NO- Not today

No- Today is not Friday. I sure wish it was. This week has been slow and fast all at the same time. 2 of my meetings were canceled and this allows me to play catch up on emails, phone calls and what not. I'm looking for a cheap plane ticket so that I can go visit my uncle, aunt and cousins for Thanksgiving! I am ready for Holiday Season. And Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love Holidays that have a heavy emphasis on Food. But I also love Thanksgiving because it allows me to focus on all of the things that I am Thankful for. I tend to whine about things: things that I wish I had, how things should be, when it will be my season. I have so many things to be Thankful for!

And on a side note, I am very tired of the same thing being on the news everyday. Oil spill, oil spill clean up, the disappearance of Kyron, Van der Sloot and the weather. I need the news to be a little more positive. I am however dvr'ing the View. I never watch the View but since the President will be interviewed, I figured I would give it a glance. When I first decided to do a blog I knew that I would not discuss politics. It's just not my style. I realize that everyone has an opinion but that does not mean that you have to act ignorant and like you have no home training. I can not stand when people bad mouth something just because the do not agree on it. Act like you have a little class. I like civilized people who treat others with respect!

Phone Calls, Chicken and My Brother

Oh Wednesday! The middle of the week. 2 more days until the weekend. My schedule is still very hectic with the first day of school being less than a month away! I am holding on for dear life. Lately, I have been trying to catch up with people on the phone and playing phone tag. I got the chance to speak to my Aunt Kathy yesterday. Let me give you a little back ground info on my Aunt. She is zesty. Yes I think Zesty will describe her right now. She is loud, the Queen of QVC and HSN, blunt and funny. I had not chatted with her in a while and gave her a call. She called me back yesterday morning but I was busy with work. She left 2 voice mails. When I checked them it was her husband. He had seen my name on the caller ID and thought I was the plumber. I called her back and talked for 2 hours. A Very Lengthy time. We covered all topics (family, favorite products and what not) and I'm glad I got the chance to speak with her. I also chatted with my brother. He was very skeptical when I told him I was starting a blog. But he did tell me that he has been reading it!!! And then got all sensitive on me because I called him my big headed brother!!! So Dear Brother of Mine- You will always be my big headed older brother and I would not have it any other way and I'm sorry if I've offended you but you know that I LUV U!

I also cooked a little Chicken in the Crock pot on Sunday. I think that I would call it my Chicken Roast Recipe! It was very simple and I am still eating the left overs. First, put about 1/2 cup - 1 cup of chicken broth in the pot. Next, add your seasoned chicken thighs. Add some red potatoes cut into quarters and some carrots. Cook on Low for 8 hours. The trick to this recipe is seasoning! I can't mention seasoning enough. It is very important that you season the chicken and the vegetables! I used some season salt, pepper and a few secret ingredients. Paprika would be great for some coloring. I did not want to use Garlic but I am sure that it would be great. The chicken was very tender and juicy. I wish that I would have removed the skin from the thighs! I also made some purple hull peas. They were very tasty. I just wish that I had some fresh okra and fried green tomatoes. Enjoy the rest of your day!!!

The Stork

I firmly believe that it is my duty in life to be surrounded by babies! Hands down I bet you that my nieces and nephews are the cutest kids around. The stork is always dropping off bundles of joys to those around me. And for about 3 years now it has been constant drop offs. In February of 2008, I was blessed with 3 baby boys in 1 week. I was at the hospital for all of them. And now that I live so far away, their mommy's think that its funny to put the kids on the phone to tell "TT Goodnight. Love you TT". This is so unfair. I am a little sensitive these days. Talking to the kids makes me cry. Literally. I have tears going down my cheeks when I talk to the little ones. It is amazing to see how much they have grown up. In May of 2009, I had another little boy that made it clear that he needed me around when he came into the world. And in July of 2009, my niece the princess, made her appearance. Babies. Remember when I told you it was my duty to be surrounded by them. I was not joking. And this month, 2 of my best friends announced they were expecting their first. I was shocked and a tad bit weepy. The Queen B is my best friend from Jr High. We have been thru a lot together. And I couldn't stop the tears from falling. KMM is a best friend from High school. She motivates me. She is a HATER. And finding out that she was expecting shocked me. But I knew it would happen sooner than later. So here comes a new group of babies for me to love on.

Engagements have also been making an appearance. In June, My Sannie, sent me a picture of her Engagement Ring and stating that she was soon to be a MRS. Sannie has been with her honey for some YEARS. And they are great together. I tease her all the time about giving me 1 more baby to love on. She quickly tells me NO! She thinks its okay to stick with the 1 baby that she has birthed. I was around when she was pregnant with my nephew. I got to go to Dr appointments and did tons of shopping and eating with her. My GEM got engaged in Janurary and I am very much looking forward to her wedding next year.

Babies and Rings. The circle of life.

And to a special person in my life: Keep the faith. I can not wait until you give me a baby to love and spoil. In due time it will come. And when it does (and I promise you it will) I will be there with you every step of the way! I luv u

Sunset, Fullmoon

How was your weekend? Good? Bad? Sweaty like mine perhaps! On Friday I received a message from my friend, TK, asking me if I would like to go to the Music Fest on Saturday. She had won free tickets. Since I didn't have any plans I said Sure! I was a little hesitant since the major headliners were Backstreet boys, Macy Gray and Brett Michaels. I am mostly a fan of Rap, R&B and anything pretty (and a little country). I figured I would know at least 1 or 2 Backstreet Boys songs and at least 1 from Brett Michaels. The Festival was packed with Thousands and Thousands of people. To top it off it was HOT! I mean really HOT! Like the kind of hot when you just want to find some shade, a cool drink and a fan because you are sticky from sweat. I had a fantastic time with TK and a few new friends. Brett Michaels performed for a while and you can tell that his near death experience has allowed him to embrace life with a new passion! But I got to do a lot of people watching that was very entertaining (seriously with it being that hot outside and people wearing clothes that were not appropriate, or didn't fit or out of date- you get the picture). They had around 3 stages set up for smaller acts. I particularly enjoyed a performance from an American Idol contestant who sang a little Mint Condition. There were vendors set up all over the place with all of the traditional fair foods. The ladies split a fantastic funnel cake and I am sure the only reason it tasted so yummy was because we had to wait in line. The fact that TK had won free tickets meant nothing. No one ever checked tickets and because of this there was so much chaos and shoving and pushing trying to get closer to the stage. This was the first time that they had the Music Fest so I hope they do a better in the planning department for next year. When we were leaving we walked by the river and saw a fantastic Full Moon. And I assure you that after a day full of sun and sweat, the moon was a breath of fresh air.

Hump

Today is a beautiful day! I woke up this morning and watched the sun rise over the mountains as I sweated my little poor heart out on Eli the Elliptical machine! Due to the fact that I am a foodie- I have to work out! There are times when I am totally on top of my work out schedule and then there are times when I have lost all motivation. Right now I am motivated!!! I sure do hope that it stays that way! I want to buy some new "Back to School" clothes here within the next month and doing so as a smaller size is always a nice thing. Yes I know that I am not in school but since I work with students and in Education, it is a back to school kind of thing! This week has been phenomenal... I have actually made it in to work early. Have been uber productive on all of my back to school programs and other events. I have no clue what has gotten into my system (but I assure you I am NOT complaining). My closet did not get organized (Soon!!!) and the HOT Temperature outside has made me seek refuge in the AC. One word people... SPOILED. Last year, my cousin got married on the hottest day of the year. It was over 100 degrees that day with the heat index tipping into the 110+ area. And wearing a bridesmaid dress and heels was not helping the situation. Now, I get upset when it's over 90. Being in the north has made me soft. I only like the weather man when he tells me it will be in the 80's. Today has also been fantastic because one of my co-workers on the other side of the building put her foot in a pot of greens! All that was missing was a pan of cornbread and some candied sweet potatoes. Yes the Southerner in me will never go away! And because today is so great I wore a new piece of makeup...

I only, let me repeat this, I ONLY wear MAC. Yes I know. Pathetic. But this addiction/obsession is just as bad as my foodie-ness. MAC has been my friend for (ahem) 10+ years. I started wearing it in High School (first piece that I ever bought was an eye shadow called Amber Lights) and I refuse to stop. I was on restriction from buying any makeup for two years because my family and friends felt that I needed to use up some of collection. They had a point and just recently I have started buying new pieces here and there. The new piece that I wore today is just 1 in a 4 piece set called Stack #2. It is a wonderful green that goes quite well with the color that I am wearing today. MAC. I think I will stop talking about my addiction right now. I don't want to scare you. I want you to come back and read more about my interesting life roller coaster and foodieness

Fantastic Friday....

Usually, I am excited that Friday has arrived... today is a different story. It has been a strange week at work and it doesn't seem that the weirdness will end until 5PM. So I am going to push myself thru these next few hours and be productive! Tomorrow, I will be tackling a project that I have been neglecting for months....MY CLOSET. My friends have always helped me organize my closet but since the move, the closet has been a complete eye sore. A very willing and brave soul has decided that I need to have a functioning closet and has offered to assist me! Thank you friend!
My Grammy celebrated her 89th birthday yesterday! I love my Grammy and even though things aren't what they used to be, I am so glad that God has allowed my Grammy to touch my life. Truth be told, my foodie-ness comes from that special lady. She never made me learn to cook, but she did make me clean the kitchen. Being in the kitchen with her allowed me to pick up on all of her recipes. One of the best gifts ever in my opinion!
In the crock pot this week I mastered the Cherry Cobbler. Ha! Bet you weren't expecting to see that! It is a simple and quick recipe. When I was in the grocery store picking up items for the cobbler my big headed brother called (a rare instance). We chatted and reminisced about our Grammy making us go to the grocery store to pick up items. Back to the cobbler.......
Ingredients
1 Can cherry pie filling
1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of Sugar
1/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon salt

As usual, I modified the recipe to my liking! I couldn't find my almond extract and when I went to the store it was a little pricey at 5.99 for a small bottle! So I did the reasonable thing and used vanilla. I also used the bigger can of cherry pie filling. Spray your crock pot with cooking spray, dump in your filling. Mix the other ingredients together (the recipe said with a spoon, I suggest you use a mixer). Smooth it on top of your filling and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I cooked the cobbler for about 2 15 mins on high. It was a GREAT cobbler! I took it to a BBQ potluck dinner. Because it was still warm, I served it with some good ole vanilla ice cream! The recipe came from the Betty Crocker Crockpot cook book. That Betty Crocker sure did know her stuff!!! The crust for the cobbler was moist and fluffy and perfect! I was a little worried about cooking a cobbler in the crockpot but I would do it again in a New York minute! I might try the cheese cake recipe next!!!
Have a fantastic Friday..... or at least better than mine!

Foodie

I am a self proclaimed FOODIE! And Proud of it! My slight obsession with food and new restuarants is fine with me! I love to go out to new establishments, but some of the big chains are my favorites. This weekend I was persuaded by the TV to go to Olive Garden and try their "New Limited Time Only" special. I believe it was the Parmesan P0lenta Crusted Chicken! It was fabulous (as usual) and fattening (as usual). I love Olive Garden because my parents would take me and I would get to spend time with both of them and if I lived closer to my Pappy(My Daddy) he would have me there about once a month. One of my favorite restuarants in my current location is Asiago's. They have a WONDERFUL lunch time menu that is cheap. I would not advise anyone to go unless they have a hour and half lunch break because the staff is kind of on the slow side. But the food is wonderful! From the bread, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and cheese to the fabulous pasta dishes- I assure you it is worth your time.



When I get home from work I like for dinner to be almost done. I hate walking thru the front door knowing that there is nothing in the oven. So lately I have been trying to crock pot at least a dinner a week. Last week I bought some ribs and gave them a go! I used a nice little recipe that I found in the Betty Crocker Crockpot Cook book and modified it to my liking. The recipe called for about 3 1/2 pounds of rib but since I am a single gal living alone (and had no dinner guests) I cooked a smaller portion. First you rinse off your ribs and rub them with a garlic, brown sugar and seasoning and place them in the crockpot. Next, poor about 1/2 cup of coca cola in the crockpot, turn it on low, put the lid on for 8 hours and go to work! I used beef ribs (the recipe called for pork). When I got home from work, I poured out the liquids and mixed up a quick batch of my homemade bbq sauce (ask me for the recipe if you are interested) and dumped it in the crockpot and let it simmer for about an hour. I must admit that the ribs on the first day were not perfect. I could still taste the garlic and was not impressed with my ribs. I had the ribs again the next day and boy let me tell you, they were great! I guess sitting in the bbq sauce over night was like a wonderful little marinade because I sure did enjoy those tasty ribs!

Piece of Home

As a Southern Girl living in the north, there are things that I miss terribly! Occassionally I have Sweat Tea withdrawals. I could go to McDonalds and grab a sweet tea but it is not the same. I hate going to restaurants and knowing that sweet tea is not on the menu. Texas Roadhouse allows me to smile! I stumbled upon Texas Roadhouse up here in the north about a month ago and it was love at first sight! Their warm fluffy buttery rolls and endless supply of sweet tea allows me to feel like I am back in the south (for about an hour)! It disturbs me that they don't throw the peanut shells on the floor! They have a bucket right next to the full peanut bucket for empty shells. The food was totally yummy and service wasn't bad. The wait staff did however do a two step that caught me off guard.

I decided to cook dinner on the 4th (bad idea)! Wal-Mart was pretty dull allowing me to jump in and out quickly! I fried a little chicken, made some loaded mashed taters, fresh green beans and corn! I am loving fresh fruits and veggies right now! The corn was fantastic and reminded me of my Grandma's fresh corn off the cob! Watermelon does not stand a chance in my house! I ate a whole watermelon last week and bought a new one on Sunday! I've been itching to make a strawberry tart because the berries have been great!!! But I sure would love to have some of my Grammy's Peach Cobbler... The memories that cross my mind when I think of her Cobbler! Now that's a piece of home that I would do just about anything for!

First Tiny Step

This Blog has been a long time coming! I have been contemplating starting one for so long but did not think that I would have anything to chat about! I finally decided to get with it and put my thoughts out here for you to read which is weird considering that I never update my facebook and I am not a member of Twitter (that could change). Life continues to throw surprises at me every day and I am willing to catch those surprises and make the best out of them! Be prepared to read about my favorite products, food and new restuarants and so much more! Hope you are ready for a Pocket Full of Chocolate!