On the road...days 1 and 2

DAY 1:
We left yesterday (Wednesday) morning at 7 AM. Hannah and I spent the night so it we would not have to go over really early. We spent an uneventful day driving across western Nebraska. There is nothing exciting to see. We go to Cheyenne, Wyoming about 3:30 and set up camp on F.E. Warren Air Force Base. They have an RV park. Then my dad drove us to Ewecount where my mom bought me some birthday presents and I bought Hannah two knitting books. I also bought me a few things:) We had tacos for dinner, took showers and promptly fell asleep. Though I did manage to read three trash books.

Day 2:
Tonight we are staying in Brigham City, Utah. Another long day in the car. We had to go to Wal-mart when we got here to get some things we had forgotten to bring. I'm tired and going to bed.

Monday and Tuesday Positives

Monday:

• new recipe and hubby and kiddo adored it!
• running Lake Z and beating my old running record!
• naps!

Tuesday

• kitting a new project!
• my dogs - they adore me no matter what
• bit a honey - I haven't had one in a long time! What a great treat!

I work with a person who is always looking at the negatives of life. She can be so bitter and drags everyone down. She was supposed to walk with Sally and I this summer but didn't like our early time. Now I am glad she didn't. I would have spent the whole summer listening to her rant about the upcoming school year and not seen any of the positives. I am sooo lucky to have a job at a place I love. I teach the grade I adore and have so much to be thankful for. My principal is awesome and supports me in everything. I do not want to become like her so I have decided I am going to look at all the positives and be happy with what I have. Life is too short to be so crabby all the time.

Poor kitty and daily positives

Two little boys hunting the cat with a leash...who will win? Cat is growling on the stairs at them.

Saturday positives:

• family movie night
• clean laundry
• hugs from daughter:)

Sunday positives:

• bought the floss I needed for some projects
• Hannah and I had rootbeer floats from Wendy's
• Rotisserie chicken - yummy!

Monday Monday

I was on a mission today as we ran around the lake. Usually I have a hard time moving on Mondays, but I only have two days of true exercise left before I head off in a truck with a trailer in tow! I needed to make up for the lost time.

My sister is sick so I have her two boys today. Her babysitter is on vacation. I left them in Hannah's care when I went running. I think it was good practice for her. I did come home to find that Cooper had dumped cheerios all over the carpet, but now he is eating them. Germs don't hurt right?!

I guess I should make my sister some dinner so she doesn't have to cook tonight...I could double it and then I would have dinner too. Hmmm...

End of the weekend!

This is my last weekend in Nebraska until I start back to school. Next weekend I will be in Utah or Idaho with my parents. I have been trying to get all my ducks in a row before I leave for 13 days. I have never left right before school like this. I will get back approx. 12 hours before my first inservice. I have unpacked all my boxes from the move and organized and done all of those things. I still have three boxes of school supplies to sort through and such. I always seem to have a billion pens. I am taking my manuals along so I can write lesson plans and such. I got a new math book that I really need to pick apart. I'm taking my laptop and praying for wi-fi along the way. I hope I'm not forgetting anything...

I have a ton of books to read, suduko and fill-in word puzzles, cross stitch projects (3), and other misc that I am taking along. Hannah is getting 9 new books plus her library books. She is getting her art supplies together (no paints though). I got her a new booklight since she lost hers at camp. I bought one for me just in case...

I bought new uno cards, deck of cards, and a dice game to play at night. I have a few other travel games to take too.

Tomorrow I have my nephews from 7 AM to 5 pM. Not sure I will get anything accomplished in that time period...

Saturday Ramblings

• Kim had surgery today. She has burns (not sure how bad) from the car catching on fire. I found the article online about the accident and picture of her car. She is in a drug-induced coma. She has lots of issues going on so continue those prayers.
• Washer and dryer were delivered today. It is sooo awesome to have them. I still have at least 4 loads of laundry to do. I was a bum this afternoon and took a nap. I should have been cleaning and packing.
• We went to see Wall-e tonight. I thought it had a politcal agenda behind it. Don't "supersize" and become victims of overbuying. Kind of ironic since pixar and disney are making a fortune off of the merchandise for the movie.
• We went to Zio's pizza for dinner - yummy! I had a salad with fat free italian and a slice of bbq chicken pizza.

New Washer and Dryer & Prayers Needed!

Hurray! We are getting a whirlpool duet set tomorrow! NFM had an Express delivery with no extra charge tomorrow so we said yes! This means I do NOT have to go to the laundry mat tomorrow! They are front loaders too! We got a terrific deal on everything and a $100 mail in rebate to boot!

My parents were there buying a new stove. My mom had a ceramic rooster fall onto the top of her stove and crack the whole surface. It was $450 just to replace the top, not including the service charge. It was going to cost about the same to replace it.

Please pray for my brother-in-law's cousin, Kim. She was life-flighted to Omaha (regional trauma center) yesterday from Kearney where she was involved in a horrific car accident. The toes on her left foot were amputated and her left leg was amputated to her knee, but they may have to go higher. She also has brain trauma and is currently in a coma with very little brain activity. The outcome is not looking good.

10 Goals for July/August

Okay, I am joining Velda in her 10 goals:

• daily run/walk
• drink at least 3 jumbo glasses of water each day
• eat at least 1 piece of fruit each day
• clean/organize at least 1 room/place each day
• get back to making weekly menus and grocery lists
• work on controlling my portions
• read or cross stitch for at least 20 minutes a day
• spend time daily listening to Hannah
• work on having a positive attitude by finding at least 3 good things that happened each day
• ?

Daily positives:

• Bought a new washer & dryer and they will be delivered tomorrow!
• Sally and I ran the lake in the mist and it felt so refreshing!
• ALL the boxes in my classroom are put away and organized!

Migraine

Crazy weather today. I am working on a migraine. I am off to take preventive meds and relax! I really wanted to stitch:(

Applebee's

I ate at Applebee's with my friend Dawn tonight. My meal felt more like an appetizer than a main course. I could have eaten 3 of them. No wonder I have issues...

Just a little crazy...

Sally couldn't meet this morning so I got up at 4:50 AM, got dressed, and went to the gym. I ran/walked 2 miles (hard - doing intervals) and then did some leg weights. It felt great! When school starts I want to go to the gym in the AM so that I can't make up the excuses that I have too much to do. I was home by 6 to take the girls (dogs) out. Technically I don't have to be to school till 7:30 AM, but I am ususally there by 7. I think this will work well for me and for Hannah.

As I was leaving the gym this morning I saw flames leaping in the air and thick, black smoke billowing from one of the buildings. The fire department had already been called and I passed them as I was driving home.

"Brillante" Blog Award!

Oh WOW! I got my first award ever for blogging! Thanks Meari! It totally made my Tuesday.

Here are the rules for the award:

1) Put the logo on your blog.

2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4) Add links to those blogs on yours.

5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

Here are some bloggers I think are "brilliante":

1. Chris - I love her take on life and all the wonderful quotes she puts on her site.

2. Megan - She is an awesome photographer! Her pictures inspire me.

3. Stephanie - I would LOVE to be in her kitchen. She makes the most gorgeous treats!

4. Tammy - I feel like we could be sisters. We have so many of the same likes/dislikes. I wish she didn't live so far away.

5. Margaret - I love looking at her pictures and vegetarian menus. Even though she calls herself a slow stitcher, I think she has more finishes than me!

6. Stephanie - a fellow teacher on Xanga. I love her blog and she lives in Omaha. Her blog is private, so I will just email her.

7. Kendra - I love the designs she chooses out to stitch and her writing style!

Don't you hate it

when your dogs smell like dogs? I gave them both baths today to remedy this issue. This always sends them into a feverish frenzy of chasing each other through the house. Good exercise! I really should videotape the way Maisy acts after a bath. Ginger is already worn out and sleeping now. Maisy is still running.

Hannah lost computer privellages for acting like a terror - she read Harry Potter 5, 6 & 7 over again. She started Saturday afternoon and finished #7 this afternoon on the way home from my mother's. This is the second time she has read all three of them.

DH is working 4-midnight this week. I am going to clean out my half of the walk in closet tonight. I have a ton of clothes for that other body I used to have. I need to just bite the bullet and get rid of them. I bought a wooden, 18 pocket shoe organizer. I am going to try and put it together. How hard can it be?

I have been on a baked potato kick lately. They are soo easy, good for you and can have a variety of toppings. Hannah is loving them too. This is our third night of them. They are also cheap. I have been too lazy to drag myself to the grocery store. We have also been eating fruit and sherbert with them. With Van's crazy shifts, I sometimes just don't feel like making a big meal when it is just me and Hannah. She eats like a bird so cooking just doesn't seem worth it. I don't want to eat out or do fast food - expensive and not healthy.

%@#* Maytag washer

When we moved from Kentucky to Omaha five years ago, our washer got damaged by the movers. They gave us money and we got a new one - a maytag. Once again I had to have the repairman out here - the estimate $250 - 300 to repair it. Again!

I have had it with this washer. I have had the repairman out several times and it is always at least $150 to repair. I never had to repair my last washer.

I will be washer shopping at Nebraska Furniture Mart before I leave town. I don't think I will buy a Maytag again.

I have now missed two days of NaBloPoMo:( I just totally forgot yesterday. I was worn out from the weekend. Today I made cookies - new recipe - to take to my mom's tomorrow and to give to Sally. I will take pictures and post later.

No stitching today. I read a book I got from the library yesterday and finished it! I went to school and worked in my room. I have two boxes left to take care of and a bunch of papers to file. I won't be going tomorrow since I am going to my mom's house. I worked on my new class website. I am giving up the one I have had for the last 5 years. I feel like I am losing a child:( I can't believe it is gone.

I'm frustrated with my new partner teacher. I am wondering if we made a good choice. Teaching in a private school is very different than the public schools and my principal has very HIGH expectations. He approached me today and told me that if I was having any doubts/issues I needed to see him ASAP. I know he doesn't want a repeat of what happened with a 6th grade teacher last year. Maybe I am too much of an overachiever. Maybe I should just relax and let it go. I know my other partner teacher is fretting about her too!

Wedding cake!

I am so bummed. I took pictures of the cake at the wedding we went to today and Hannah somehow deleted the pictures:( The cake was pink champagne with the most delightful filling. The grooms cake was chocolate with a whipped chocolate frosting - very moist. The bride was gorgeous, and the groom was soo handsome. Quite a fun wedding! I didn't go to the ceremony since Hannah was throwing up this morning, but we went to the reception in the evening.

Missed a post yesterday!

• I missed a food post yesterday:( I thought I would get to it, but the whole day was one crazy affair - cleaning, running around for groceries, cooking...AGhh... I think the whole weekend might be like this...
• Hannah came home from camp. She looked at her bedroom and the other room (where her art desk, wii, desk, computer, and books are) and stated that I had "invaded her personal space." You gotta love 12 year olds - hormones and all. I told her how I had organized her mess and that she had been given the chance to do it and she didn't.
• The pre-wedding party was last night. It was a blast. The last people left at 1 AM. I was up till 2 cleaning. Just a few things to take care of this morning.
• The washer is leaking and the repair guy can't come till Monday. This washer has been the worst one ever. It's a maytag and I have had the repair guy here more than I ever did with the other one. We may just buy a new set and walk away - depending upon what the guy says. We had the other one for 10 years (still use the dryer). I wish it hadn't died (too expensive to repair, cheaper to buy a new one).
• Wedding is at 2 PM. We are meeting the family from CO at Valentino's for lunch (Italian buffett place).
• I thought I would go to the gym this morning, but I forgot I needed to run a few errands before the wedding.

PIF!

I won a PIF from Jennifer. So I need to make three homemade gifts that will be sent out between now (July 18, 2008 and July 18, 2009). If you would like to participate in this, leave me a comment. DD will choose the three lucky recipients on Monday (after we recover from nephew's wedding weekend). This should be really fun since all sorts of ideas have been popping into my mind:)

Dinner

Van and I have eaten out every night this week. Tonight we went to Oscars Pizza and Sports Bar. We each ordered individual pizzas - I had the bbq chicken pizza without the onions. The sauce was spicy and had a good zip to it. Van had the Big "O" - full of meat. I have heard a lot about their pizza and it was as good as I have been told. Definitely a place to go to again.

Both of Hannah's rooms are clean. I took apart her bed and started washing all the bedding too. Drawers are cleaned out as well as the closet. She had little pieces of paper with drawings everywhere. I found a note to me: "Mom, a clean room stifles my creativity. Love, Hannah" Glad she can use the word correctly. She left it on her dresser for me to find. I also found her diary, but I was good and didn't read it.

I have dusted every room in the house and just have vaccumming left to do. I will do that tomorrow morning.

I pick Hannah up at noon from camp. The party begins at 6:30.

Oreos!

Today I slid off the diet wagon and ate two oreos I found in the pantry. They were individually wrapped ~ not just floating around. They were the tastiest treat! I wish I had more!

Hannah is at camp until Friday. Today I finished her room and got a pedicure. My feet are beautiful again! I went to dinner with my friend Barb and had a salmon salad for dinner. The restaurant was an interesting place. Not what I expected. It was a mixture of Japanese/Chinese/American.

Starbucks Vivanno Banana Chocolate!

Whew! I was worried I wouldn't get a food post today. I met my new partner teacher at B&N tonight and decided to get a beverage. I tried the new Starbucks Vivanno Banana Chocolate smoothie! It was perhaps one of the most heavenly concocotions I have tried in a long time! I was truly in love! I could have drank a hundred of them. It was the perfect blend of chocolate and bananas. I wonder how it would taste with a dash of peanut butter...

Hurricane Hannah!

Hurricane Hannah has gone to camp! We dropped her off last night at 6 PM. She was quite the stinker and wouldn't let us take any pictures:( In fact, I think she would have been happier if we had just driven by the entrance and dropped her off. DH and I had our traditional go out to dinner and movie. We do this every year. It's a lot of fun to have the week off, but I also miss the little terror too! She is growing up too fast. I miss my cute cuddly baby. I didn't sign up to be the mother of a preteen. Don't you just love the way she let me take her picture. She was determined that I wasn't going to share it with anyone. She was really glad that only Molly was there to see her with her parents. One of my former students was a camp counselor this year.

DH and I went to lunch at this little Italian Bistro. We both had the lunch specials. I ended up cutting mine in half because the portion was soo huge. It was delicious. After lunch we headed home to work on the house and yard. I began cleaning out Hannah's areas. She has two rooms, her bedroom and her art/game room. Both were the biggest pits I have ever seen and she said that she had cleaned! Her idea and my idea of clean do not mesh. I spent two hours in the art/game room making it presentable. I took everything out of the closet and threw out the largest bag of garbage. I know I should have her do it, but I have been there and done that. It is just easier to do it myself than to argue with her what is trash and what is not. She is a doodler and wants to keep every piece of scrap paper you come across (notice what word is in scrap)! I am feeling much happier with that room.

Now I am on to her bedroom. I took everything out of the closet and dresser. I am going through her clothes and doing the same thing. I figure this is going to take me more than two hours. I am going to finish that room tomorrow. I am not ready to cope with it yet. So I will just close the door and ignore it for now. I am going to work on my planning desk and the main bathroom. Plus I have a meeting with the teacher I am mentoring so I need to prepare for that.

Baked Potatoes

My first year of teaching, I taught on an Indian Reservation. I was about 2 hours from my parents, but I might as well been on another planet. I was engaged to my husband, but his first job had moved him to Limon, Colorado. I really didn't want to give up the opportunity to teach, so I stayed in Nebraska and taught for a year. It was such a different experience than what I had been prepared for by my university and student teaching. I had a roommate who was also a first year teacher. The superintendent had put us in touch with each other; she taught first and I was second. We hit it off and have been the best of friends ever since. The only fast food in that town was Dairy Queen and it closed at the end of September. We didn't know it closed for the season and were so upset when we went there and found out it wouldn't be open again until April. We had to drive about 30 minutes away to get Hardees. We basically existed on baked potatoes with salsa and cheese, fruit, veggies, pasta, and Ragu sauce. We hardly ever ate meat, unless we went to Hardees or home.

So today for lunch, I had a baked potato (cooked in the microwave) with cheese and salsa. It was so yummy. I topped it off with fresh watermelon. YUMMY!

Little House Neighborhood!

Here's my progress on Little House Neighborhood. I really thought I would get more done, but life and family kept interfering with my plans. This week is the SAT on my favorite board, but I really must work on my RR that needs to go out soon.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies!

My friend Sally invited us over to her house to swim in her pool. I decided to make cookies since there was going to be lots of kiddos there too. Hannah was quite excited that I was making them since I haven't baked anything like that in quite a while. She is soooo deprived... None were left. The kids were like little hawks circling their prey. I'm glad since I am trying to be good and continue on my weightloss journey.

Broccoli Soup

Today Hannah and I went to Panera for lunch. I really wanted a salad and I was hoping their Tomato and Mozzerella salad was back and it was! I did a take 2 - salad and the broccoli soup. Hannah just had the broccoli soup. As we were sitting there eating, Hannah remarks that she likes my soup better:) It was so spontaneous! Sometimes she can be such a sweetheart.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup
6 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) cubed velveeta or American cheese (I use 2% velvetta)
2 (14 oz each) cans of chicken broth (I use vegetable broth)
4 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup finely chopped or grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in onion and saute just until tender.
2. Stir in flour until well blended. Slowly add milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth.
3. Stir in cheese, continuing to stir until cheese melts. Set aside.
4. In a separate saucepan, simmer broccoli, carrots and celery in chicken broth until almost tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour cheesy sauce into vegetables and heat through.


Variation: Do 2 cups of broccoli and 2 cups of cauliflower

Bad, bad, bad

I started Little House Neighborhood. DH is sleeping and the project I NEED to work on is in thre with him. He is working 10:30 PM to 6:30 AM so I really don't want to wake him when he is sooo tired (that's my excuse and I am sticking with it) so I felt compelled to start it. It was just sitting there and looking at me, calling me to start. So I did. Update later with a progress picture.

SBQ

How do you balance your stitching time with your other obligations such as work, household chores, etc.?

Now that DD is 12 I don't really have a set schedule in the summer. I do my chores and such in the morning and then stitch whenever I can. I take DD to all of camps and such and don't stress about how I am spending all my other free time. I figure the summer is mine since the school year is soooooooooooooooooo crazy!

During the school year is another story. I don't stitch as much because I need to clean, cook, grade papers, monitor DD's school work and all those other things. I generally stitch a couple of times a week before I go to bed ~ usually it is in 1/2 hour increments. I am not so productive because of all the other obligations.

Not supposed to be running...

I'm not supposed to be running right now, but I just couldn't stop myself. I did wrap my ankles and wore a brace on my left foot. It actually didn't hurt too much. It is throbbing a little bit right now, but I have it elevated and an ice pack on it. It is so humid today, even at 7:30 this morning it felt like it was 100 degrees. We ran the last 1/2 of our trek this morning. I didn't realize how much I was sweating until I got home. My clothes were dripping wet! I lost 2 lbs. this morning. I am now 3 lbs. away from where I was when school got out. Tomorrow I will go and run on the treadmill at the gym and lift weights. I know I promised Dr. C I would be controlled, but I really need to exercise. I think I might be a little obsessed. I have lost 7 lbs this week, and I really think that the exercise combined with the fruit/veggie diet is responsible. I also have not been snacking like I had been, but I am drinking a lot more water. I just need to keep it up for 3 more weeks! I really want to go back to school lighter than I left. I really seem to have a lot more energy too. I'm not craving the sugar like I usually do!

I met some school friends for lunch today at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I had a pea and potato enchilada with a side of rice. Ohh it was sooooooo good. It was a little cheat off my diet, but I didn't eat this morning because of my long run and I will just be having salad for dinner so I figured it was okay. I drank a lot of tea too! The pea and potato is my absolute favorite dish fromt there. My next favorite is their chicken tortilla soup, but that is only available from October till March. I have tried to replicate it, but mine never tastes as good as theirs.

No plans for tonight. I need to stitch on my RR and get some things ordered for my summer secret sister. I want to mail both by the end of next week.

My sister took my daughter to the zoo this morning. Hannah came home with another stuffed animal. My sister has two boys ~ ages 4 and 2. I guess Hannah "earned it" by being a mother's helper. Hannah does NOT need another stuffed animal. She has way too many!

Pork Roast

I made this bbq pork roast for dinner. Van and Hannah said it was delicious. I am still not eating meat so I had a salad with a veggie burger on it. Oh and a little potato salad too. I also steamed some corn from the local farmer's market.

Bunco Food!

Tonight was my monthly bunco night. It was at my friend Julie's house. She is a gourmet cook. She made lettuce wraps and these chicken wrap things and mini bacon cheeseburgers and mini blt and fruit and veggies. Oh and the desserts were out of this world ~ heath bar pie and ho ho cake! I broke my diet today and ate over there. But I was good and drank water and did not partake of the candy. I am going to get the recipes for the desserts. My favorite was the ho ho cake. It was so chocolatly and lush. I could have eaten the WHOLE thing, but I was controlled.

I am down 4 lbs. this week. I think it is because I am working on cutting out the bad food I am attracted to.

I have not worked on my stitching goals this week. I have hardly picked up my stitching.

No cooking today:(

I really did plan on cooking today, but DH came home from work really hungry so I made him a wrap. This meant he wouldn't eat dinner. I didn't want to grill the steak just for me and Hannah so I had a salad and fruit, and Hannah had a sandwich and chips. Tomorrow is bunco, but since I am trying to stay away from junk this week I will cook tomorrow.

Hannah wants me to make this for dinner on Thursday. I need to see if I can make it a little lower in calories.

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti
8 oz. spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 (8 oz.) package Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 (10 oz.) can hot diced tomatoes and green chilies (I use Rotel's MILDER version)
4 skinned, boned cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Place spaghetti in a 13x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add onion and saute 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add cheese and tomatoes and green chilies, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in chicken and soup, blending well. Pour mixture over spaghetti in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Monday's accomplishments and weekend update!

I walk/ran my usual 3 miles with Sally. We did a lot of running this morning. I went to school and worked on my room for 2 hours. I ordered the two simulations I want to use in the fall (one right when school starts). I am still debating the election one.

I got my Bent Creek snapperbet and the linen in the mail from DownSunshineLane. The urge to start is very strong. I must resist...



I bought the threads for Little House Neighborhood (I didn't even attempt to go through my stash for the floss) and chose my linen (from my stash). I just love the colors on the fabric. I really think this is going to be a fun piece to do. I joined a SAL group. I am hoping to start this weekend after I get my RR taken care of.






I bought a frame so I can try framing one of my pieces. Need to decide which piece to do. I think I might do the LK that I did last summer. It would look great in the entrance way. I am going to use the directions from Meari's website. She did an amazing job on her Mime piece. I will work on it later this week.



I worked on Bushel & a Peck over the weekend ~ though I could have been a little more productive. I really love the way this piece is coming together. I would like to frame this piece next.



Tonight I need to organize my fall calendar and date my plan book. I am trying to get all my normal August school things taken care of before I leave on vacation with my parents. I don't think I will get my BB up before I leave though. The paper is in the part of the building that no one can go into before August 1 - it's a construction zone.

Vegetarian dinner!

Tonight I feed Hannah and myself the Morning Star Tomato and Basil Pizza Burger, organic oven baked fries and a nectarine. I was truly surprised that she ate the burger, but I must admit that I did not tell her it was a veggie burger. She really enjoyed it and ate like a champ. I did tell her it was very healthy.

I bought a boat-load of fruit and veggies today and plan on eating them all week long. DH wants nothing to do with the vegetarian meals so I will cook him other things. I am not embracing the vegan lifestyle, I am just trying to cleanse myself from processed foods this week. When I have done this before, I have lost weight and felt better. I am up 10 lbs. since school got out. I am snacking all the time and not eating healthy. I am hoping this will help me get back with my WW point system and help me for the fall.

"Chinese" Noodles

When I was young, my dad would make "Chinese" noodles for dinner. He usually did this when my mom was gone since this was not one of her most favorite meals. I have made them a couple of times for Hannah and she adores them. We had them for dinner tonight. Dh is working 4 to midnight and he is not so fond of them.

The secret ingredient is campbell's chicken and rice soup, but unfortunately I was out and too lazy to drag myself to the store. So I improvised. I boiled the noodles and drained. Then I added a can of chicken broth and a couple of cans of water, minced garlic, onion, diced carrots and onions, chicken base, and a dash of soy sauce. The dish turned out great, and Hannah was happy to have them for dinner.

For dessert we had raspberry sherbert.

Obsession!

One of my many obsessions is collecting cookbooks. I really do have a serious problem. I love to go to bookstores and browse the cookbook selections. When we go on vacation, I like to buy a regional cookbook to remember the visit and because they usually contain unique recipes you can't find somewhere else. I am looking forward to my summer trip because I am hoping to come home with at least two new cookbooks from the states we are going through. I check out cookbooks from the library, but then I usually end up purchasing them after I have explored them. I collect recipes from websites and the back of boxes and from other people. Last summer I typed a bunch of my friend Theresa's recipes because she is such an awesome southern cook. I made a new year's resolution to not purchase any more cookbooks since I am running out of room in my kitchen for them. I didn't last very long. I borrowed a cookbook from my sister last night that I am now obsessed with having. My sister just laughed when I asked to borrow it. I have been eyeing it for a while, fingering through everytime I go over there...

Fourth of July ~ Food!

Today I went to my sister's for a cookout. There was Johnsonville brats ~ my most absolute favorite! My BIL grilled them and then we topped them with ketchup, mustard and relish! My mom made potato salad, I made cucumbers and tomato salad, and my youngest sister made deviled eggs. My middle sis brought chips and soda. We also had raspberry and cherry pies available for dessert. It was just like when we were kids:) We had a great time and then we did fireworks on the driveway. For the first time ever, I let my DD light the fireworks. She thought she was so grown up. My DH had to work tonight so my BIL took over and made sure she was doing it right.



Of course I forgot my camera so I have no pictures of our night;( I need to put it in my purse and not move it.

Book Review

Today I was given the book Skinny Bitch to read. You are probably wondering what this has to do with food. Well it is about how to make yourself skinny. I only read the first 68 pages this morning, but I have two observations. One, the authors use lots of foul language throughout the book, and second they are trying to convince you to become vegetarians. I found it humorous but offensive at times. And in one chapter it was down right scary as they described how we get our meat to eat. But they did have some good points and gave me a lot to think about...

Change of Pace!

Today instead of having the usual tall caramel machiato at Starbucks, I had a tall iced tea - passionfruit. It was really refreshing and quite a pick me up to my morning walk. It was great to break out of the rut and try something different.

July Stitching Goals

Here are my June stitching goals and progress:
1. Finish Nature's Beauty FINISHED:)
2. Get caught up to June on the Red Threads SAL. I am ahead
3. Get caught up with the LK SAL. NOTHING:(
4. Continue to work on CdC. Not as much as I would have liked.

Now for my July goals:
1. Continue to work on Red Thread SAL
2. Get my WELCOME RR ready to mail
3. Get pages 1 and 4 finished on CdC
4. Finish Bushel & a Peck
5. Pull out an old WIP and work on it

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

I first made this for a wedding shower 2 weeks ago. I have been dreaming of them ever since. They contain two of my most favorite ingredients ~ cream cheese and oreos. I could have eaten the entire plate! They are very easy to make and delicious! Not the best picture, but the only one I had.

Oreo Cheesecakes

3 pkg. (8 oz each) softened regular or light cream cheese
¾ C sugar
3 Eggs
Melted Bakers chocolate
Cool Whip topping

Place paper liners in muffin tin. Set an Oreo Cookie on the bottom of each muffin liner. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just blended. Spoon mixture over each cookie.

Bake 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely, then refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Drizzle with melted chocolate and a dollop of whipped topping.

Frustrating Day!

Van decided to take Hannah and her friend to a waterpark in Columbus, NE. I had a doctor's appt. at 11 so I couldn't go. I arrived on time (actually about 10 minutes early) and was told the doctor was a little behind. No big deal I had time. About 12:00 the nurse comes in and tells me the doctor had an emergency and had to leave. They asked if I wanted to wait or reschedule. I decided to wait since it would mean at least another month before I could get in. I didn't want to have to do it when school was starting. So I waited. And waited. And waited. At 1:10 the doctor was back and by 1:30 I was on my way. I did read about 150 pages in my novel while I was waiting all the while cursing myself for not bringing some stitching to work on.

I actually had a bunch of errands planned for the day, but ended up not getting them all done since I was so late leaving the doctors. I need to find a dress for the wedding in 2 weeks. I went to Anne Taylor and Anne Taylor Loft. I didn't find a dress at either store, but I found a cute outfit for the family get together at the Loft. Then I went to DSW and bought a cute pair of black ballet flat type shoes that I really didn't need, but they are soooo cute. I went to C and B and found nothing. I was going to go to Dillards but ended up at the library instead. I returned for books and got 6.

I am sick of all the fireworks going off. It started about 5 days ago and will probably keep going for the next 10. ALL day long...as soon as the little pyromaniacs get up and late into the night. It is driving my poor dogs bonkers. It is driving me bonkers. It wouldn't be so bad if it was the pretty ones, but it isn't. It's the loud BANG, BANG, BANG ones. It sounds like we live in the hood. AGH...