tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81481802315758907912024-03-07T20:55:32.450-06:00Second Chance HappinessCreating my own path to happiness through food and love.Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.comBlogger437125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-52506568184929091222011-01-29T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-29T06:30:01.382-06:00Moving Day!My amazing, flower-giving, wine bottle-opening, take-the-dog-out-of-my-space-so-mama-can-breath-for-a-minute man did something even more thoughtful than all of that this weekend. Yeah, I know. How can that be possible?! Well, I assure you, it is.<br /><br />What wonderful thing did he do? He bought me a website! He paid for a full year of registration and web hosting out of his own fun money; just because he thought I’d like it. I woke up last Sunday to find that I had my very own URL. Now, go ahead. Gush. I did.<br /><br />We’d been talking about doing this, but we hadn’t really moved forward on it. Blogger likes to keep from actually publishing my morning posts about once a week. It’s terribly frustrating. I really like my little blog here, and I’d like to see it grow. That just doesn’t seem entirely likely here. <br /><br />So, with my husband’s mad computer skills (cuz Lord knows mine are extremely limited) and a year’s worth of paid-for service, Second Chance Happiness is moving. Stop by and visit me, please.<br /><br />www.secondchancehappiness.com<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-40360772706555782662011-01-28T06:30:00.002-06:002011-01-28T06:30:00.798-06:00Food in Review<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I may have played it a bit safe this week, considering last week’s epic failure. I still think we had some nice dinners though. I did one thing different this week. I went to Sprouts. I hardly EVER go there. My first experience was…..off putting. Now that I know what to expect, my second trip was fantastic. I actually plan to go back this weekend.<br /><br />Saturday: I like to make meals that my husband would consider a treat when I feel like maybe I haven’t been the best at being a wife. Enter burgers. Real beef burgers. Wait, correction, real ORGANIC beef STUFFED burgers! (Organic ground beef was on special at Sprouts.) Stuffed with what? Oh, just local, organic white cheddar! I mixed the beef with half a can of diced green chili peppers then made four very thin patties. Shredded cheese topped two of the patties. Then the remaining patties topped the cheese. I pressed the edges to seal the burgers, but they managed to ooze nonetheless. Who cares?! It’s a cheese-filled burger?! Topped with avocado and served with sweet potato fries. He was in burger heaven. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sunday: I wanted chicken and dumplings again before the weather grew too warm to eat it! I made it exactly the same as last time, except I had 2% milk instead of whole. It was sort of a fail. The difference in milk made the texture and consistency of this pot less appealing than my chicken and dumplings of last month. Still, it was totally edible and we went through two bowlfuls each. I believe that’s where the issue in texture comes in. Last time we each only ate one bowl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Monday: I found chicken bratwurst and Sprouts, and I had to try them! I love brats. The traditional pork ones are great. And I’ve had turkeys, which are an okay, healthier substitute. So, I was intrigued by the chicken ones, and from a real meat counter no less. Per the butcher’s suggestion, I broiled them in the over on a rack for 30 minutes at 350. To finish them, I simply seared the skins in a very hot skillet. While the brats were in the oven, I glazed baby organic carrots in butter and brown sugar and simmered sauerkraut until nearly dry. The mustard was a bit odd. I had a waning container of Dijon and brown mustards. Not enough in either, and both were entirely stuck to the sides of the jars! Enter a little water and a sauce pan! I rinsed and shook each container into the pan, set it to simmer, and added brown mustard seeds, pepper, and a little extra horseradish to the mix. Then I just whisked it occasionally until it thickened back up. It made and excellent dipper. And the chicken brats? They were perfection! Juicy and bursting with flavor. Delish!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Tuesday: I had about 1/3 pound of ground beef left from the burgers that I’d reserved for taco night! I browned the beef, drained it, and added all the usual “taco” spices: garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and salt. I don’t like seasoning packets for this. I want to control the level of each spice. Just add water and let it simmer till thickened. I added the same spices to a jar of refried black beans and nuked them till warm. The refried beans and seasoned ground beef were stuffed inside La Tortilla Factory wheat corn tortillas topped with a pinch of shredded jack and sliced avocado. One the side, I pan-fried some sweet potatoes that I’d diced and roasted when the brats were in the oven the day before. Might as well multi-task right?? I’d coated the potatoes with sunflower oil when roasting them, and since the pan was non-stick, they didn’t require any additional oil to pan-fry. Tacos are comfort food for me! I just loved the combo on these. I sprinkled chili powder and cayenne on the pan-fried sweet potatoes. They were sweet and spicy, crispy and gooey all at once. Perfection. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Wednesday: Dinner started with a gigantic glass of wine. For me, not for the dinner. To say I had a hard day wouldn’t cover it. So, dinner was desperately simple: jarred sauce, frozen ravioli, garlic bread. The jarred sauce was left over from last week’s eggplant pizza: Mezzetta’s Artichoke Parmesan Marinara. This sauce is fantastic. So thick, more the consistency of a pesto than a marinara. The frozen ravis were my favorite: Central Market’s organic ricotta and goat cheese. I boiled the ravioli, laid them on a bed of spinach, heated the sauce in the pasta pot, and spooned it on top. Totally lazy right? Yes, but also totally delicious. I made garlic bread on the side out of Nature’s Pride potato bread. Num. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Thursday: This is a "clean out the fridge" meal. I soaked wheat berries over night then cooked in broth. To the side, I sauteed onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and quartered frozen sprouts. Once things looked lovely and caramelized, I added pinches of flour until the veggies were lightly coated. Then I poured the wheat berries into the veggies, broth and all. The two cooked together until a nice, thick sauce formed. Finally, I added a can of Starkist Roasted Garlic marinated yellowfin tuna. The tuna was too strong for me. Don't think I'll be using it again....but we ate it for dinner anyhow. Live and learn? Everything else was so good together. So, either leave out the tuna and have a veggie meal or perhaps chicken would be better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Riley has been a BEAST this week. She's decided I don't matter, so she's not minding me. I certainly hope that she's better next week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, you puppy! Cuteness does not make up for being bad!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I hope you have a great weekend! I have exciting news tomorrow!!!</span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-2584033501630029812011-01-27T19:43:00.000-06:002011-01-27T19:43:04.922-06:00The good stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband came home with flowers.</div>
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He told me to draw a bath and pour a glass of wine.</div>
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He put Pandora on the Maroon 5 channel.</div>
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Then he took the dog for a long walk. </div>
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Bliss.</div>
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I don't know how I deserve him.</div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-58063948447225258232011-01-27T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-27T06:30:01.516-06:00Prescription for a daydream<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">What would change about my life if I didn’t have to go to work:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I’d workout. <i>No, not more. Just workout. I pretty much never do anymore.</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TUC5IIL4VsI/AAAAAAAADMY/OsizIXYnLjo/s1600/DSC01943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TUC5IIL4VsI/AAAAAAAADMY/OsizIXYnLjo/s400/DSC01943.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I’d play with the dog WAY more. <i>As it stands, she gets about 10-20 minutes out of me in the morning and again in the evening, then I have more pressing things to do.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I’d cook more thoughtful meals for us. <i>Instead of simply QUICK meals with very little variety or creativity….because those things take time and are reserved for the weekend!</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TUC8RJUALrI/AAAAAAAADMc/O4xfMog04vw/s1600/DSC02160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TUC8RJUALrI/AAAAAAAADMc/O4xfMog04vw/s400/DSC02160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">This blog would be WAY better. <i>More content, more photos, more life. I don’t think any of you really want to hear about my day-to-day as an accountant, right? </i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.prophix.com/humor/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source)</span></a> </span><a href="http://www.prophix.com/common/images/humor/cfo-jokes8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://www.prophix.com/common/images/humor/cfo-jokes8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I’d have a clean house. <i>It’s currently covered in dog hair and puppy footprints.</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TSpspfHY0SI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/CL1awa-mfhc/s1600/DSC03273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TSpspfHY0SI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/CL1awa-mfhc/s400/DSC03273.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I wouldn’t stress as much about work environment. <i>No, instead I’d stress about lack of funds….because apparently I require X amount of stress in my life in order to function. I’m kind of ridiculous like that. </i></span></li>
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<a href="http://www.emailgoodies.faketrix.com/pics-office-humor-work-comedy-funny-jobs-picture-5-stress-reduction-kit.htm"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source) </span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">We’d be on a MUCH tighter budget. <i>I’m already a cheapskate, so you can imagine! Organic what?! No, no, no.</i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I’d never be considering buying a new car while the Element was still running. <i>I’m kind of amazed I’m considering it anyhow! It’s so not like my cheap self. But there is a plan and sound reasoning in place. </i></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">My Etsy shop would likely have merchandise in it. <i>Whoopsie! Totally let that one fall by the wayside, didn’t I?</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TRk9b3_0sxI/AAAAAAAACv0/-WxVbb7YMsM/s1600/DSC03013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TRk9b3_0sxI/AAAAAAAACv0/-WxVbb7YMsM/s400/DSC03013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Don’t worry. Nothing is changing. I’m still going to work every day. This was just a little exercise in daydreaming. It was prescribed to me by my optometrist. She told me that the best thing for my eye strain issues was simply to stop staring at the computer screen and let my eyes go out of focus a couple times a day. This is the result of one of those unfocused moments. <br /><br />What would change about your life if you didn’t have to work? </span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-57043363927177165002011-01-26T06:30:00.001-06:002011-01-26T06:30:01.009-06:00Encouraging newsFor the first time, I think there might be progress on the <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/09/one-ring.html">ring</a> front. I went to the jewelry store today, expecting the same blaize brush off I've been getting from the jeweler. <br />
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To my surprise, he was actually pleasant. He realized he didn't have any info on me in his customer files (after having my ring for five month, I never made it into the system, huh?) and added me. He even took an email address and promised photos of the mock-up next week for my approval. <br />
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I was floored. Had I received this sort of reception the other times I'd gone in instead of having him call my husband a smartass, I think I would have been far less frustrated during this whole process! <br />
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All I can say is that I hope this time it's genuine. It's been five months. My wedding anniversary is in less than a month. I would absolutely love having my replacement by then. I'm not holding my breath, but I am far more hopeful that I've allowed myself to be in quite some time. <br />
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What are you hopeful about right now? <br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-27341496592028108082011-01-25T06:30:00.003-06:002011-01-25T06:30:03.434-06:00Granola - Attempt #7I asked my hubby what kind of granola he wanted this week. He said something with a berry. Okay, that's doable, but I don't really like dried fruit in my granola. A little is okay, but I'm not a fan of heavily fruited granolas.<br />
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My solution? Leave the dried fruit out! There are other ways to incorporate fruit if you don't mind purple-tinged granola.<br />
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Blackberry granola<br />
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1/4 c brown rice syrup<br />
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce<br />
1/4 c blackberry jam<br />
3 c rolled oats<br />
1/4 c milled flax<br />
1/2 c almonds<br />
1/4 c pepitas<br />
1/4 c sunflower seeds<br />
1/4 t salt<br />
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I started out by toasting my nuts and seeds because they are all raw. 10 minutes at 325 was plenty to get just a little color and aroma out of them.<br />
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Meanwhile, the first three ingredients were heated slowly over a low heat until well incorporated and very pourable.<br />
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The remaining ingredients including the pre-toasted nuts and seeds were combined and the syrup pour over. Fold until everything is a lovely purple color and evenly coated.<br />
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I baked the granola at 325, stirring every 10 minutes till dry. This batch took 40 minutes.<br />
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Unfortunately, the granola isn't nearly as purple as I'd hoped, but the berry taste is still there. I think next time I'll up the jam a bit but leave everything else the same.<br />
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What crazy flavors would you like to see worked into a granola recipe?Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-78752755229740803322011-01-24T06:30:00.004-06:002011-01-25T09:12:13.297-06:00First sconesI happen to be head over heels with scones. I live the biscuit quality they have while incorporating more intriguing flavors like a muffin.<br />
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I knew I wanted something with blueberries and the two over-ripe bananas on my cabinet. I set out in search of a muffin recipe. Then I was tempted by a scone recipe. Torn and too tired to make a decision between the two, I went with both, naturally.<br />
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Blueberry banana scone<br />
<i>(Inspired by <a href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2010/10/14/pumpkintervention/" mce_href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2010/10/14/pumpkintervention/">Mama Pea</a>)</i><br />
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2 beyond-ripe bananas<br />
1/4 c plus 1 T milk (I used Good Karma's Whole Grain Unsweetened Rice Milk)<br />
1/2 t apple cider vinegar<br />
1/2 t baking soda<br />
1 t vanilla extract<br />
2 c whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/4 c sugar<br />
1/4 c brown sugar<br />
1 1/2 t baking powder<br />
1/4 t cream of tartar<br />
1/2 t fine sea salt<br />
1/2 c vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance Shortening Sticks)<br />
1/2 c blueberries<br />
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As with Mama Pea's pumpkin version, combine the first 5 ingredients and set aside. I added the vanilla since I left out all of the pumpkin pie-type spices.<br />
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In a larger bowl, add flour through sea salt and stir well.<br />
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Then add shortening, cut into small bits. I used a cheese grater. WAY easier than trying to cut that slick stuff with a knife!<br />
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Add the shortening to the flour mixture and cut it in with two forks (I have a pastry cutter coming in my next<br />
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Once crumbly, I added the banana and milk mixture to the flour and folded it in. This is where I discovered that a half cup of milk is just a tad shy. I needed an extra tablespoon for the mixture to form a ball.<br />
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At this point, I added my blueberries and folded them in by hand. I didn't want to crush the little blue beauties.<br />
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This meant I couldn't roll my dough out. I'd have squashed every single berry. So, instead, I scooped them out like cookies. What....you've seen round scones before, right? Okay....so the shape is less than typical, but I will say that it made getting them out of the bowl and into the oven way faster and easier.<br />
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20 minutes later.....golden tops and soft insides. The blueberries burst with every bite. Tender and delicious. Quite the winner!<br />
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Do you have a favorite scone? Mine is this one the bakery at Scarborough Faire makes with candied ginger!Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-58973818908266386702011-01-23T08:12:00.000-06:002011-01-23T08:12:53.015-06:00Day of firsts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, I bought my very first LaraBar. Yes, I realize I am WAY behind the times. I also realized I started making something similar at home before I tried the real thing. And let me say that I am very glad about that last fact, because I never would have started to make them at home if I'd tried this first. I am hoping I just selected a bad flavor, because I did not care for this at all. I ate enough bites to steady my blood sugar and discarded the rest. <br />
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It was also Riley's very first day at Doggy Daycare! I took her <a href="http://www.caninecourtyard.com/">Canine Courtyard</a> in Flower Mound.<br />
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This is how she looked when I got her back. </div>
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<br />She was struggling so hard to keep her eyes open on the way home! She finally gave in and collapsed on my hand, half falling off the front seat.</div>
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Immediately upon coming home, she did this. </div>
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Then relocated for this.</div>
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Which resulted in lots of this.</div>
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She perked up for about an hour in the evening while I was cooking, but then she curled into so tight a little ball that I decided to cover her up.</div>
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And this was the result after she's realized it was cozy and warm.</div>
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I'm very pleased with the daycare! She never exhibited any fear while I was there. The lady at the counters said that she and her husband run it together, and you can tell she loves dogs and knows how to handle them. They put Riley in a separate run where she could "sniff out" the doggy she'd be playing with later and acclimatize herself to the area. They match the dogs by size first. So, she told me Riley was paired with a pit bull. Hey, she's THAT big now. Anyhow, the pit proved to be a bit too aggressive. She said that as soon as Riley showed that she was scared (usually it's her tail that will let us know), she was put with a group of smaller, extremely hyper dogs. She fit right in there! When I returned, I got to see Riley and her playmates in an indoor play area via closed circuit cam. She was playing happily and even sprawled out on the floor to rest at one point. Her tail was wagging nearly nonstop. She was happy, happy. YAY! Our half day trial was free, and you can bet we'll be back soon. It's totally affordable, and having a calm dog all evening was well worth the cost! As a bonus, they board. So hopefully, we've found a kennel as well as a solution for very busy weekends. </div>
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Have you ever taken your doggy to daycare?</div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-91075919698827438812011-01-22T07:17:00.000-06:002011-01-22T07:17:02.399-06:00Through the looking glasses?That whole business of <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-resolution-but-mantra.html">doing scary things</a> is moving forward. <br />
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Last week, the scary thing was <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-your-gramas-cookin.html">the brisket</a>. While that didn't turn out ideally, the chopped beef creations were delicious. I will be trying it again, and I feel confident that I can do a much better job the second time around. <br />
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The fear to be faced this week is, again, two-fold. It will require money and just doing something I have grown to hate. What is that, you ask? Wearing glasses. I know, silly, right?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Me going to the 8th grade homecoming dance in 1992)</span></div>
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For some background, I've worn glasses off and on my entire life. I had a weak eye as a child, which crossed severely. So, at two or three, I had coke bottle lenses in order to correct my wayward eye. I stayed in glasses until high school. It totally worked. My right eye only crosses when I'm very tired (or drunk). <br />
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As an adult, I had prescription reading glasses off and on, mostly when I could afford to get them. They were meant to be worn whenever I was at a computer. I'm on a computer all day at work. In case you don't know, computer monitors are hell on the eyes! My last pair was misplaced when I was going through a divorce (truthfully, I think they got thrown out in the chaos), and I was in no position to replace them. <br />
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It has now become overwhelmingly apparent that I need glasses again. I'm getting frequent headaches with black spots in my field of vision and have had an ongoing twitch in my "good" eye for the last three weeks. Oh, and I really should have failed my vision test at the DMV in February when I changed my name. She let me try it like six times. Thank God I have a memory because I just kept track of what I'd said and went through all the options of what those fuzzy shapes could possibly be! <br />
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So, the bullet has been bitten. Glasses are being ordered. I am not happy about spending the money (ehm...my $160 a month health insurance doesn't have vision coverage!) or about being chained to glasses again. But I can't handle the headaches or the spasms any longer. <br />
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Oh....and the husband says he finds girls in glasses sexy. That's a perk, right??Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-1467577183442318752011-01-21T06:30:00.009-06:002011-01-21T06:30:02.098-06:00Food in ReviewOkay, so you all know of my tragic brisket on Sunday. Thankfully, one bad meal did not define the week's meals as a whole.<br />
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Sunday: I used the recipe described <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-oven-baked-brisket.html">here</a>. The flavor was great. The cooking time should probably be adjusted, or the temp, as I have been informed by someone I trust that I did not cook it long enough. The sweet potato was amazing...cooked for over an hour in the stove with the brisket.<br />
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Monday: We test drove cars, so we did the $1 pulled pork sandwich deal at Dickey's. Delicious.<br />
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Tuesday: I had chopped brisket on the mind. I thought it was the only way to save a tough brisket, which was backed by others. I chopped most of the remaining brisket and simmered it in the remainder of a dwindling jar of salsa. Meanwhile, I played with something new! I've eaten plantains in Brazilian restaurants before, but never cooked with them. I decided to go with baked plantain chips. I tossed the sliced plantain in sunflower oil, salt, pepper, and hot smoked paprika then baked at 375 for about 18 minutes, turning once. The result was might crisp and filling. I do believe another good glug of oil would have been good though. They were a bit dry. I served the chopped beef in La Tortilla Factory half wheat/half corn whole grain tortillas. Oh man, those tortillas were killer. If you find them (these were at my local Kroger and very affordable), try them. Great texture and flavor. No compromise needed for going healthy on these. <br />
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Wednesday: I wanted stuffed acorn squash. I know, typical. About every third week, I crave roasted squash. This one was very similar to all my others. I baked the squash at 400 for almost an hour and cooked up some kamut the night before. So, when it came dinner Wednesday, I just reheated the squash and made the filling. This filling started with sauteed garlic and onions. I added these amazing chicken sausages I found at Central Market. They were orange cranberry walnut with actual segments of orange, whole cranberries, and chunks of walnut. Oh my goodness. Must have more. I went with the citrus theme and added the juice of an entire lemon and two teaspoon of tahini with some veggie stock to flavor the kamut. I threw in a little kale for something green and let it simmer till all of the stock was gone. This was heaven. </div>
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Thursday: Pizza time. Pizza Melanzana! Okay, I made that up. But I bet the Italians like eggplant on pizza....wouldn't you think? I used the same <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5883.0">crust </a>as last time the night before. When I got home, I peeled and roasted an eggplant at 350 with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flake till gooey. I topped my pizza with a sauce I found on sale that looked great....Artichoke Parmesan Marinara by Mezzetta who make the giardiniera that I love. The whole thing was covered in shredded jack and parm then baked till GBD (sorry, channeled my inner Alton there...that's Golden Brown and Delicious). The crust was SPOT ON this time, just the right amount of chewiness, fluffy, and light. The eggplant melted into the pizza. I cannot wait to eat this again! <br />
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And a little view from my evening on the floor with Ri. <br />
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Happy Friday!Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-35537312846007439292011-01-20T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-20T06:30:00.415-06:00Challenge acceptedI was issued a bit of a challenge by one little <a href="http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/">PurpleBird </a>regarding kale and nutritional yeast. I've never had either. She basically told me to stop being a chicken and eat the darn stuff! And well, that's exactly what I did.<br />
<br />
I went on a hunt for a baked kale chip recipe and the first one that popped up was <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/baked-kale-chips/">Smitten Kitchen's version</a>. Well, that blog makes me drool so I didn't bother to look any further. <br />
<br />
I used her method, but added some flare of my own. <br />
<br />
Spicy sesame kale chips<br />
3 large leaves of kale<br />
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil<br />
1 teaspoon of olive oil<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast<br />
sprinkling of smoked hot pakrika<br />
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Tossed together and baked for 18 minutes at 300.<br />
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The verdict? Well the smell is unique. Green and stinky akin brussel sprouts. The kale will literally shatter it's so crisp. The flavor though, hmm, yeah......I have to be honest. I don't like it. I gave a piece to my husband, he wrinkled his entire face and loudly proclaimed "Eeeewwwwww!!!" and gave the other half of the piece back. I'll be trying them again after they've cooled to see if that makes all the difference.<br />
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I feel like a bad blogger. I'm supposed to love these, right? ;) Maybe I'd like it better if I did the <a href="http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/lemony-miso-tilapia-and-a-new-kale-chip/">hummus trick</a> that Christin does? Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-36431446500888656512011-01-19T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-19T06:30:00.709-06:00Test Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7157571924543396" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m in sort of a negative rut. Perhaps my brisket knew this? Anyhow, today I’m focusing on the positive. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">First
up.....and oh so exciting....my <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/10/showered.html">girlfriend at work</a> is being induced
today! I am so happy for her and her man. I hope their little girl
comes into this world smoothly and swiftly. I cannot wait to meet the
little missy.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Secondly,
I test drove THREE cars on Monday night! Okay, I have to confess,
window shopping is one of my very favorite things. I absolutely dread
actually spending money, but daydreaming about spending money is sheer
bliss to me. This applies to large and small purchases, but I
especially enjoy the shopping process when it comes to larger purchases
(you know, until I have to part with real money.....eek!). I love doing
research and testing things out. So, test driving cars, “building”
them online, and researching reviews is just downright fun! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">First up: <a href="http://www.toyota.com/fjcruiser/">Toyota FJ Cruiser</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2011/fjcruiser/gallery/full/2011_fj_ext13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2011/fjcruiser/gallery/full/2011_fj_ext13.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.toyota.com/fjcruiser/photo-gallery.html">(Source)</a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Next: <a href="http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/index.html">Subaru Forester</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><a href="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2011/Subaru/2011.subaru.forester.20356392-E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2011/Subaru/2011.subaru.forester.20356392-E.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.edmunds.com/subaru/forester/2011/quickquotes.html?zip=76201&">(Source) </a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally: <a href="http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback/index.html">Subaru Outback</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2011/Subaru/2011.subaru.outback.20338383-E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2011/Subaru/2011.subaru.outback.20338383-E.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.edmunds.com/subaru/outback/2011/quickquotes.html?zip=76201&"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>(Source)</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Several weeks ago: <a href="http://www.hyundaiusa.com/tucson/">Hyundai Tucson</a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hyundaiusa.com/images/HyundaiUSA/Vehicles/Tucson/2010/gallery/big/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hyundaiusa.com/images/HyundaiUSA/Vehicles/Tucson/2010/gallery/big/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.hyundaiusa.com/tucson/gallery.aspx"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source)</span></a><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All
of this test driving is in attempt to find an alternative to the
<a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-element.html">Element</a>, since it has been <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/12/sad-news.html">discontinued</a>. I was holding out hope that
the 2012 Elements would have the features I really want in a car like
integrated bluetooth, an iPod connection that allows the music to be
controlled through the car instead of the actual iPod, and controls on
the steering wheel for both. I realize those things seem rather
frivolous, but I drive a lot! My commute is long and boring. It’s not
really safe to look down at my iPod or my phone, so I rarely use either.
Now that I know how nice it is to have those things (the hubby’s car
does all that and more), I sort of want them too. Yeah, I know, that’s
just wrong! What can I say....I want some bells. And maybe even a
whistle or two. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Does
anyone have experience with any of those models above? Or do you think
I should just stick to the paid off (though very, very base model)
Element? </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-33991785347660687392011-01-18T06:30:00.001-06:002011-01-18T06:30:01.385-06:00Not your grama's cookin'<span id="internal-source-marker_0.0015223890939404239" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spoiler Alert!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
made a brisket this week. I’ll tell you the hows and such on Friday,
as usual, but the brisket is sort of integral to what I’m about to say
next, so sorry if I’ve sort of ruined the whole “reveal” on the Food in
Review post. I promise, there will be more than JUST brisket.
Especially after what I’m about to confess.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
I made my very first brisket! I was so excited to be making it. My
grama is the queen extraordinaire of southern oven-baked briskets.
She’s always told me to look for one with lots of fat still on it and
cook it low and slow. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve
had this brisket in my freezer since the end of the farmer’s market,
and it seemed a good week to work meals around a brisket. I cooked it
for hours at 225-250ish (my oven sucks at holding a steady temp), and my
house smelled delicious. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At
dinner time, I started to “disassemble” my brisket. Right off the bat,
something was wrong. My fat hadn’t really shrunk any. Grama’s
disintegrates upon a single touch. My meat was hard to cut. Her’s
doesn’t require cutting. It actually took SO LONG to cut it that the
meat got cold and I had to reheat our dinner portions. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Horrible.
Tough. Dry. Upon my first, I dropped my silverware in my plate,
threw my face in my hands, and had to start doing some seriously focused
breathing to keep from bursting into tears. Another mediocre, barely
edible dinner. WTF?! Oh my grama would be horrified at this
monstrosity of a brisket! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We
ate it. The flavor was actually quite nice, just the texture and
chew-ability was all wrong. It wans’t what I’d expected at all. I’ll
be attempting to salvage it by turning it into chopped beef (with a
backup plan in case the chopped beef idea is also a total failure). </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
tell you all this to say.....bad meal happen. Even to people who love
to cook and cook often. Just like the pancake debacle two Sundays ago
(though I blame a bad recipe on that one). My only saving grace is that
idea that perhaps this brisket was a bad cut, but I got it from a good
source. So, I’m just going to take the hit on this one and call it a
day. Sometimes I make things that don’t turn out. That doesn’t mean
I’m a bad cook and should never try again. It probably also doesn’t
mean that I need to fling flatware and cry, but hey....I’m only human. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Anyone got a kitchen disaster they’d like to share? </span>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-44349415461364136982011-01-17T06:30:00.002-06:002011-01-17T20:07:07.847-06:00Pancake redemptionLast Sunday, my husband asked for pancakes. I searched a couple of my favorite blogs, picked one, and made pancakes. We had guests, so I made a LOT of pancakes. Our guests arose, not realizing the time, and rushed out the door in order to make it home in time for prior obligations. No worries, I don't mind re-toasting a pancake during the week. My husband and I sat down to with our steamy, maple drizzled cakes and dug in.....and immediately threw the entire batch in the trash! Worst pancake ever.<br />
<br />
So, this Sunday, I was determined to redeem myself in the pancake department. I wanted them to be wheat and contain oatmeal. After about an hour of searching (my hubby doesn't eat until he's been awake for quite some time), I found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for that looked very promising.<br />
<br />
These <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-golden-oat-pancakes-022127">Golden Oat Pancakes</a> from The Kitchn were very simple to make with simple ingredients. I made two swaps: molasses for brown sugar and whole wheat flour for "flour" (it didn't specify). <br />
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The batter got bubbly, just like it was supposed to.<br />
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The cakes pumped and turned golden.<br />
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The texture of these simple, fluffy cakes were spot on. Nice and tender. My husband said they had an after taste, but I couldn't detect it. I served mine with a slather of homemade PB and maple. My hubby is a purist....just syrup.<br />
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Pancake craving pulverized! Huzzah! Victory really does taste sweet....or maybe that was the maple syrup.Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-37994664079044069312011-01-16T06:49:00.000-06:002011-01-16T06:49:57.815-06:00Another party meal<br />
My friends decided I needed to hold another Pampered Chef party, to which, I happily complied. I love hosting parties. To me, party = good food. Right? I get the chance to feed far more people than I usually get to. Feeding people is a bit of a thrill for me. Being that it was sooooo cold this week, I went with chili. I know, right, I just had chili. Exactly. So I changed it up. This is my first vegetarian chili! <br />
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I used a huge organic sweet potato, peeled and cubed, for the bulk of the chili. I also added an entire onion, an organic zucchini a can of black beans, Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes (instead of the kidneys in the photo....seemed too beany), roasted pablanos, tomato sauce, and a chili kit. <br />
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The onion was first up! I let it sweat then added the sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, two cans of water, and all the seasonings from the kit. As a note, next time I'll only use 3/4 of the chili powder. It was a little overwhelming at first bite, but then it tasted perfect a couple bites in. Still, I wouldn't want anyone turning it away because of the strong chili bite at the beginning of the dish. <br />
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While that simmered away for 30 minutes, these bad boys were roasting away. Look how black they get! <br />
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After 30 minutes, I mixed the masa with water and added all the other ingredients. I let this simmer another half hour then put it away for serving at the party. The chili had the change to chill in the fridge for a couple days. I honestly feel that chili is best after a day or two, just like lasagna. So, this was intentional.<br />
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The day of the party, I warmed in on the stove while I made <a href="http://edibleperspective.com/2010/01/veggie-chili-cornbread/">this cornbread</a>, only I made it in muffin form for easy serving so I nixed the melty butter step. That seemed like too much work for each muffin cup! <br />
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Somehow I managed not to get one single photo of the finished goods, but let me just say that everyone gobbled it up and no one missed the meat. The sweet potatoes melted upon contact with your tongue creating a creamy sweet pillow against the spice. The combination is phenomenal! I would make this again in a heartbeat and serve it to even the meatiest of eaters. <br />
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The best part (other than it being ridiculously good)? Feeding a crowd on just a few bucks! The whole pot (and it was a huge pot, the net was probably 10-12 cups) was roughly $6....and I made the cornbread out of pantry staples. Ah, how I love a well stocked pantry! <br />
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What's your favorite crowd pleasing dish?! Chili is always one of mine, but this was a nice twist!Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-23254494465303891942011-01-15T06:30:00.001-06:002011-01-15T06:30:02.352-06:00Pet therapyThis week, I had to take a personal day. The premise started out simply that the dog threw up really early in the morning. So, after cleaning that, I was wide awake....and extremely sick to my stomach. Whatever she got into made her smell like death! <br />
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As you can imagine, I didn't go back to sleep. Instead, I went about the business of getting ready for work. Then I realized that the dog wasn't quite right. Usually, if she throws up, she's fine and dandy after. Fresh as a daisy, as it were. Not this time. She was trying to snuggle me and whimpering....and gassing me out of the house! Call me crazy - yes, I realize she's just a dog - but I couldn't go to work with her in that condition. I would have worried about her vomitting in her crate all day long. That's no way to be. <br />
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Thankfully, my boss is a dog owner and my work was all caught up. I took a personal day to stay with the whimpering pup. <br />
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She slept in my lap all day long. Literally, all day long. There were a few times she went outside, but she'd come right back in, curl up in my lap, and fall asleep. Somewhere around lunchtime, I realized that even though I stayed home for the dog, it was really me that needed the snuggling. <br />
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Having a puppy all snuggled in my lap, warm and twitching in her sleep, was good for my soul. During the periods that she'd go outside and play, I did some cleaning that was long overdue and made three different butters. I fixed the photos for my blog during her naps. All of this stuff was severely stressing me out. I realize that sweeping, dusting, and nut butters shouldn't stress a person out, but it does. Dirty houses stress me out. Lingering, unfinished projects stress me out. Feeling like I don't spend enough time focused on my family stresses me out. Fixing some of those things felt cathartic. And quite frankly, parts of my work stress me out, so NOT dealing with that was blissful too. <br />
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I'd hoped to end my cathartic day with some yoga, since I still have my 10 day pass, but the highway to the studio is closed! Guess that's my cue that I'm just supposed to be in my home and with my family....no where else. <br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-23810257876945322702011-01-14T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-14T06:30:00.568-06:00Food in Review<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.538562778414093" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You’d
think from the fact that we got over 10” of snow last winter, that snow
wouldn’t be quite the big deal when we get 3” the next year. Not so!
I think it would have to get up to 10” regularly before we DFW area
Texans stop marveling at this crazy thing called snow. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
snow set the pace for a the week, which is basically to say that it was
colder than a witch’s, um, toe this week and required warm, comforting
food! Seriously, most nights were in the teens here. That’s cold.
Period. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday:
Well, I think we can all agree that chilly weather calls
for......chili! I realize this is FAR from original, and you’ve seen my
chili before. But wanted to show you what goes into my process. I
tend to let my chili cook for hours to get all the flavors nice and
acquainted. The other tidbit about this week is that all the dinners
had to be really quick because I intended to do the 10 day unlimited
yoga trial after work every day. So, yes, our meals revolved around the
chili.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">First
up, brown some meat (or don’t, vegetarian is good too.....I’m doing
that soon). This was the last pound of the ground beef I got from the
farmers’ market. Once it was browned, I drained the fat and added a
diced onion to sweat until translucent. The meat went back in, along
with a can of tomato sauce, two cans of water and all the seasonings
from the chili kit. Yes, I own all of these spices. But I love this
kit and how it turns out, so I just buy the kit. I only use half of the
“red pepper”, as an FYI. I love spice, but I also like to feel my
tongue. So, I guess technically, I make one alarm chili. That simmers
away for 30 minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile,
roast a couple pablanos. You can either stick them under the broiler,
turning until blackened, or stick them straight on an electric burner.
The result is extremely similar, except that I find the skin is easier
to feel using the broiler method. Once black, pop into a zip bag or a
bowl sealed tightly with plastic wrap. The key is just to allow the
peppers to steam. Again, this is helpful in removing the skin. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once
30 minutes are up, mix the masa from the kit (another reason I buy the
kit) with water, pour it into the chili and allow to simmer for another
20 minutes. At this point, add any fun stuff you want. My typical
chili gets the roasted pablanos (de-skinned, de-seeded, and chopped), a
can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, and a drained can of dark red kidney
beans. Really though....the door is wide open to add whatever suits
your palette! Once I stir my add-ins thoroughly, I let it simmer till
we’re ready to eat, however long that might be. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday’s
dinner was a simple bowl of chili with a dollop of organic sour cream,
grated sharp cheddar and multigrain tortilla chips on the side.
Perfection on a snowy night.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday:
When there is a vat of chili in the fridge, chili dogs are
irresistible! Especially when I happen to know my husband loves them.
I used Applegate Farms organic uncured beef franks for our chili dogs.
These guys were out of this world good! Seriously one of the most
flavorful dogs I’ve ever eaten. I didn’t feel like committing to an
entire bag of buns, so I used my newest obsession under the dogs: sea
salt ciabatta from the WF bakery. (Go out and get this! Put it in a
breakfast casserole. Thank me later.) I was leery about the ciabatta,
but it was a foolish worry! It held up beautifully! No sogginess. No
tearing. Just thick, chewy bread in every bite. I tried a little
experiment and split a dog down the middle. I’ll be doing the rest this
way when I cook them. Great for stability since we weren’t using
traditional buns. The ciabatta and wieners were doused in chili, onion,
and cheese, of course. More multigrain tortilla chips on the side.
Dinner was done in 15 minutes. Gotta love that! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuesday:
Another quick and easy pleaser: chili topped taters. I “baked” the
russets in the microwave, split them, filled them with chili cheese, and
sour cream. Dinner. Done. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednesday:
I had another chili recipe planned out, but lacked the cheese to bring
it to fruition. So, I changed the focus from chili to chowder. I had a
box of Pacific Natural Foods rosemary potato chowder, and I wanted to
make it into dinner for two. So, I diced up a russet and a half (left
over from the Tuesday.....I bought extras). I added a pat of organic
butter and some olive oil to my pan with a little diced onion (left over
from the chili dogs) and the diced potatoes. They sauteed until the
potatoes were just a starting to get color and the onion was soft. Then
I got a little weird, with the husband’s blessing. I split two of the
Applegate Farms beef dogs down the middle, sliced them thin, and added
them to the potatoes. In went the box of chowder and some veggie stock
to thin it out. It simmered, covered for about 15 minutes while more
sea salt ciabatta reheated at 350 in the oven. The resulting chowder
was extra thick, warm, and utterly DE-licious! I know the hot dogs are
probably a little ghetto, but they worked. Oh man did they work. These
might be the best dogs I’ve ever eaten. The texture is strictly hot
dog , but the flavor is far more like kielbasa or smoked sausage: hearty
and noticeable. And I’ll hand it to the Pacific soups. So far, I’ve
had two and both have been rich, thick, and full of flavor with
excellent ingredients lists. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thursday:
Hot dog alert! Yeah, two days in a row. I know. Nothing right about
me. And on nachos. Really? Yeah, I went there. The package says to
use them within 4 days of opening. I got a little creative. Sue me. Okay, well, the husband was quite fond. I found it meh....I wouldn't recommend it, personally. But that's really the great part of cooking: you get to try it and see for yourself!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And some Riley for the road....thought she's bounced between sweet, sickly pup to hellhound this week! Lord give me strength.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-52528049155729441762011-01-13T06:30:00.008-06:002011-01-13T06:30:01.089-06:00Lesson learnedRoughly four hours were spent correcting my stupidity in order for me to continue posting photos on my blog. Basically, I didn't realize that my camera took HUGE, MASSIVE photos. I'd naively been pulling photos off of the camera and posting them directly onto the blog. Tuesday, Blogger let me know that I had no more space available for photos. It did not take my husband long to figure out what I'd done wrong. (Whaaa, whaaa!)<br />
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I'm happy to say that all of the photos have been resized, and I have lots of space left. As a matter of fact, I went from 99.9% full to 10.29%. Huzzah! Yeah, I know, I'm a dunce. That's something I really should have known. Lesson learned, right?? Another thing I learned, Picasa's editor Picnik is really cool. I find photo editors too complex, mostly because I haven't taken the time to learn how each function works. So, until I get more serious and take a class, I think I'll definitely be putting Picnik to use!<br />
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For today, I wanted to share a delicious and embarrassingly simple lunch. I made this for us on Sunday with the snow falling, and I am so pleased with it.<br />
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I'd picked up this box of Annie's mac and cheese on a whim when I saw it on sale. It's been in the pantry for weeks. I'd forgotten about it until I reorganized the pantry and discovered it. I prefer to make my own cheese sauce, but sometimes you just want easy, right? I was intrigued by the fact that Annie's was at least healthier than the usual box of mac. This was the <a href="http://www.annies.com/organicmacandcheese#jump69">organic 5-grain elbows and white chedda</a>r, and according to their <a href="http://www.annies.com/uploads/4ca6507af0a4d.png">nutritionals</a>, there are 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber! <br />
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I cooked it according to box directions, added a pack of <a href="http://www.starkist.com/product/tuna-creations-hickory-smoked">Starkist smoked tuna</a>, a bunch of frozen peas, and a handful of parm. This was a seriously delicious and filling lunch, done in 10 minutes! I'm good with that.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TS3mbMMWypI/AAAAAAAAC_E/UaZ5MF2POoc/s1600/DSC03278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TS3mbMMWypI/AAAAAAAAC_E/UaZ5MF2POoc/s400/DSC03278.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-1950341582441686542011-01-12T06:30:00.003-06:002011-01-12T06:30:01.525-06:00Granola Bars - Attempt #7<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.21862012565027622" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
my lovely husband is working on something for me, and it seems it’s not
a moment too soon! There’s going to be some, how shall I put this,
redecorating around here! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
was given quite a scare yesterday when Blogger informed me that I was
completely out of room for any more photos. Can you imagine?! No more
photos of drool-worthy dinners? Or, heaven forbid, no more photos of
Riley!! The horror. (Okay, so maybe some of you would be totally okay
with these changes, but I am not.) So, he’s helping me fix it and
helping me be a more savvy blogger. Lord knows, I only know enough to
be dangerous when it comes to computers and the internets! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the interest of conservation while the hubs is fixing my mess (sorry
baby!), I’ll leave you with an entry a little light on photos but big on
taste. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
made <a href="http://www.fannetasticfood.com/recipes/no-bake-peanut-butter-granola-bars/">Anne’s 5-minute granola bars</a> this weekend. I made a couple
substitutions. I left out the coconut and added an extra ¼ seeds. So, I
had a cup of seeds total that included almonds, peanuts, sunflower
seeds, pepitas, and the dregs of a bag of chias. The other
substitution? Dark Chocolate PB. And let me tell you.....heaven
doesn’t even begin to describe it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
cannot wait to make this again....but with the my hubby in mind! I’m
going to try to mimic the flavors in one of his favorite cookies! Wish
me luck. </span></span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-88794584393747210442011-01-11T06:30:00.000-06:002011-01-11T06:30:01.069-06:00Puddin'<a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/05/complete-charmer.html">My</a> <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2010/05/photos-promised-photos-delivered.html">uncle</a> calls me that to this day! Even at 32! Love it.<br />
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And this is worth calling Puddin'. I drooled over <a href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2010/11/27/just-desserts/">Mama Pea's bread pudding</a> for far too long. I love bread pudding. I order it at restaurants. Yet I've never made the stuff! It was time I finally did something about it. With huge snow flakes fluttering to the ground, it seemed like a good day to make that happen.<br />
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If you recall from my pantry photos, there was a panettone in there (hiding on the bottom shelf).<br />
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That is not my favorite kind. I like the fruited pannettone far better than the chocolate one. My mother-in-law had three at Christmas: two chocolate and one fruited. She and I agree on the fruit and we pretty much ate the entire thing throughout Christmas day and into the next morning. Panettone, for those that might not know, is the eggy, doughy, orangy stuff that sweet dreams are made of. It's a traditional Italian Christmas bread.<br />
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I've always wanted to make a bread pudding out of panettone. Fantastic recipe + panettone just begging to be eaten before it goes bad = MUST DO, right?<br />
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I followed <a href="http://peasandthankyou.com/2010/11/27/just-desserts/">Mama Pea's recipe</a>, nearly to a tee. The only exception is that I used a loaf of panettone and subbed ground ginger and ground allspice for the cinnamon. My hubby does not eat cinnamon. No biggie. It was great with the other "pumpkin spices".<br />
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For the sauce, I subbed a tablespoon of maple for the whiskey....simply because I didn't have any whiskey. It would have been better with the booze, but I think the maple was a good choice. Maple, pumpkin, spices....that's a good combo in my book. <br />
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The top was crisp. The inside was creamy and chewy. The sauce was sweet but not overwhelming. Awesome, lovely bread puddin' bliss. <br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-7082298139876645312011-01-10T06:30:00.008-06:002011-01-10T06:30:01.347-06:00Riley's first snowI'm a little embarrassed to say exactly how much time I spent yesterday watching this.....<br />
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The snow fell in thick, fluffy flurries. And when it was done, this beautiful sunshine came out and glistened on all the fallen snow....and my romping puppy. It was a perfect day. I watched the snow fall from my kitchen window while I cooked and took trips outside to giggle at Riley's funny "snow run". There are bars, pudding, and a stupidly simple and delicious lunch to share, but this was a much better way to start the week, don't you agree?<br />
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Oh, and there's also this.....enjoy! <br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-29563047239481748502011-01-09T08:10:00.000-06:002011-01-09T08:10:12.615-06:00New yogini in town?So, I finally managed to <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-resolution-but-mantra.html">face a fear</a>, after a little <a href="http://secondchancehappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-quite-as-planned.html">trial and error</a>. On Thursday night, I took my very first yoga class in a real studio! <br />
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The studio is lovely with cornflower blue and dark chocolate walls. Three lovely velvet flower chandeliers hang from the ceiling over the practice area. Quirky signs fostering the idea that friends and smiles are all over the walls. <br />
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The Hairdresser and I took the Yoga Basics class. Turns out I knew every pose from my Biggest Loser Yoga DVD, but I had no idea if I was doing any of them correctly. During the second downward dog, I realized that I'd forgotten how challenging yoga is! We crackled and popped over in the corner together, but we made it through the entire class and felt so good afterward! It was the most loose I felt in a very long time. <br />
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I went back for a "Yoga for Awareness" class at 9am on Saturday. This one was far more sitting and breathing, but I can honestly say that I have never breathed that way. It was odd. I didn't dislike it, but I am not sure how much I enjoyed it either. What I did like was the philosophy the instructor was telling us while we practiced our breathing. Very insightful. "The most important thing is to be a good and kind person" He said it about five times throughout the hour. I liked that. <br />
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As I've already said, group exercise intimidates the heck out of me! But both instructors were very open to helping beginners. Both adjusted my positions without being demeaning. Instead, it was actually quite the opposite. It was more of "excellent position, but if you just correct your hip position a tiny bit" and WOW did that half an inch make a difference. The second instructor actually called me a natural yogini. I think that's a compliment, yes? <br />
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So, in case you're curious, the studio is called <a href="http://www.blueanjou.com/">Blue Anjou</a> in Lewisville, TX. They offer a promotion to any new students for unlimited yoga for 10 days for $10. That is unbeatable! I intend to go to as many classes as I can in the next 10 days. I intended to go to one this morning, but my shoulders cannot handle it. They are unbearably sore this morning. Again, I forgot that yoga is challenging! I'll definitely be there Monday evening for a Hatha class though! <br />
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Any thoughts on types of yoga? I really don't know my hatha from my asana! I cannot wait to tell you more as I discover it myself.Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-49319211247591924302011-01-08T07:51:00.000-06:002011-01-08T07:51:29.026-06:00Food in Review<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09097745866793039" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As
much as I love the holidays (and the long weekend that come with
them!), I am so glad to be back in control of our meals. That being
said, I went a little “easy” this week because getting back into the
swing of making all the meals and lunches again isn’t always
glitch-free. This turned out to be an excellent strategy because Riley
really had a hard time getting back to the normal schedule of no one at
home and her in a crate all day. She’s been a heathen this week!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Saturday:
Yes, I follow superstition and eat “new years luck” foods. I made a
pot of Bob’s Red Mill Bountiful Black beans with corny cornbread on the
side for lunch. There’s black-eyed peas in the bean mix. Black-eyed
peas are essential on new years day. So is cabbage. Ours came at
dinner in the form of sauerkraut served with beer brats and oven-fried
okra. Delightful! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday:
I wanted something we could feast on several times, and lasagna came
to mind. I made my own sauce out of a 15 oz. can of Muir Glen organic
fire roasted crushed tomatoes, a 15 oz. can of Private Selection organic
tomato sauce, a can of Private Selection organic tomato paste, sauteed
onion, garlic, s&p, dried oregano, red pepper flake and several cans
of water (using the tomato-y cans to get every last bit!). It simmered
for at least two-three hours until I was ready to make the lasagna. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Right
before assembly, I browned a pound of lean ground grass-fed beef (still
from the stock from the last farmers market) and created the cheese
mixture in my food processor. The filling consisted of an entire 16 oz.
container of part-skim ricotta, ¾ of a bag of shredded mozzarella, a
handful of parm (yes, I deem that a technical measurement!), a clove of
garlic, an egg, and a handful of cilantro. Okay, I know cilantro is NOT
parsley and you should use parsley in this dish. But I like cilantro
better, and it didn’t taste the least bit odd. Also, a trick for
getting the clove of garlic all chopped up nicely in a food processor is
to drop a skinned clove through the shoot at the top with the processor
running. So, that was actually the first ingredient in the kitty. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TShmPpUsd9I/AAAAAAAACD8/8lsRrA0Uxes/s1600/DSC03184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TShmPpUsd9I/AAAAAAAACD8/8lsRrA0Uxes/s400/DSC03184.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Okay,
after all that, it’s time to assemble the lasagna. (You can see why I
make this on the weekend, right? So many steps! So much waiting!)
Start with a layer of sauce in the bottom of a rectangular casserole
dish. Lay out three lasagna noodles. That’s right....raw straight out
of the box. I do not pre-cook my noodles. They cook in the sauce.
Next dollop cheese all down each noodle. I usually just drop about
four little mounds per noodle. You can try to spread it out, but it’s
sort of a futile mission, especially in the higher levels. I promise,
the cheese will spread out on it’s own. Next, sprinkle the ground beef
around then top, evenly but thinly, in sauce. Repeat, starting with the
three noodles until you’ve run out of ingredients or reached the
capacity of your casserole’s sides. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TShmsaoAGDI/AAAAAAAACEA/2gryNU7EiFk/s1600/DSC03186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZMIRlXbNfZk/TShmsaoAGDI/AAAAAAAACEA/2gryNU7EiFk/s400/DSC03186.JPG" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I try to make sure I reach both
limits at the same time....meaning that last layer might have extra
cheese because I’m not about to throw out any cheesy goodness. End the
process with three more noodles, sauce and the remaining ¼ of a bag of
mozzarella and another handful of parm. I also grind some Italian
spices on top (one of those grinder mixes from McCormick) to be pretty,
but I’m not sure it actually adds flavor. Take a second to gauge your
sauce level. The sauce around the noodles should come up the side of
the casserole at least halfway. Remember, we’re cooking our pasta in
there! That requires moisture. Mine was a tad lacking so I put a half
cup of water around the edge of the casserole. Cover the casserole
with tin foil coated in non-stick spray (this will keep that finishing
layer of cheese on the casserole and off the foil) and bake at 350 until
bubbly and the noodles are done. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It took mine an hour and a half.
Then let it sit at least 15 minutes. Else you’ll have a huge runny
mess on your hands and inedible left overs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Serve
with a salad and extra sauce....because you can. That’s why. This
lasagna was amazing. I haven’t made a lasagna in over a year (don’t
really know why other than it’s time intensive), and I was nervous as
can be that it wouldn’t turn out right. Thankfully, it did. And we ate
it Tuesday night and Thursday night as well!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday:
I had left over brats. I had cabbage because when you can get a whole
head of cabbage for $.21, it’s foolish not to. Then I had some other
random odds and ends in the fridge. In true kitchen sink fashion, I
decided to make an bastardized version of colcannon, which is an Irish
left over dish. Now, don’t go all Flogging Molly on me. I am totally
aware that what I made is NOT colcannon. But that was the inspiration,
nonetheless. I cubed up two random yukon golds from the veggie drawer
and allowed them to simmer in the little water until the moisture was
gone and they were close to fork-tender. Then I added and entire thinly
sliced onion (from the food processor....my slices are NEVER that
even). One the onion and potato were both soft and a little
caramelized, I took them out and added half a head of shredded cabbage
with some olive oil. I allowed that to get soft and lovely then added
it to the onion and potato on reserve. More olive oil went into the pan
along with two sliced brats. Once the brats were browned, I made a
quick sauce of dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar and veggie
stock. Once combined, everything went back into the pan to get evenly
coated. I had no clue if this would be good, but I had a pan of lasagna
in the fridge as a safety net. Thankfully, this required no such
saving. It was delightfully different. I love cabbage, so I might be
biased. I “mmmm”ed my way through the whole bowl. I’d totally do it
again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednedsay:
When I asked for inspiration for dinners for the week, the husband said
pizza. And I have the fancy new stand mixer. So, yeah, I had to make
real, yeasty pizza dough! This is a first! I’ve made non-yeasted pizza
dough. I’m made other things with yeast. I’ve bought real pizza
dough. I’ve never made it. I found a recipe that I really like the
looks of on <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5883.0">VegWeb</a> and made it Tuesday night when we had leftover
lasagna. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have an hour and a half
during my designated dinner prep time to wait for dough to rise? If you
do, I’d like to trade schedules with you, please. The dough came
together beautifully within about 15 minutes then rose on the stove
(turned on just enough to make a warm spot in the house) for the full
hour and a half. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wrapped that bad boy in saran and popped it in the
fridge for the next day’s dinner. I woke up Wednesday to find that the
dough had busted out of it’s saran wrap encasement. No big deal. I
just re-wrapped it and moved on. Wednesday night, I grated some
cheddar, sliced some onion, pulled out a container of BBQ sauce (Stubb’s
Spicy is SO good), and took some help from Dickie’s BBQ in the form of
pre-cooked pulled pork. I set the oven to 375 with my Pampered Chef
stoneware bar pan heating up inside while I rolled out the dough. Once I
was happy with the thickness, I pulled the hot bar pan out of the oven
and assembled the pizza. Fifteen minutes later the dough was puffy and
lightly golden, the cheese gooey, and the smell in my house out of this
world. My husband was so happy with this dish. And that makes me one
happy girl. I’ll definitely be doing this again....but doubling the
batch so I can freeze a doughball for quick use! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday: Seeing <a href="http://www.dailygarnish.com/2010/12/healthy-un-fried-rice-recipe.html">Emily's fried rice</a> made me what to make some. I did my own thing, because it's not my first fried rice party....and I wanted to use the stuff I had in the fridge. So, my fried rice had a small block of sprouted tofu (cooked a la <a href="http://www.dailygarnish.com/2010/01/how-to-a-tofu-tutorial.html">Emily's tutorial</a>), brown rice, cabbage, carrots, peas, onion, and scrambled eggs. I seasoned it with soy, sesame oil, srirasha, and a tiny bit of ground ginger. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As
I said, Riley’s been a bit of a beast this week, but she always
realizes when she’s been too bad too often. That’s when she turns into a
sweet little bundle of face licks that wants nothing more than to sit
in your lap and make you feel like the only person in the world that
matters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have a great weekend y'all!</span></span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-74621053141394917022011-01-07T06:30:00.004-06:002011-01-07T06:31:17.683-06:00My first blogger goodie swap!Okay, this is exciting to me. Very! I mean, I'm the kind that jumps up and down when someone I follow comments....or heck reads the blog but doesn't comment. I realize I've been doing this for over a year, but the excitement simply has not worn off.<br />
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I just retrieved a package from the porch, and I cannot wait to share it! Don't worry, the usual food in review post will be up tomorrow.<br />
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I've been exchanging comments and emails with Christin at <a href="http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/">Purple Bird Blog</a>, which has been totally awesome. I made a comment about not understanding the hype (and therefore being too cheap to buy) <a href="http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/barney-butternut-bean-bliss/">Barney Butter</a>. She generously offered to send me some sample packs. That blew me away. So, I offered up some granola (since it's probably the most creative thing I do). She went for it, and I started scheming.<br />
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The package I received was WAY cooler than the one I sent. My package had Zbars, barney butter, homemade <a href="http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/dough-balls-by-accident/">accidental dough balls</a>, 18 Rabbits granola, and a gorgeous scarf! I immediately ate a dough ball. My husband immediately ate a Zbar. :) The dough balls were coco-tastic! I loved it.<br />
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And look at this gorgeous scarf! I love the color.<br />
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Doesn't really go with the workout gear, but I think you get the idea. I dove into a Zbar after working out. I love the chewiness. And the Barney Butter. That stuff is velvet. It made a river through my oats this morning. I'd use it as an ice cream sauce, not as nut butter. Ooohhh, or on noodles in place of my usual peanut sauce. Yeah, one pack is definitely getting saved for that!<br />
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Thanks Christin!!!<br />
<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148180231575890791.post-13786026023574226122011-01-06T06:30:00.001-06:002011-01-06T06:30:00.351-06:00Not quite as planned<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7316234655446348" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
had big plans to attack life using my mantra this week! I don’t know
about you all, but when I set a goal or find a new outlook, I tend to go
for it with gusto right at the beginning. So, I had “scary” on the
brain. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
made three attempts at things that scare me for vastly different
reasons, and the universe just doesn’t seem to be cooperating. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Attempt
#1: I’ve been putting more and more thought into a graduate degree.
This is scary because of the expense and the amount of time it would
take. It’s a serious endeavor that I cannot enter into lightly. This
isn’t the same as going back to school to finish my bachelors like I did
in 2006. Then I was single, freshly divorced, and didn’t have anyone
but the cats depending on me. I wasn’t putting anyone else through hell
but myself! The financial risk of all the government loans I was
taking on way mine alone. No one else was affected if I stayed up till
1am finishing a project. Just me. Because believe me, the cats went to
bed without me! Or on whatever book I was trying to use at the time,
like cats do. Now, I have the husband. We have a big house to keep
clean and meals to make and a dog that demands lots of attention. The
debt we take on is both of our burden. And while that should make me
feel better, it really just makes me feel like a burden. I realize he
doesn’t see it that way AT ALL. This is my own little paranoia. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
going back to school is scary. On Monday, I sent out an email inquiry
into a program. I got some info, but no one could tell me if I should
(or could) attend an orientation being held this week. So, though I put
myself out there, I really don’t feel comfortable going to the
orientation this week. If it were labeled “info session” or something
along those lines, I’d be far more comfortable. I just wish someone
would have answered me one way or another. I’m not even sure what my next action should be. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Attempt
#2: This involves my ring. This one is scary because of the emotion
behind it and the fact that I hate confrontation. I will do just about
anything to avoid a fight. I don’t like fights! I haven’t gotten into
any confrontations with the jeweler about the ring, but I certainly am
not happy. The potential for confrontation is high! </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
marched myself into the store at lunch on Tuesday with a Project Get My
Diamond Back on the brain. I was basically shoo’ed out of the store in
minutes. No, I do not have my ring back, either in a new form or the
old. No, I still have not seen the artwork. I was given another “time
frame” and another “call you tomorrow”. And yet again, I have received
no phone call.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Attempt
#3: Group exercise intimidates me. I’m not the fittest. I’m not
coordinated. I don’t like being the center of attention. All of this
adds up to the fact that when I’m supposed to do synced moves that
require a certain level of fitness is nerve racking. But I also don’t
like going to a gym and cannot seem to motive myself to work out at
home. So, a fitness solution needs to be found.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
decided that yoga would be a good place to start. There’s one on my
way home. I decided to seize the moment on that particular anxiety, and
go to Tuesday’s evening class. I’ve been assured by others that yoga is
usually forgiving, and so I felt encouraged. I pulled up to the studio
25 minutes before class, because I assumed there be some paperwork for
payment-sake to find the studio completely dark and the doors locked.
So, I went home. No yoga for me! That one has a hopeful ending at
least! I emailed the studio and was told that they usually arrive 15
minutes before class, so I was just too early. Then I recruited the Hairdresser to go with me this evening! Fear hasn’t got a chance of
stopping me when I have a friend by my side!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So,
friends, I really did try to put myself out there this week, but it
just seemed like fail after fail. It left me rather listless by
Wednesday! I don’t really feel like I accomplished anything. Perhaps
next week will bring greater success?</span></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Has anyone else had better success with their new years goals? </span></span></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17058116818182975334noreply@blogger.com1