox gelatin with 1 cup hot water; combine with milk mixture and set aside
Combine lime JELLO, 1 envelope Knox gelatin and 1-1/2 cups hot water. Cool, then pour into a 9×13 pyrex. Place in refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Pour about 1 cup of the milk mixture for the next later. Refrigerate to set. Now each layer will only take 15 minutes to set.

Combine island pineapple JELLO, 1 envelope Knox gelatin and 1-1/2 cup hot water. Cook, and pour carefully over the milk mixture, then place in the refridgerator for another 15 minutes.
Repeat the milk mixture….
Now the blue berry…
Then the milk mixture…
Finally end with the cherry! And set til you’re ready to serve…

our BBQ was fun. I enjoyed making dessrt for everyone. it was nice to have a day off. much more than that, it was nice to be able to take a day to remember every person who has given their life for us. how humbling to know that people who didnt know me were willing to die to protect me. am I worth that? are you?

for my Grandpa and Uncle Raul, I hope you both knew how much we appreciate the service that you gave to our country.

Sunday Baking

2009-05-20T14:34:00.003-07:00

I did some baking on Sunday. it had been quite a while since I felt like baking. kinda sucks that now that I feel like it, its 100+ degrees outside.

I tried a new recipe (found here), and Im soooo glad that I did. I ended up making it twice! Im not an accomplished baker AT ALL. so if I can successfully make something, you can, too. I found the recipe for Snickerdoodle Muffins here.

SNICKERDOODLE MUFFINS
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cream of tarter
1 and ¼ cup sour cream
2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour

plus 1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

Preparation:
Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tarter.
Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in three additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar. Place muffin into a greased muffin tin. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. (I got 24)
Bake them for approximately 20-22 minutes in a 350F degree oven or until they are golden brown.

I didnt understand what she meant when she said that it was messy until I got to the rolling part. I guess I didnt read the recipe that carefully before I decided to make it, because I didnt realize that you take the dough and plop it in the cinnamon/sugar and roll it with your fingers. I realized fairly quickly that the smaller amount you work with, the easier it is to keep your fingers clean. (hence 24 muffins that I got instead of the 12 to 14 the recipe says you will get) I dont know the difference between butter, unsalted butter, margarine, etc. so I just used whatever sticks I happened to have. I dont sweat it. I did go out and buy cream of tartar and sour cream for this. (okay, Sweetheart made the actual grocery run, but I politely asked him to) Im glad, because these muffins are soft and fluffy and light. my mom asked me to please never make them again, because she ate a ton. ahhh, sweet success!!

I also made an oldie but yummy. chocolate and peanut butter, Gods greatest creations! Im not sure if I got the recipe for these cookies here or here. the first two times that I made these, they were a job. this last time though, my fingers just knew what to do and the cookies came together quickly and easily. I had set aside all afternoon to make them, and poof! they were done really fast. I thought that I had posted the recipe before, but I searched my blog and couldnt find it, so here you are:

Peanut Butter Munchies
Ingredients:
· 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 cup softened butter
· 1/2 cup granulated sugar
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/4 cup peanut butter
· 1 egg
· 1 tablespoon milk
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
· 1/2 cup peanut butter
· 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.
3. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.
4. On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.
5. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 32 cookies.
To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

I had some leftover cinnamon/sugar from my Snickerdoodle Muffins, so I just used that instead of regular sugar in step #5. I could smell the cinnamon, but I couldnt taste it in the cookie. it must have gotten lost in the chocolate/peanut butter heaven.

Maybe She Doesnt Like Awesome Guys

2009-05-19T08:29:00.001-07:00

last night, Sweetheart and I got into bed and did something that we have never done before... we watched the Bachelorette. neither of us has ever seen any episodes of the Bachelor or the Bachelorette, but we finally got our new HDTV up and the converter box connected, so we turned on some HD TV, and ABC never looked better. we saw a bit of Dancing With the Stars, which was another first for us. in no time at all, I am a big Shawn Johnson fan. her freestyle dance was the hit of the show. based on the extensive watching of 1 episode, I can safety say that I hope she wins.

but ANYWAY, during Dancing, they showed promos for the Bachelorette, which instantly hooked me and made Sweetheart start begging that we watch something else. I would have none of it. for some reason, I just HAD to see it.

and ha ha ha ha ha ha HA, Im glad that I did. I mean, I understood the premise of the show beforehand, but I didnt realize the unintended HILARITY.

apparently, the Bachelorette (Jillian) was on a previous season of the Bachelor. she got all the way to the end, and he picked the other girl. the Bachelorette had convinced herself that she was in love, and she took the diss pretty hard. (okay, Im mean, but I totally laughed when they showed the flashback. I felt kinda bad for her, but thats what you get when you go off to camp and "fall in love" and then camp ends.) she crawled back to Canada, and regrouped by working out, I guess. but now she is toned and cut and back to get her revenge. or find her prince charming, whatever.

enter 25 saps, uh, I mean, studs. they all want to win her heart. and, for the most part, they are all losers and/or gay. (does this happen every season? is it a twist by ABC?) I give my First Impression Rose to Jake the pilot from Texas. he is kinda cute, but more than that, he seems more sincere than the other studs. he said that he wanted a Best Friend. awwwww. so he is my horse of choice. my other horses are David (Im gonna call him Brax), Juan (Im gonna call him Deputy Dewey), and the Guy Who Threw Her a Baseball and Said She Was A Good Catch (Im gonna call him McDreamy).

I like Brax because he looks like my cousin. and he froze up. any guy that stumbles over his words and is slightly awkward and not a smooth operator is VERY GOOD POTENTIAL. my reasoning? if a guy has a line that works, its because he says it to every skirt that walks by. run away from that kinda guy. as fast as you can.

I like Deputy Dewey because his mom cracks me up! I love how she earnestly wants him to snag the Bachelorette because she wants those grandkids. plus, his resemblance to Deputy Dewey makes me feel like he is earnest and a sweetie.

I like McDreamy because his line was dumb but sweet and all of the other guys hate him.

Wes, Mr. Im Gonna Sing To You? LAME. and not cute at all.

Creepy Foot Guy? makes me want to vomit. ew, dont let him touch you, Bachelorette!

the Bachelorette was obviously toasted by the time the rose ceremony came. I mean, she was like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. perhaps thats why Mr Singsong and Mr Creepy Feet got roses.

Im two minds about the whole thing. first, I felt really bad for the guys who didnt get roses. I mean, she might as well have walked over there, ripped off their manly bits, made anklets out of them and danced around kicking them in the air. I know the not getting a rose isnt a reflection on them as people, just them as a fit for her. its not the end of the world. but in the moment... its got to feel horrible.

on the other hand, no one made them go on national TV. you wouldnt catch me out there looking like a fool. my family would make fun of me until the end of time! so, its kind their own fault. I bet right now you dont feel so good about describing yourself as a perfect 10, huh Mr. Snotsdale?!?

I felt bad for Tom Hanks (Stephen, I think was his name) because it was SO FREAKIN OBVIOUS that he wasnt getting anywhere near a rose. he, however, thought he was a shoo-in. the result of his rose snubbing? the Bachelorette magically morphed from a hottie to a country bumpkin with no taste. who knows, though... "maybe she doesnt like awesome guys?"

Give Me A Break

2009-05-18T16:22:00.002-07:00

for Mothers Day this year, I purchased tickets for my mom and me to attend a luncheon with John Stossel as the featured speaker.

Im a big John Stossel fan. I appreciate his view, although I dont agree with everything he says. I have all of his books. I encourage everyone to read Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel -- Why Everything You Know Is Wrong. it is pretty eye-opening and sort of humbling. it is a very fast read, and very informative.

my mom and I had a great time. I forgot my book at home, so I missed out on a chance to get a signed copy. oh well, now I have an excuse to go see him if he comes to town again.

Im FAMOUS

2009-05-15T08:13:00.003-07:00

okay, not really.

but I felt famous after Lacy added me to DeFunk Your Fashion Friday. yes, I need to be DeFunked. I mean, who doesnt fall into a rut?

the best part, though? is how well Lacy knows me. yes, she did a Disney inspired look for me. check out Lacys blog to see other DeFunked bloggers and see if she will DeFunk you!!

la pixie by lacey_inthesky featuring Forever21 Accessories

Who Was President in 1977?

2009-05-12T15:34:00.002-07:00

so, Kate is pretty much the most annoying character EVER. I have never been a Kate fan. I wasnt always a Kate Hater, though. I just have never seen the big hoopla over her character. she has always seemed to me like a tomboy that wants to play with the boys, and when the boys dont let her play, she pouts and tags along anyway. and so I felt like that for about 3 seasons. now, however, I roll my eyes whenever she appears on screen. Kate kept a baby that wasnt hers because she missed Sawyer, thus exposing the baby to the media and the world. then, Kate pretended like she was the Aarons REAL mom and had ultimate say so, even over Jack, who is the Aarons flesh and blood. also, what if Kate had been convicted? what would have happened to Aaron? did Kate even care? no, she is selfish and only cares about herself. she plays the "poor me" card so often, I think the card has fallen apart. this week, I felt that her character was an atrocity, above even her usual stupidity. what happened to "I've always been with you [Jack]"?? oh, I know what happened. Juliet and Sawyer got together and were actually HAPPY. cant have that, can we, Kate? must try to drive a wedge into someone elses happiness. I think that Sawyer and Juliet were sad to see Kate get on the sub because just when they thought the stupid drama was over... enter Kate Austin. I dont think it means that Sawyer and Juliet feel like Kate is Sawyers true love and oh no what will happen now. I think they are just sick and tired of the drama that is Konvict Kate.

now that I have that off my chest... Richard Alpert! a whole ep with Richard Alpert. I was liking 1977 Richard Alpert more than 2007 Richard Alpert, though.

"but we asked you first" Hurley to Dr Chang - if it werent for Hurley, I would never laugh during Lost!! its funny, because Hurley wanted to know who the President was in 1977, and Sawyer told him that life isnt a game show. once again, my man Hurley was right.

Faraday really is dead. I knew he would be, but Im VERY disappointed. I feel like Lost is rushing through the story, and I really dont like that. sad to say, but if Im not impressed by tomorrows season finale, it just might be the end of Lost for me. (I know, who would imagine that I could give up Lost right where there is an Alpert-rific ep?!?!)

Random Photos on Friday

2009-05-08T10:43:00.007-07:00

I lost the USB cord for the digital camera awhile ago. I just realized yesterday that at work, we have the exact same camera. hence, a USB cord. so now... here are some random pictures that have been living in the camera, waiting to be freed!

Baby J got his first haircut. I think he looks all grown up now!

Me and Franklin walking up to Disneyland

Me and Franklin at the Mad tea Party

Franklin fixing her hair in DCA next to Award Weiners

part of the kitchen in the house that Sweetheart and I want

looking towards the front door in the house that Sweetheart and I want

the light fixture in the kitchen of the house that Sweetheart and I want

walking down the stairs in the house that Sweetheart and I want

the front of the house that Sweetheart and I want

Ryan Reynolds looking inquisitive at the X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ

pic of the crowd at the X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ

the guy who plays Gambit X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ (I think its awesome that you can see the cell phone pic of the guy in front of me)

here is the Black Eyes Peas guy X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ

here is a gorgous smile on the face of Hugh Jackman X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ

here is Hugh Jackman laughing X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ

here is Hugh Jackman walking away from me X-Men WORLD PREMIERE in AZ (you can see my hand holding a foam claw at the bottom of the pic)

and here is Sweetheart tending bar at my Cinco de Mayo party

-------------

2009-05-05T08:18:00.001-07:00

the 100th ep, and I didnt even post my Lost thoughts on time. oops. life is hectic, what can I say? besides my naughty party, I also am throwing a Cinco de Mayo party. and, of course, since I am still having sleeping issues (not getting enough of it), I took a sleeping pill on Friday night and slept almost all day on Saturday. it was a bit too strong. that left Sunday to get all of my Cinco de Mayo party preparations done. poor Sweetheart let me drag him around trying to pick up all the chips, alcohol, and decorations in one day.

quick Lost thoughts:

Im so sad that Daniel died. I was really feeling the Faraday love. Ellie IS Eloise, so score a point for me! Charles Widmore is Faradays dad, color me shocked and take my point away!!!

Miles, why couldnt you have told the truth to Dr Chang?!?! I really wanted you to!

Sawyer, whats with this "Freckles" talk? Im glad that Juliet pursed her lips and gave Kate the code and the "you best be on your way" look.

stop the plane from crashing?!!? whatever for? so Jack can be an unfulfilled drunk, Hurley will be cursed by The Numbers, Jin and Sun will be unhappy and childless, Sawyer will be a no-hearted con man, and Locke will be in a wheelchair? uh, yeah, that sounds like a really crappy plan!

(psst, pretend that I posted this yesterday like I meant to. thanks.)

Lets Have A Sexy Party

2009-04-30T11:08:00.002-07:00

my Lost-rific post will have to wait for tomorrow.

today, it is ALL about sexy party planning. that is, planning a sexy party AND being sexy while you plan a party.

Monday: I made easy pretzel turtle bites. and by "easy," I mean "cheating."

ingredients: small bag of mini or medium sized pretzels, bag of Rolos, bag of pecan halves

cover a cookie sheet in wax paper. spread out the pretzels. top each pretzel with a Rolo. pop in the oven at 350* for 5 minutes. pull out and immediately smoosh a pecan half into the Rolo.

ta-da!!

Yesterday: I made mini strawberry cupcakes. I also used ice cube trays to freeze cherries with the stems into Sprite. I think it is a cute way to keep the punch cold. my favorite thing is to use lots of fruit and freeze the Sprite in a bundt pan. I freeze it in layers so the fruit lays all throughout the Sprite ring. it looks very nice in a punch bowl. using Sprite instead of water keeps the drink from getting watered down as the ice melts. I'm not using a punch bowl for this party, though. so Sprite cubes it is!

Today: Im making mini Oreo truffles.

Im getting out of work early to get my party stuff all finished. besides the Oreo truffles, I need to put together the punch and the punch fountain, set up the living room, frost and decorate yesterday's cupcakes, get myself dressed, and do any other last minute stuff I have forgotten about.

my punch is orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine. with Sprite cubes. (have I mentioned that I love juice?) we will also have Diet Coke and Pepsi. and apple cider, apple pomegrante cider, and apple grape cider.

I also bought Otter Pops, remember those? I thought it would be funny to have girls sucking on popsicles during the demo and stuff. plus, it was only $5 for 100. they must be tiny. ha ha.

oh, and I need to make jalapeno cream cheese dip (cut up two jalapeno, seeds and all, and add to 8 oz of cream cheese). I have Wheat Thins to go with this.

I bought soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce to go with the potstickers and the egg rolls. for the firecrackers, Im going to make guacamole. and THEN I can relax for the party. woot woot!! Im super excited!

maybe, if I feel brave tomorrow, I will even tell you what I bought... then again... maybe not. =)

Crazy Eights

2009-04-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To:

1. having a home of my own
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
3. planning Baby J's first birthday party
4. the next Disneyland trip
5. my sexy party
6. baking for my sexy party
7. putting to good use anything that I buy at the sexy party
8. the next time I see Sweetheart

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. officially changed my last name!!
2. ate at Popo's
3. saw Hugh Jackman in person
4. saw Ryan Reynolds in person
5. saw Will.i.am in person (although... I have no idea who he is)
6. took a two hour nap
7. waved a foam Wolverine claw at various famous people
8. had some Jamba Juice

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. hire someone to clear out my room and move all of my stuff
2. speak Spanish
3. snap my fingers and lose weight
4. make a living being a party planner
5. snap my fingers and create more money in the bank
6. add more sleeping hours to the day
7. rid the world of bugs
8. take a month off of work to spent extra time with Sweetheart

8 Shows I Watch:

1. LOST (religiously)
2. Chopped
3. Property Virgins
4. Iron Chef America
5. Throwdown with Bobby Flay
6. the Unsellables
7. CSI: NY (only at work when its on in the lunchroom)
8. Yes, Dear (only at work when its on in the lunchroom)

X-citing

2009-04-27T11:08:00.004-07:00

Im not sure how many of you are crazy movie buffs or if any of you keep up with current events in Arizona, but if you do, then you know how TODAY is THE BIG DAY for Arizona movie buffs.

yes, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is having its world premiere right in my backyard. well, at my favorite movie theatre, anyway.

Hugh Jackman put it to an online vote, and we won! YAY (and yes, I did vote). I sent Brother and the Youngest One down to the theatre when the official annoucement was read. I had heard that if you went, you might be able to enter to win tickets. as usual, the rumor mill was wrong. you couldnt enter to win tickets... because everyone who went down to hear the announcement AUTOMATICALLY GOT TICKETS. this is a big deal in Arizona, because we have never had a real movie premiere before (seriously, outside of LA and New York, who does?) and this is a HUGE movie. with like, REAL movie stars.

thanks to my greedy attempt to win tickets, Brother and the Youngest One scored. they also got foam hands with blades and dog tags. movie promo items.

Sweetheart and I decided that we are too old to wait outside in the Arizona heat all day in line, so when Brother wanted to take his friend, we really didnt care. Im still getting out of work early. Sweetheart and I are going to head over to the theatre where all the excitment is. Im hoping to catch a glimpse of Hugh Jackman, but even if I dont, it will be a fun thing to be at the premiere.