I'm trying to spruce things up around here. Slowly but surely it will get done.
Here's where you come in and why I'm even posting this:
I have created a survey concerning "About Me" pages. Please, please, please! go take my survey and help me out! It's only 5 questions long and will only take a minute or so...unless you want it to take longer. You know, by actually writing my "About Me" page for me.Click here to take the survey.
Remember that little cookbook that I'm in? Yeah, over there in the sidebar?
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I looooove it! My latest find is Stephanie's Salsa Chicken. Oh my. So awesome. And versatile!
Salsa Chicken
6-9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. (or use breasts of equivalent weight)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup white corn, frozen
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa (use 2 cups if you use breasts or you want a more a liquidy sauce)(Yes, that's a very foodie term.)
Toss it in and go. Low 6-9 hours, or high 4-5. If your chicken is frozen you might want to make sure that your cook time is on the longer side. Use a fork to shred the chicken before you serve.
Notes:
Craziness this week! House painting is actually the least of it.
Pics and news to follow.
Well, with the exception of pics of the laundry. If you need to see it, just go gaze at your own.
At least I know what we're eating-which is a MAJOR accomplishment around here.
Below are pictures of the paint samples that we're looking at for our house. One in bright sunshine, and one in soft light. The trim color is the same in both spots.
Dear Headless Boy #1 and Headless Boy #2,
I believe that it is time, at 8 and 10 years of age, for you both to have all the rules. We've been talking about these things for a while now, but today is where the talking ends and the doing begins. There is nothing here that is new or should surprise you. I guess it's just time for it all to be out there, on the line, so to speak.
1- The Basket Rule
No more asking you to pick it all up and put it in. Nope. This is one that we've gone over since you were 2 and could undress yourself. 8 and 6 years (respectively) of reminding is enough, I'm afraid. A basket has been provided for you and is conveniently located in your closet. Use it. If it's not in the basket it doesn't get washed. Period.
2- Inside Out?
If your clothes hit the basket inside out, then that is how they will come out of the wash. If you couldn't take the time to do it before, you'll have to do it before they are worn.
3- Money
Any money left in the pockets of your clothing that comes out in the wash or dry cycle becomes the property of the person doing the laundry. Yes, usually that is me. It's the only time I get paid actual cash money around here and I refuse to forfeit that. If you want to keep your money then clean out your pockets when you disrobe, otherwise, I will consider it a tip for a job well done. Thankyouverymuch.
4-Stain Removal
If your garment has a stain on it, you need to either: A-put it on the washer so it gets noticed separately from the other clothes, or B-tell me about it and hand the garment to me. If these things don't happen you give up the right to wearing stain-free clothing. Replacement of said stained items is not an option.
5-Family Room
Contrary to popular belief, this room is for tv viewing and general family togetherness. It is NOT, however, your own personal laundry basket. From now on, if your clothes are there and not in the basket that has been provided for you (see Rule # 1,) you will give up the right to those clothes for a period of time deemed acceptable by me. (Or as long as I forget where I put them, whichever.)
Please Note: Your father does not have to adhere to these rules. I am his wife; I am your mother. It is my job to train you to do these things. He and I have a separate agreement, in which he makes the money and I do things like the laundry. Some day, you might be lucky enough to have a similar agreement with a lovely girl, but until then, it is my duty to prepare you to function in this capacity. Nor does your sister have to adhere to these rules. She now does all of her own laundry, remember?
If you choose to ignore some or all of these rules:
That means that you are choosing to do your own laundry. I haven't been teaching you that for nothing. Those skills might come in handy sooner than later. Your choice.
Lovingly,
Your Mother,
I'm sure many of you have had this problem. I'm certainly not the first to have this issue, and I'm sure I won't be the last.
Last year I joined Facebook and had fun reconnecting with many old pals from high school, cousins and other relatives that I haven't connected with in years, and even some friends from elementary school. What a trip! I'll admit that there are parts of Facebook that grate on the nerves.... Farmville anyone? (Don't worry, I blocked it so I don't see every chicken that gets out of your coop.) I link some of my writing there. I like that the blogging friends that I'm friends with there give more details about their family, (me too,); it feels like I'm in on some big secret.
One of my friends from school (Hi Kelly!) and I started doing our reunions. The 20th was a pretty big success, if I do say so myself. So with the popularity of Facebook it's looking like the 25th should be pretty easy to find a bunch of people and get the word out to all different 'groups'.
There is now one girl, let's call her Jen since there are about 89 million women my age named Jen (and that may or may not be her real name,) who just recently signed up on Facebook. This girl was never my friend in school. In fact, in the cartoon version of my High School I would venture to say that we were arch enemies. (I don't think that I, in fact, had any arch enemies. Just sayin', ya know?) She sent me a friend request and I promptly ignored it.
And then it started. Every stinking day I see that Jen is now friends with 5 more, 7 more, 8 more! of my friends! Do you want to add Jen as a friend? (Uh, didn't I already tell you that, no, I don't?) And yesterday I got another friend request from her.
It might also be important to add here that there are plenty of her 'real' friends from high school that I'm not friends with on Facebook. I haven't sent the request to them, nor have they sent one to me. I'm friends with only a fraction of the people on Facebook from my class. I am fully aware that over the coming year, starting in about May, that if we are to use Facebook for the coming reunion that we are going to have to send friend requests to all of the people that are in our class. I get that.
But, here, my wise and wonderful blog pals, is the question. Do I accept the request now? Or do I ignore it again until we start work in May for the reunion in the summer of 2011? What would you do?
Waaay back in early 1997 my darling bought me an amazing engagement ring. We had spoken about my 'dream ring' but I let him decide.
The ring had a center stone with two rows of tiny diamonds on each side that kind of swirled around the center. The wedding band matched one side of the ring, and also came with an anniversary band for the other side. (He couldn't wait for our anniversary so I got that piece for Valentines' Day, mere months after we were married. That's ok. My ring was now complete!)
Anyway, I loved that ring. It was unique. Over the years I only met one other woman with that ring. It was great that is until the small stones began to fall out, (they were all prong-set.) First, it was just one. Got it fixed. Next, two. Fixed. Wash, rinse, repeat. Several times over the years.
When it had lost a stone, I would put it away until we could get it fixed. That was ok, but time-consuming because the jeweler that he had bought it from had moved to a new location, more than an hour away. We tried to find a local jeweler that we trusted but that was more difficult than it sounds. Sometimes months or *gasp* years would go by with me wearing just a simple band, often coupled with a 'Vegas' ring. (Vegas ring=a cheap, large-stone ring often found in the gift shops of Las Vegas hotels/casinos. I could get a new ring in a new style every year or two when they started looking worn.) It worked, but it wasn't MY ring.
At one point we got the outside rows re-done and channel-set. That was great until the stones on the protected rows inside started falling out, too. Epic ring fail.
So, for the last 2 or 3 years anytime Headless Dad has asked me what I wanted for Christmas, my birthday, Mother's day, and the like, I would answer, "I want my ring fixed." Again, wash, rinse, repeat.
Well, apparently Christmas 2009 was the magical year!
Taking pictures at IEF.
Talking football at DDS-Twice!
Wishing Carmen a quick recovery.
Updating my blogroll and my BlogHer'09 peeps. (See, Mr. Lady? I did it! Did you?) (See also? If you don't find your name on one of those lists, it was an oversight. Comment or email me and I'll fix it.)
Also? Y'all really worked out my commenter muscle yesterday but I'm up for more. Did I miss your Delurker day post? Yikes! Let me know and I'll come by and comment.... Unlike the 100+ of you that visited but didn't comment. Uh, that's what Delurker day is all about, duh!
image shamelessly stolen from Mr. Lady...She got it from RudeCactus and Greeblemonkey Why can't I ever remember that until I'm told?
OK y'all, you know what to do!
(Oh, you don't know what to do? All you have to do is leave me a comment. Every single one of you that visit here, regularly or occasionally, need to click the comment box. If you need something specific to say let's try, um, boxers or briefs? If you're a guy, then it's obvious, if you're a gal, then tell me your fave and why. Or just say Hi. Or something. Anything!)
Also? If you're a blogger you need to go read Mr. Lady's post about Delurker Day-She gives us all a swift kick in the ass, reminding us all of why we started blogging in the first place and why we need to get back to that. Um, and update our blogrolls. (Yeah, me too.)
See you around the blogosphere today!
Does your family like spinach? You will after you try this recipe. Seriously. I will now and forever make extras so we will have enough for 2nds and 3rds, and leftovers for the next morning. We liked this so much that we had it twice Christmas week. (My modifications will be in parenthesis, and read to the end so you can get my breakfast recipe, too!)
Italian Spinach
1 box frozen chopped spinach (we doubled, then tripled the amount, equally for each ingredient)
3 Tablespoons olive oil (I used slightly less, but don't skimp too much because the end result will be dry.)
1 clove minced garlic (I used about double this amount out of a jar.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (I used fresh ground black pepper.)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1) Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
2) In a saute skillet heat, over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown.
3) Add spinach and seasonings, saute for 3-4 minutes.
4) Add beaten eggs; continue stirring. Cook until eggs are fully cooked and mixed into spinach.
5) If there is any excess liquid, drain before you serve. Sprinkle cheese on top to taste. (The more the better, in my opinion.)
DO NOT turn your nose up at the eggs. My mother gave me this recipe years ago and I put it aside because, eew, eggs in spinach? I was wrong, so, so wrong. My brother's family, who are not very adventurous in their food tastes, LOVE this, so I'm confident that you will too.
Leftovers
Keep those leftovers! The first time we made it we had about a cup leftover. Here's what to do, alter the amounts according to your taste.
1) Add diced onion (we used about 1/2 an onion,) and the leftover spinach mix to a skillet.
2) Add diced ham, if you want. (Again, about 1/2 cup or so.)
3) Heat through.
4) Scramble eggs (for 1 cup of spinach we used about 8 eggs for 5 people), add a dash of milk.
5) Add eggs to pan and cook to taste.
My kids loooooved this, and have even asked for it for weekday breakfasts before school. Um, kids asking for spinach? WIN!
"I had high hopes of hitting the ground running this year and starting on all of the projects that I have in my mental list."
Read the rest over at Inland Empire Family!
"One of my boys had been sick at home for 2 days so I had been unable to get to the store for a 'real' grocery shop. By yesterday we were sadly in need of a meal that consisted of something other than soup or left-overs."
Read more over at Headless Reviews, and make sure to sign up for coupons, too!
So back in September, (the 13th to be exact,) Headless Dad dislocated his shoulder by playing with #2, also known as the Monster Child. Or maybe it should be the Mountain Child since he is no longer able to be moved by either his father or me. And we spent a lovely 4 hours in the ER instead of spending a lovely Sunday afternoon with my parents.
Then in November, he did it again. Boom. Another 3 hours in the ER. (Thank God we've got good insurance.) This time, he was assembling a pitch-back net for #1 to practice baseball. This time also bought him an MRI with contrast which he said was sooooo pleasant.
Flash forward. Monday night, immediately following the BSU win over TCU, HD had gone upstairs to supervise the kids while they were brushing his teeth. Important to know only because he was doing, well, NOTHING, and yet he still dislocated the SOB shoulder. I must note however, that this time my sentence the wait at the hospital was only 2 1/2 hours. We're getting this down to a science. See also? #shouldknowthedrsandnursesbyname
So, yeah, third time's a charm. It buys you surgery! (For those of you keeping track, yes, it will be his second surgery in about 14 months. Wanna cookie?)
What this means to you? Maybe nothing, unless you are going to Blissdom. I had a teeny tiny chance of going until tonight. Yep. Surgery will be less than a week before I would have to leave, so it's a no go. Not going to Blissdom? Yay! We can whine wine whine together!
The scene: Bedtime at the Headless household. Boys in bed, waiting on kisses from their parents.
I know that I wrote about resolutions yesterday but I'm still thinking about them. I don't normally make them, usually because I suck at making the changes to keep them. How do people do it?
I also hate that there are some resolutions that I "should" make, but since I "should" them it's 99% guaranteed that if I do I'll fail...on purpose, more than likely.
A couple of years ago, right before I turned 39 and right after my grandmother died at 101, I decided that I needed to take better care of myself. I started washing my face every night before I went to bed. (Don't mock...I've got pretty good skin and it was just not an issue before.) That was also around the time that I found blogging and Carmen. Her story kicked my ass into gear and exercising. Granted, I fall off the wagon from time to time, but in general exercise is now a regular part of my life. As is eating better-I eat breakfast more often than not, and less crap in general.
As Shannon mentioned earlier in the week, I am daily working on the level of my voice and not yelling quite as much. It really is a daily struggle and one that I'm getting a little better at. But to make it a resolution? It's an ongoing thing, one that I'm sure will last for years and years. Also? Not really measurable.
Something else that I always strive for is a better relationship with God, a better prayer life, more reading the Bible. However, that is more of a lifetime goal than something that is accomplished in a year. Sure, I could do the Bible-in-a-year plan, or other similar things, but again, life-long not necessarily resolution material.
So I guess I'll just stick with my resolutions that I wrote about yesterday. Or, take a hint from a friend that I saw on New Year's Eve...
...I resolve that I won't have sex with any midgets this year. Yep. Clear and attainable.
What a season it's been. After the Colts disgusting and planned loss this week I'm pretty glad that we're nearing the end. So, without further adieu, my final picks of the 2009 NFL season:
Indianapolis @ Buffalo
Jacksonville @ Cleveland
San Fransisco @ St. Louis
Pittsburgh @ Miami
NY Giants @ Minnesota
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
New Orleans @ Carolina
New England @ Houston
Chicago @ Detroit
Baltimore @ Oakland
Green Bay @ Arizona
Washington @ San Diego
Tennessee @ Seattle
Philadelphia @ Dallas
Kansas City @ Denver
Cincinnati @ NY Jets- Score 46
Carlos' Picks:
Indianapolis @ Buffalo
Jacksonville @ Cleveland
San Fransisco @ St. Louis
Pittsburgh @ Miami
NY Giants @ Minnesota
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
New Orleans @ Carolina
New England @ Houston
Chicago @ Detroit
Baltimore @ Oakland
Green Bay @ Arizona
Washington @ San Diego
Tennessee @ Seattle
Philadelphia @ Dallas
Kansas City @ Denver
Cincinnati @ NY Jets-Score 52
As Carlos said in his email to me, "With how they're coaching it's almost impossible to get a good idea of how to pick." How true, how true!
I want to give a big THANKS to Greis for hosting the BFL this year and handling all of the little things like the spreadsheet (holy cow that's a lot of work!) and being flexible when I'm late with our pics or left something out. You're the best Greisy!
Follow us on Sunday on the spreadsheet!
In the spirit of the season I’ve been thinking of what resolutions I should make for 2010..... [read the rest over at Inland Empire Family!]
