Happy Anniversary lovebirds!!
Uncle Lynn & Aunt Doreen - February 14th
Chet and Anji - February 17th
Adam and Angela - February 23rd
January 31, 2009
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Liz and Aunt Susie!!!
Aunt Susie - February 3rd
Liz - February 29th (this year it will have to be the 28th)
January 30, 2009
American Idol
Last night was the last night of auditions! YAY!
Of all the audition nights, I actually thought it was the most entertaining night, maybe because they had some real wack jobs on or because it was finally the last night of auditions. What can I say, this year's auditions have been pretty boring and I am surprised how they just didn't hold my interest.
I'm happy that Hollywood week is next - I have never been a huge fan of Hollywood Week but it has to be better than the auditions that we have been seeing - please let it be better...
I'm going to Hollywood!! FINALLY
Of all the audition nights, I actually thought it was the most entertaining night, maybe because they had some real wack jobs on or because it was finally the last night of auditions. What can I say, this year's auditions have been pretty boring and I am surprised how they just didn't hold my interest.
I'm happy that Hollywood week is next - I have never been a huge fan of Hollywood Week but it has to be better than the auditions that we have been seeing - please let it be better...
I'm going to Hollywood!! FINALLY
Helpful Tips
Peppers - Thanks to Mom and Dad I learned this great little way to keep peppers on hand.
I love red, yellow or orange peppers but I always buy too many at a time and they end up going bad. What I now do (thanks to Mom and Dad) is when I buy peppers (especially if they are on sale) right when I get home, I cut them into slices, place on a cookie sheet and freeze.
Once the slices are frozen, I put them in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer. Then, when a recipe calls for peppers, I just take whatever I need out of the bag. Super easy!!
Chicken - Thanks to Sandy
Over Christmas, I was planning on making chicken soup and Sandy had told me to buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and use that in my soup to make it quick and a lot easier!
It works fabulous and if I have chicken left over, I throw it in a freezer bag and it's great to use for more soup later or enchiladas, etc.
Hearty Breakfast Egg Bake
I made this a little while ago and forgot to post it. This was really yummy.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork sausage (we just cut up sausage links)
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs (we used 6 and it was fine - we ran out!!)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Directions:
Crumble sausage into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Transfer to a 13in x 9in baking dish. Sprinkle with hash browns and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork sausage (we just cut up sausage links)
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs (we used 6 and it was fine - we ran out!!)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Directions:
Crumble sausage into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Transfer to a 13in x 9in baking dish. Sprinkle with hash browns and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Thai Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound thin cut chicken breasts
Grill seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced ginger root
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large red bell pepper
1 cup cabbage mix
3 scallions
1/2 cup plum sauce
Lettuce leaves
Sweet and Sour Sauce: You'll want to make this first so the cabbage doesn't get soggy
Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
2 tbsp canned pineapple chunks
A pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine first four ingredients of sweet and sour sauce in pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken into strips and sprinkle with grill seasoning. Cook chicken two minutes.
When sauce is boiling, add cornstarch stirring constantly. Add pineapple and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Add ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage and scallions to chicken. Add plum sauce and toss one minute. Transfer into lettuce leaves and pour sweet and sour sauce over top or on side. Enjoy!
1 pound thin cut chicken breasts
Grill seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced ginger root
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large red bell pepper
1 cup cabbage mix
3 scallions
1/2 cup plum sauce
Lettuce leaves
Sweet and Sour Sauce: You'll want to make this first so the cabbage doesn't get soggy
Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
2 tbsp canned pineapple chunks
A pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine first four ingredients of sweet and sour sauce in pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken into strips and sprinkle with grill seasoning. Cook chicken two minutes.
When sauce is boiling, add cornstarch stirring constantly. Add pineapple and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Add ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage and scallions to chicken. Add plum sauce and toss one minute. Transfer into lettuce leaves and pour sweet and sour sauce over top or on side. Enjoy!
January 29, 2009
American Idol
Last night auditions were in Salt Lake City, home of David Archuleta (ugh). The auditions on Tuesday night really didn't hold my interest and last night did a better job but not by much. Good thing I have I found this blog and can catch up on Tuesday night and Wednesday night.What kept me hanging on was the promos of this little cutie pie - Rose Flack
She has quite the story so again, I was hoping that she would be fantastic. She is ok. Not terrible, but she didn't blow me away like I thought she would. They still gave her a golden ticket so I hope that she really shines in Hollywood. See she's adorable...
Tonight they a bonus episode with auditions from NJ and Puerto Rico. Hopefully these won't be as boring as the previous weeks but I'm not holding my breath. Hollywood Week - you can't come soon enough. Lost...
Alas, Sandy is once again not to be doubted. It wasn't four pounds that I lost this week but 2.2 which I'll take!
January 27, 2009
MN RollerGirls
Saturday night Joe and I braved the cold and headed over to Todd and Anna's for dinner and then the four of us headed downtown St. Paul to watch the MN RollerGirls.
Yes, there is a huge underground following of roller derby lovers that gather once a month at Roy Wilkins in Saint Paul to watch these lovely ladies duke it out.
Ok, so it wasn't as violent as I thought but I'm sure some of them woke up very bruised Sunday morning.
What is it?
Just like in the 70's, the gals put on some skates and skate around a track trying to score points for their team. The MN RollerGirls are made up of 4 teams - Dagger Dolls, Garda Belts, Atomic Bombshells and Rockits.
How does it work?
Once a month there is a bout which start at 7:30. From 7:30 - 8, 2 teams face off (in this case Garda Belts vs the Dagger Dolls) and then from 8 - 8:30 the next two face off (Atomic Bombshells vs Rockits). There is a 30 minute intermission and then the second half begins. These 30 minutes sessions - now I think they may be 20 minutes - consist of as many 2 minutes jams as possible.
What's a jam?
Each team has 5 girls on the track which make up the pack. Behind the pack is one girl from each team who are the jammers. The jammers have to make it through the pack first to become the lead jammer. Once they initially make it through the pack, the jammers start to get points for each member of the pack they successfully pass.
The lead jammer has the power to let the jam continue for the full two minutes or to call it off before if she wishes.
Rules
Yes, there are rules - no throwing elbows, no using your butt, no hair pulling, etc. If you fall and cause another player to fall, you go to the penalty area.
Why did we go?
A friend of Todd and Anna's, Yingfah (aka Chinese Take-out as she is known on the derby circuit), is on the Atomic Bombshells and we went to cheer her on.
Thoughts
We had a blast and can't wait to go back. Hats off to these girls - they ROCK!
Yes, there is a huge underground following of roller derby lovers that gather once a month at Roy Wilkins in Saint Paul to watch these lovely ladies duke it out.
Ok, so it wasn't as violent as I thought but I'm sure some of them woke up very bruised Sunday morning.
What is it?
Just like in the 70's, the gals put on some skates and skate around a track trying to score points for their team. The MN RollerGirls are made up of 4 teams - Dagger Dolls, Garda Belts, Atomic Bombshells and Rockits.
How does it work?
Once a month there is a bout which start at 7:30. From 7:30 - 8, 2 teams face off (in this case Garda Belts vs the Dagger Dolls) and then from 8 - 8:30 the next two face off (Atomic Bombshells vs Rockits). There is a 30 minute intermission and then the second half begins. These 30 minutes sessions - now I think they may be 20 minutes - consist of as many 2 minutes jams as possible.
What's a jam?
Each team has 5 girls on the track which make up the pack. Behind the pack is one girl from each team who are the jammers. The jammers have to make it through the pack first to become the lead jammer. Once they initially make it through the pack, the jammers start to get points for each member of the pack they successfully pass.
The lead jammer has the power to let the jam continue for the full two minutes or to call it off before if she wishes.
Rules
Yes, there are rules - no throwing elbows, no using your butt, no hair pulling, etc. If you fall and cause another player to fall, you go to the penalty area.
Why did we go?
A friend of Todd and Anna's, Yingfah (aka Chinese Take-out as she is known on the derby circuit), is on the Atomic Bombshells and we went to cheer her on.
Thoughts
We had a blast and can't wait to go back. Hats off to these girls - they ROCK!
January 22, 2009
Gained...
UGH! I gained .8 this week despite couting every single thing that I ate and working out. I called the weight loss diva (my friend Sandy who knows everything about anthing - seriously, the smartest girl I know) yesterday to vent and she went through a whole list asking, "did you do this, did you do that," and when I answered correctly to all of that (yes to counting, no to fast food, yes to water), I believe her comment was something along the lines of, "That sucks."
However, she did cheer me up by telling me that I'll probably lose 4 pounds next week. Here's to hoping...
However, she did cheer me up by telling me that I'll probably lose 4 pounds next week. Here's to hoping...
January 21, 2009
American Idol/Biggest loser
Last night was the auditions from San Francisco on American Idol and I really didn't watch a whole lot of it. I was able to be caught up by this blog so but I will be tuned in tonight. Instead I got sucked into the Biggest Loser.
About 2 or 3 seasons ago I tried watching it and it didn't hold my attention. However, this season I can't seem to stop watching. Even Joe got hooked on it. There was a boring part to Loser and I flipped to Idol and my husband promptly told me, "Hey, I was watching that." Normally Joe would have been thrilled that I flipped back to Idol.
So what was so captivating last night? Bob and Joelle. Bob is the trainer and last week (go to 45:20 on the video) he laid into Joelle and let the f-bombs fly, which is so not Bob. Naturally, I had to tune in this week to see if Bob would flip again and instead, Joelle's partner Carla let her have it. In the end, Joelle is still on the show (I wished she would have been voted to leave and not Damien) and I can't wait to see what happens next week.
January 15, 2009
It's baaaack...
And not a moment too soon! In the word of Ryan Seacrest, "THIS...is American Idol."
Yay...American Idol!! I love it, I love it, I love. Why? Who knows. Is it my secret crush on Simon (it's the accent), the fact that I used to dance around the living room to Paula, or hoping that the next season might find someone as wonderful as Kelly Clarkson?
I don't know, I just know I love it. Last year I fell completely head over heals for Jason Castro - he was just so cute and adorable - so I was watching with much anticipation that I could find someone this year to fall head over heals for.
Well the first night (in Phoenix) the only person that stood out to me was the "bikini girl." She stood out because I wanted to punch her (sorry mom but I did). Ridiculous is all I can say. The new judge, Kara, was right on target when she said the girl had no swing. I only hope that the guys put her through to because she would make great TV watching during Hollywood week when she can't hang.
Speaking of the new judge, I was a little leary but after 2 nights of her, she rocks! She is going to make this season great.
On to Kansas City, MO...low and behold, who do we see but JASON CASTRO. Evidently, his brother decided that 20 days before the audition, if Jason can sing so can I and decided to try out. They put him through and I only hope this means getting another eyeful of Jason in the upcoming episodes.
Last night was much better and there is another guy that I fell head over heals for, Danny Gokey, whose wife died four weeks before the audition. All I could think is please let him not suck, and he was awesome. Even Joe liked him.
I can't wait for the rest of the auditions to wrap up as I am starting to like Hollywood week more but I can't wait for the top 12. I hope that Danny is one of them. Oh yeah, did I mention he is from Milwaukee too? Maybe that's what the draw is...
January 13, 2009
Snow, snow and more snow
Well the drive home last night wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. Nope. That horrible drive was this morning. It took almost an hour to get to work this morning. Evidently the roads were very slippery because of the cold, but I wouldn't know because I was only able to go 15-20 mph the whole way to work.
While I was in traffic last night, I figured I mine as well take pictures of how crappy the drive was.
Poor driver - he turned into this gas station and drove up on a snow bank and got stuck!
While I was in traffic last night, I figured I mine as well take pictures of how crappy the drive was.
Poor driver - he turned into this gas station and drove up on a snow bank and got stuck!January 8, 2009
Lost...
3.4 pounds since Monday. I am counting points again and for the competition, we are weighing every Thursday so I needed to get on a Thursday - Wednesday schedule hence the reason for weighing again this week.
I do not at all expect to lose any where close to that next Thursday. Again, if I can lose a pound or a little over a pound a week, I'll be happy.
I do not at all expect to lose any where close to that next Thursday. Again, if I can lose a pound or a little over a pound a week, I'll be happy.
January 7, 2009
Shared Work and Biggest Loser
I rarely discuss my job but here this post is an exception. As of 12/28 we are now part of the Shared Work Program through the State of MN until further notice. What does this mean? That I can only work 30 hrs per week and then will receive unemployment benefits for the other 10.
Basically we lost a lot of clients in a short amount of time so to avoid further layoffs, this was the best option.
How do I feel about this? It sucks being able to work only 30 hrs and we'll see what kind of hit we (Joe and I) take financially but on the bright side (yes, I can usually always find the bright side - annoying, I know) it means I will get to leave early on Thursdays and have Fridays off.
A good deal of my time is also spent working with 2 fabulous ladies out of the FL office so to keep roughly the same schedule as them, I also can't start at the crack of dawn like normal (because I can only work 8 hrs so if I came in at 6:30, would have to be out by 2:30) so I have started going to the gym before work, which brings me to the second part of this post, the biggest loser.
I have been at my current company for 3 years and this will be the 4th "biggest loser" challenge that we do. I did horribly the first time, the second time I won (it was right before my wedding) and the 3rd one I came in 2nd. There is usually at least 4 or 5 of us, we put in $15 and at the end of x number of weeks, the winner takes all.
This time, we have 7 or 8 ladies competing which means a nice big pot. We started on Monday and the contest will end July 1. Half way through we will do a weigh-in and the winner at that point gets their $15 back. The winner at the end, gets whatever is left. Just like the TV show, we calculate based on percent of weight lost.
So what is different about the fourth time of this? A) There is a lot more money B) I want bragging rights C) Amy's wedding - maybe that should be A or B.
So - what is my goal? 30 pounds by July 1st which equals just over 1 pound per week. One of the gals thought it would be fun to take before and after pictures so in the essence of full disclosure, here it is. Wish me luck.
Basically we lost a lot of clients in a short amount of time so to avoid further layoffs, this was the best option.
How do I feel about this? It sucks being able to work only 30 hrs and we'll see what kind of hit we (Joe and I) take financially but on the bright side (yes, I can usually always find the bright side - annoying, I know) it means I will get to leave early on Thursdays and have Fridays off.
A good deal of my time is also spent working with 2 fabulous ladies out of the FL office so to keep roughly the same schedule as them, I also can't start at the crack of dawn like normal (because I can only work 8 hrs so if I came in at 6:30, would have to be out by 2:30) so I have started going to the gym before work, which brings me to the second part of this post, the biggest loser.
I have been at my current company for 3 years and this will be the 4th "biggest loser" challenge that we do. I did horribly the first time, the second time I won (it was right before my wedding) and the 3rd one I came in 2nd. There is usually at least 4 or 5 of us, we put in $15 and at the end of x number of weeks, the winner takes all.
This time, we have 7 or 8 ladies competing which means a nice big pot. We started on Monday and the contest will end July 1. Half way through we will do a weigh-in and the winner at that point gets their $15 back. The winner at the end, gets whatever is left. Just like the TV show, we calculate based on percent of weight lost.
So what is different about the fourth time of this? A) There is a lot more money B) I want bragging rights C) Amy's wedding - maybe that should be A or B.
So - what is my goal? 30 pounds by July 1st which equals just over 1 pound per week. One of the gals thought it would be fun to take before and after pictures so in the essence of full disclosure, here it is. Wish me luck.
New Year's Party
My wonderful gem of a husband came home Tuesday night (12/30 - about 8pm) and told me that low and behold, we would be hosting a New Year's Eve party. I wish Joe would have taken a picture of my face because I can only imagine the look I had on it. Let's just say it was a good thing that I only had to work until noon on Wed.
So how do you throw a party on just barely 24 hours notice? Sam's club. Joe was a trooper, did whatever I asked and I really appreciated it - he even said he would clean up after the party!
We had about 10 guests and it was a blast! Joe imbibed quiet a lot that night and was hilarious. Here are some pictures from the evening...
And if you're wondering, "Did he clean up?" Yes, on Friday while I had a playdate with my friend A - it was great coming home to a clean house and kitchen.
So how do you throw a party on just barely 24 hours notice? Sam's club. Joe was a trooper, did whatever I asked and I really appreciated it - he even said he would clean up after the party!
We had about 10 guests and it was a blast! Joe imbibed quiet a lot that night and was hilarious. Here are some pictures from the evening...
And if you're wondering, "Did he clean up?" Yes, on Friday while I had a playdate with my friend A - it was great coming home to a clean house and kitchen.
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