A pot roast is in the oven (thank you Pioneer Woman for having fabulous, yet simple, inspiration for good ol' beef) and I'm listening to classical music, which started with Yo-Yo Ma playing a part in Gabriel's Oboe from the Mission; it is such a beautiful piece. I don't think I've heard it on the oboe, praise the Lord...not my favorite instrument. Remember it from Peter and the Wolf??? They should just let the duck play himself. ANYHOW, I digress. Chores are almost done for the weekend, and I'm making time to blog. I'm finding that if I don't make time to do what I want I end up wasting time.
It has been a while since I've posted...life got so busy the last quarter of 2010. It is the busiest time of year for work and by the time I got home each night it was all I could do to make dinner and make sure our bills were paid before I crashed for the night. And that gifts were wrapped and shipped on time. Christmas cards? Yah, they were mailed out after New Year. A 'little' behind. :D Some highlights of our November/December:
- A new Sony DSLR for yours truly...YEA! Now I need to learn all the ins-and outs. It takes such good shots without any manipulation that it is hard to get motivated to learn anything fancy with it!
- Real snow on Thanksgiving day.
- Got my mom hooked on Angry Birds. I'm getting these knitted ones from Etsy for her birthday...lol.
- We purchased a LIVE tree from Stoney Ridge Farms, which is just a couple miles from us. We haven't had, or have put up a fake tree the last seven years or so. I had forgotten how great they smell (like making love to a lumberjack).
- We had fabulous house guests a couple weeks before Christmas. The kids helped decorate, which was a lot of fun! They did a terrific job of spacing out all the ornaments, and didn't obviously eat any of the candy canes.
- We hosted our first Christmas the house. It went really well - with lots of laughs. The best was our nephew who felt utter disappointment when he realized not all the gifts under the tree were for him. Well, that was SECOND best....best best was the fact Loren got the entire sequence of his emotions on the video camera. :)
- We spent our first Christmas with Loren's family in Montana. It was beautiful while we were there; no snow storms or wind storms. Just cold!
- New Year we spend with Aimee and CJ in Spanaway. Her mom and dad hosted a little gathering with lots of food, laughs, chit-chat and Xbox Kinect.
I'll sign off with a fun list I saw on my friend Andrea's blog...
Bold these if you've ever.....
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
16 January 2011
17 September 2010
SCRAPPING!
I actually did scrap this past weekend! I completed a layout for the EFFER DARES, and a Pencil Lines sketch. However, we've had friends visiting from out of town, so I've not taken the time to photograph or post until now. And even now I'm only prepared to post one layout!
This was for the Effer Dare 168 to scrap a memory to music. This is a lovely picture of my late friend Colleen when we were, oh, 16ish. We were hanging out at Universal Studios, and I luckily caught her with her eyes open! She was one of those people who always blinked JUST at the wrong time! The lyrics are to Sarah Mclachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". We played her constantly, and we went to this concert at the local theater when Sarah Mclachlan was just starting her career - to top it off, our friend actually won the tickets off of the radio! It was a fabulous time that can never be repeated and will be a memory I cherish forever.
09 September 2010
Wenatchee Farmer's Market & Stuffed Peppers
A couple weekends ago my mom and I made a weekend trip to Leavenworth. It started out to be a one-day trip to get some fresh fruits and some shopping, but then we decided we didn't want to drive back, and got a hotel for Saturday night. I then found the Wenatchee Farmer's Market was open only until 1pm on Saturday, and knew we would be cutting it close to get there in time (it is a few hours drive from Lynden). So, we then added on Friday night!
We got the the farmer's market and were pleased with the selection of fresh veggies, fruits, chiles and everything else! It took two trips to the car, but in the end we came out with three flats of peaches, one flat of nectarines, a few pounds of saturn peaches, a dozen green AND purple bell peppers, red and white onions and the most delicious cantaloupes. There was so much character, too! Corn and cantaloupes being sold right out of the back of trucks, and the tastiest homemade pork tamales with spicy tomatillo sauce. The tamales were the best I've ever had, and only 50 cents each. Moms and I had two each, and seriously would have gone back for more on Sunday if they had been open! Unfortunately I was leaving a three days later for Vegas, so couldn't stock up on as much as I wanted. If I lived within an hour or two of that market I would be there every Saturday. The prices were CHEAP, and the produce was so much better than what our best grocery stores offer.
Example: Stuffed Green Peppers
Sunday night I made stuffed green peppers for supper/lunches before we took off for our trip - I didn't get a final result photo b/c we were starved and they smelled/looked SO good that I forgot! They were THE best stuffed peppers. The flavor of the peppers was amazing; so much better than any of the grocery store offerings. I'd never had a purple pepper before...when fresh it smelled stronger than the green, but when cooked it turned green and was so similar in flavor that they weren't easily discernible from each other.
This originated from various recipes I found online and tweeked to our tastes. By tweeked I mean actually made it a bit spicy (mid-westerners *say* spicy, but really means *flavor*) and cooked them so the peppers retained some firmness.
2 Cups Water
1 Cup uncooked white rice
4 Large bell peppers, halved & seeded
1.0- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic cloves, to taste (I probably used 6 cloves, diced)
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
cumin, to taste
vegetable broth
1. Bring water and rice to a boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Brown the beef, drain, return to stove top and add the onions, cooked rice, and spices. Stir well
4. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir well and let simmer for 15 ish minutes. After 10 minutes or so, add some vegetable broth if it looks too dry.
5. Put the halved bell peppers into a 9x13 baking dish. Note: some recipes call for steaming the peppers before hand. However, I really think that 45-60 minutes in the oven is plenty of time, and they do turn out nice and soft, but not mushy. I'm afraid that if they were pre-steamed they'd be much. But, if you like really soft veggies, you may want to try the steaming.
6. Spoon mixture into the bell peppers and place in oven for 45 minutes
7. Remove from oven and top with the cheese. We used fresh mozzarella and it was amazing! I've also used cheddar in the past with great success. Hello, it is cheese...anything would work, I'm certain.
8. Bake until the cheese is hot an bubbly and serve!
We got the the farmer's market and were pleased with the selection of fresh veggies, fruits, chiles and everything else! It took two trips to the car, but in the end we came out with three flats of peaches, one flat of nectarines, a few pounds of saturn peaches, a dozen green AND purple bell peppers, red and white onions and the most delicious cantaloupes. There was so much character, too! Corn and cantaloupes being sold right out of the back of trucks, and the tastiest homemade pork tamales with spicy tomatillo sauce. The tamales were the best I've ever had, and only 50 cents each. Moms and I had two each, and seriously would have gone back for more on Sunday if they had been open! Unfortunately I was leaving a three days later for Vegas, so couldn't stock up on as much as I wanted. If I lived within an hour or two of that market I would be there every Saturday. The prices were CHEAP, and the produce was so much better than what our best grocery stores offer.
Example: Stuffed Green Peppers
Sunday night I made stuffed green peppers for supper/lunches before we took off for our trip - I didn't get a final result photo b/c we were starved and they smelled/looked SO good that I forgot! They were THE best stuffed peppers. The flavor of the peppers was amazing; so much better than any of the grocery store offerings. I'd never had a purple pepper before...when fresh it smelled stronger than the green, but when cooked it turned green and was so similar in flavor that they weren't easily discernible from each other.
(this is my first attempt at at collage for the blog, and I think it turned out a little small.
I'm trying to figure out the correct pixels and am going to just improve as time goes on.
I'm trying to figure out the correct pixels and am going to just improve as time goes on.
shout out to Loren for putting a generous amount of cheese on the peppers ;) )
Recipe:This originated from various recipes I found online and tweeked to our tastes. By tweeked I mean actually made it a bit spicy (mid-westerners *say* spicy, but really means *flavor*) and cooked them so the peppers retained some firmness.
2 Cups Water
1 Cup uncooked white rice
4 Large bell peppers, halved & seeded
1.0- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic cloves, to taste (I probably used 6 cloves, diced)
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
cumin, to taste
vegetable broth
1. Bring water and rice to a boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Brown the beef, drain, return to stove top and add the onions, cooked rice, and spices. Stir well
4. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir well and let simmer for 15 ish minutes. After 10 minutes or so, add some vegetable broth if it looks too dry.
5. Put the halved bell peppers into a 9x13 baking dish. Note: some recipes call for steaming the peppers before hand. However, I really think that 45-60 minutes in the oven is plenty of time, and they do turn out nice and soft, but not mushy. I'm afraid that if they were pre-steamed they'd be much. But, if you like really soft veggies, you may want to try the steaming.
6. Spoon mixture into the bell peppers and place in oven for 45 minutes
7. Remove from oven and top with the cheese. We used fresh mozzarella and it was amazing! I've also used cheddar in the past with great success. Hello, it is cheese...anything would work, I'm certain.
8. Bake until the cheese is hot an bubbly and serve!
08 September 2010
Awesome product! and some other stuff.
(stock photo from their site...I wish my faucets were that cool...they aren't. Our guests can attest to our crappy plumbing. The only saving grace is a 75 gallon hot water tank. Niiiiiice.)
The best part about Good Fortune Soap Company? You can use their soaps, lip balms, etc., LOVE them, and know that you are also supporting a company that makes outreach and community care a priority with their profits. I think it is great to actually LIKE the product you are purchasing to support a good cause! Check out their OUTREACH page.
That was the awesome product - now, other stuff.
I'm getting over my cold, and am stoked (yes, I wrote 'stoked') b/c I have 175 photos coming from shutterfly on Friday and I am going to spend my weekend scrapping! I'm going to try to get some lo's done from the following challenges:
- Scrapjack of Maggie Holmes. I know this is expired, but I love it!
- Scrapjack of Maggie Holmes. I know this is expired, but I love it!
- Pencil Lines Sketch 203. I heart Pencil Lines and do not use their sketches nearly enough!
- Dares - saw this on Steph's blog, and she is DARER 168, if you will - "scrap a soundtrack to a memory".
- Good Grief Blog - My friend Jen Waters (if you go to her blog, um, look at all the loot she's recently won. i.n.s.a.n.e.!) is a DT member on this blog, and I have been following it since she joined. Scrapping memories of my friend Colleen is going to be difficult, but I can't think of a better way to memorialize our memories. I don't know if I'll actually get anything done, but I will get some great ideas on how to start.
So, that is it for now. If there are any other good challenges out there this week/month, let me know! :D
05 September 2010
Three day weekend!
But I'm sick! :( The desert air, combined with AC and a couple hours on an airplane, always gives me a sinus infection. UGH! Yesterday I got up at 2pm, took a shower and promptly went back to sleep until 5pm. 20ish hours of sleep. niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. I do feel better today, so hopefully I will get to enjoy tomorrow a lot more!
While lounging on the couch, I've been lucky to have endless supplies of soup and Gatorade, thanks to my sweet husband. Also, he set me up with some Netflix, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It started out with watching "Son of Rambow". Sounds like a cheesy spoof, right? I was ready for some bad acting, bad lines and cheesy stunts. Not really - turns out to be a sweet movie about friendship and the schenanigans of pre-teen boys. I loved it and laughed quite a lot! It is ticketed as a drama/comedy, as there is some serious situations the boys have in their home life to get through.
Next on the movie ticket was "The Cove". This documentary highlights the slaughter of dolphins in a small Japanese town - I'm not an activist, and began watching this with a jaded eye. I eat meat, and I realize where it comes from. And frankly, some animals are more charismatic and it is harder to believe someone would eat them (ie dolphin vs salmon). I couldn't imagine sitting down to a plate of sashimi dolphin, but I wasn't raised with it either, so I was determined to not pass judgement. This said, I am a strong believer in sustainability and the humane treatment of animals. It comes down to 23,000 dolphins killed in a season, yet....dolphin meat is not available on the market. Dolphins are swimming toxic dumps, with about 2000ppm mercury in their meat - the legal limit is somewhere around .4ppm. After eating enough, one will get mercury poisining. It is believed that the dolphin meat is sold in stores as whale, or other similar meats. Further, the dolphins are killed very inhumanely, a similar style to a whale hunt. It.is.horrific. If you have time and inclination, watch the film, or go to the Oceanic Preservation Society for more information.
Last on the lazy TV watching was Arrested Development. Who wouldn't like a show where the son has been named George-Michael? LOL. I catch bits and parts while flipping through the channels, so it is nice to sit through consecutive episodes. "I know she's a brownish area. With points.". :)
The rest of the weekend is going to be filled with more TV, maybe some baking, and not nearly enough yard work. Oh, well. There is only so much Sudafed one should be taking!
Enjoy your labor day weekend, peeps!
While lounging on the couch, I've been lucky to have endless supplies of soup and Gatorade, thanks to my sweet husband. Also, he set me up with some Netflix, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It started out with watching "Son of Rambow". Sounds like a cheesy spoof, right? I was ready for some bad acting, bad lines and cheesy stunts. Not really - turns out to be a sweet movie about friendship and the schenanigans of pre-teen boys. I loved it and laughed quite a lot! It is ticketed as a drama/comedy, as there is some serious situations the boys have in their home life to get through.
Next on the movie ticket was "The Cove". This documentary highlights the slaughter of dolphins in a small Japanese town - I'm not an activist, and began watching this with a jaded eye. I eat meat, and I realize where it comes from. And frankly, some animals are more charismatic and it is harder to believe someone would eat them (ie dolphin vs salmon). I couldn't imagine sitting down to a plate of sashimi dolphin, but I wasn't raised with it either, so I was determined to not pass judgement. This said, I am a strong believer in sustainability and the humane treatment of animals. It comes down to 23,000 dolphins killed in a season, yet....dolphin meat is not available on the market. Dolphins are swimming toxic dumps, with about 2000ppm mercury in their meat - the legal limit is somewhere around .4ppm. After eating enough, one will get mercury poisining. It is believed that the dolphin meat is sold in stores as whale, or other similar meats. Further, the dolphins are killed very inhumanely, a similar style to a whale hunt. It.is.horrific. If you have time and inclination, watch the film, or go to the Oceanic Preservation Society for more information.
Last on the lazy TV watching was Arrested Development. Who wouldn't like a show where the son has been named George-Michael? LOL. I catch bits and parts while flipping through the channels, so it is nice to sit through consecutive episodes. "I know she's a brownish area. With points.". :)
The rest of the weekend is going to be filled with more TV, maybe some baking, and not nearly enough yard work. Oh, well. There is only so much Sudafed one should be taking!
Enjoy your labor day weekend, peeps!
What happened in Vegas....
...really, really, really will stay in Vegas, right peeps? ;) Loren and I just got back from a six-day trip to Vegas with some friends. It was sooooooooooooo fun! Truly, the only place that can take your money and you feel positive about it. The PG highlights include:
Open beverages
60 oz Mojitos
Texas de Brasil
My first limo ride
Mystere
Wheel of Fortune penny slots
Gelato
Glitter Gulch
Buffets
Bellagio fountain show
Oleksandra spa
Water boy turf wars
Open beverages
60 oz Mojitos
Texas de Brasil
My first limo ride
Mystere
Wheel of Fortune penny slots
Gelato
Glitter Gulch
Buffets
Bellagio fountain show
Oleksandra spa
Water boy turf wars
We stayed at TI (Treasure Island), which sucked. We will never stay there again. It started with a 45 minute check-in where we were told our 'reservations' were mereley 'requests' and that our 'requested' rooms were not available. WTF? The final room was not a king view room, but rather a double with a closet view of the freeway. Further, the room had crappy AC, no fan in the bathroom, bad TV, no fridge, lukewarm water, burnt out lightbulbs and stained linens. Yuck. We thought about switching hotels...but decided it would have been a greater hassle. Probably. :D It was good to get home to my king bed and 800 thread count cotton sheets, I tell you what!
One bonus of TI? The Margarita bar just outside of the side doors. Mmmmm.
18 August 2010
the haps.
Life has been crazy since the World Cup started in July. I am crushed that none of my favorite teams made it through, but I guess there is always 2014. I also had a COMPLETE fail with the brackets...I thought I would be a winner, and was already dreaming about what I was going to do with my winnings - scrap stuff? save for a new camera? clothes? - and then the downward spiral occurred (ENGLAND! BRAZIL! GERMANY! You crushed me!) and I went from 12th to 56th. I stopped checking the bracket daily and boycotted ESPN for a day. Or half of a day. Speaking of, I've added ESPN's Page 2 to my daily web crawl. The articles are short and usually don't get bogged down in historical trivia that I've never heard of. I'm really sport illiterate (outside of soccer). For example, when playing Trivial Pursuit, I have three stock answers: GOLF: Jack Nicholson, Baseball: Babe Ruth, Football: Steve Largent (sometimes I'll throw a curve ball in and answer John Elway"). Eventually, the answer WILL be one of these guys. I'd like to keep it that way. However, I would like to know the quick story to who the heck "Lebron" is and why it matters today. Oh, and some days they have cartoons and fail videos. Seriously, check it out.
Other fun stuff - I got a Kindle!!!! WOO! I used Loren's to re-read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and Loved it. I resisted at first. I thought the Kindle would kill my reading spirit by eliminate the need to go to a bookstore (save magazines and such). However!!!! However, it is SO nice to pick up the darn thing and get a book ordered and downloaded in two minutes. I'm five books into the Outlander series and am trying to finish up my "ANALOG" books so I can get even more electronic books! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I have a gorgeous purple leather-product cover and a matching skin and a teensy led book light to go with it. :)
Rhapsody is my new music haven...I've found new bands to listen to, such as She and Him, Mims and the Pixies. And have added some old faves like Blondie, Tears for Fears and Garbage. I uploaded the app for my iPhone and was able to listen to my mixes while working in the yard this past weekend. It was great motivation to keep at it, even when it got to 90 degrees. So, any good music suggestions??? So far I have a summer mix, a work appropriate mix and a classical music mix. I must admit, tho, classical music is seriously lacking in variety.
I haven't been super crafty in a while. First there was World Cup for four weeks, and then it got HOT (we have no AC, so our house is miserable), but as the summer winds down I plan on getting right back to it. The first project I'm going to work on is the Sketchbook Project. I saw a link on Christina Clouse's blog, and was hooked. I was intimidated to select a topic, so I went for a random selection, and was given "Capture the Flag". So far I have not had any serious ideas for it, but even so, I am very excited to get started! OH! And I saw in their email last week that Seattle will be one of the exhibiting cities this year!!!!
Loren has perfected the mojito, and I'll leave you with the image of a super Delicious raspberry mojito he made:
Other fun stuff - I got a Kindle!!!! WOO! I used Loren's to re-read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and Loved it. I resisted at first. I thought the Kindle would kill my reading spirit by eliminate the need to go to a bookstore (save magazines and such). However!!!! However, it is SO nice to pick up the darn thing and get a book ordered and downloaded in two minutes. I'm five books into the Outlander series and am trying to finish up my "ANALOG" books so I can get even more electronic books! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I have a gorgeous purple leather-product cover and a matching skin and a teensy led book light to go with it. :)
Rhapsody is my new music haven...I've found new bands to listen to, such as She and Him, Mims and the Pixies. And have added some old faves like Blondie, Tears for Fears and Garbage. I uploaded the app for my iPhone and was able to listen to my mixes while working in the yard this past weekend. It was great motivation to keep at it, even when it got to 90 degrees. So, any good music suggestions??? So far I have a summer mix, a work appropriate mix and a classical music mix. I must admit, tho, classical music is seriously lacking in variety.
I haven't been super crafty in a while. First there was World Cup for four weeks, and then it got HOT (we have no AC, so our house is miserable), but as the summer winds down I plan on getting right back to it. The first project I'm going to work on is the Sketchbook Project. I saw a link on Christina Clouse's blog, and was hooked. I was intimidated to select a topic, so I went for a random selection, and was given "Capture the Flag". So far I have not had any serious ideas for it, but even so, I am very excited to get started! OH! And I saw in their email last week that Seattle will be one of the exhibiting cities this year!!!!
Loren has perfected the mojito, and I'll leave you with the image of a super Delicious raspberry mojito he made:
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