Sometimes I don't recognize myself
I just wanted to say that I was running late to church the other morning so just grabbed my makeup bag to take with me so that if I have a couple minutes before church starts I could fix myself before I go in.
Make up bag. I have a makeup bag. And I wear makeup more often than on special occasions. Very strange.
Then I was making myself a grilled cheese for lunch when I realized I hadn't switched the running backs on my fantasy football team. So in the middle of grilling I took the pan off burner and ran to my computer to pull a little switcheroo.
And then... the credits hadn't even finished rolling in the movie theater before my cell phone was to my ear.
Honestly, I don't know what happened to the anti-cell phone, band geek, granola girl I used to be.
On the Road Again...
I've really got to start working on my running. So...once again, I started up the training. Running started on Tuesday. I've gone three days in a row so far. A little ay, over a mile each time. I'm actually surprised that, after having not run for over a month now, I can still go for more than five minutes without stopping. The only problem that I'm running into right now is the arch in my right foot. I'm not sure if its an injury or if its new shoes. I bought new boots and new running shoes almost in the same day and after I desperately need new versions of both. So, when I run, the inside of my right foot hurts and I usually have to stop to stretch it out.
Anyway, I'm going to try and log in my runs over here, so if you see that I'm going a long time without logging in my run, call me, e-mail me, throw me freakin' bone and get on my case about not running.
Tomorrow - I'm hitting the track. It's nice to go running in the wee hours of the morning.
On a side note - hey, Elizabeth and Jason slept together on GH! Now, I like Liz and Lucky together, but if they're not going to be together, I'd love her and Jason to get back together.
I miss my soaps! Okay - time for bed! Tchuss!
Do you see a resemblence?
Am I just crazy or does this story line sound familiar? (I felt that only cheesey Cutting Edge fans like my sisters could really appreciate this.)
Boy and girl have similar passions only the boy's is the hardcore version and the girl's is the beautiful artistic version. Girl needs a partner. Boy needs a way to keep doing what he loves. Together they are unstoppable. And, of course, they fall in love.
12 years have passed, I guess the story needed to be done again. ;)
Hellooooooo Nurse!
I would just like to announce that I have a new crush. Takeshi Kaneshiro. I watched House of Flying Daggers a couple weeks ago and I could not help but fall madly in love with this mega hottie. Half Japanese, Half Taiwanese. 100% Yummy. Go ahead. Google his image. You know you want to. *Sigh* He is just too dreamy... ;)
Joshua Trees
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARKMAY 5-7, 2006Andy & I went to Joshua Tree Nat'l Park this weekend. It was so beautiful and the weather was great! I actually got sunburned! But we did a lot of hiking and got a good workout. This is a picture of me on the Barker Dam Trail. *I needed to take a break...
This is a shot of our breakfast. I made breakfast burritos! This one's for you, Dids! The picture, I mean - not the burrito! Saturday night, we were supposed to have barbecue for dinner, and maybe hamburgers. But, Andrew, Mr. Eagle Scout himself, dug a hole for the charcoal because, "It would concentrate the heat." It did, however, the hole was too deep and the heat was about a mile from the food. We had to figure out how to move the coals up. About an hour, a bag of coals, and some wood later, we had barbecue. It was almost midnight....
This is Andrew picking what we have decided to name Schnozz Rock. Apparently, at Joshua Tree, many of the rocks resemble noses. Or maybe it's just Andrew & my point of view! But you have to admit that this one does look like a nose! It was like looking at clouds, when you try to figure out what they look like. And in the tradition of Joshua Tree (Jumbo Rock, Skull Rock, Arch Rock) we named each one by what it looked like followed by, what else, "rock." And wa-la - Schnozz Rock.
Me climbing some rocks. If only you knew how high up I was. On second thought, maybe it's better that you don't! ;) At first, I was a little apprehensive about climbing again. But as the day wore on, I gained more and more courage. So much so that Andrew was getting worried about me and kept telling me not to go any higher. But how could one resist with all the great rocks! I actually tore my pants and was so extremely sore and tired the next day! We had so much fun, but it was nice to get into a hot bath when I got home!
I moo'd
Saw it. Loved it. Yay for Non-Equity National Tour (cheaper tickets but still a great show).
What's going on here???
So, behind my back, this "blog" has become a posting board for attempted recipes??? Well, I feel, then, that it is my obligation to contribute...
I shall begin with a story: The week before last, Andrew told me that we were invited to dinner with our "Wine Snobs" club. No, it's not a real club. No secret handshake or anything. Just a few stuffy people being literal wine snobs, complete with sniffing, swirling, and spitting, as well as telling stories about wine virgins and lauging hautily. (Do I paint a great picture or what???) So, anyways, all invitees have a choice: They may bring a wine that is preselected by the members, or they may bring a dish for dinner. Without asking me, Andrew asks the hostess what dish we can bring. She asks for a vegetable side. He says sure - again without asking me, considering that, of course, I would be the one to cook the vegetable side. Vegetable side? Like corn w/ butter? Steamed okra? Now, we have to remember that this is a "Wine snobs" party. They may be snobby about food, too! And come on - it's me! I can't come to a party with buttered corn or anything else that can be made in a microwave. So, I go to Costco for inspiration. I find a Weight Watchers cookbook - which I now love!!! There's a recipe for Swiss Chard Au Gratin? What the heck is Swiss Chard? But the Au Gratin part, I like! I also see these spinach nuggets that look interesting. I buy those also. When I get home, I read my new cookbook while eating the nuggets, and then I think of spanakopita. I find a recipe and decide that I'm going to make it. But is that a side??? Or is it an appetizer? Hey, I'm not sure, so why not just make two dishes! Even more impressive, right? I also find a recipe for a asparagus quiche. I bring all three recipes to the store to shop - Swiss Chard Au Gratin, Spanakopita, and Asparagus Quiche. While I'm there, I find another recipe on the back of a bag of almonds for broccoli and cheese...with a twist! I get the ingredients for everything but the quiche...I'll save that for another time. In attempt to shorten this story...I make the spanakopita (kinda like rolling Greek lumpia), and the broccoli. The rest of the dinner? HoneyBaked Ham and homemade rigatoni & cheese. The spanakopita? A hit!!! The broccoli??? A home-run!!! Better than the main course, itself. Don't believe me, ask the dishes! Plus, I went home with absolutely zero leftovers!
Now alas, the recipes:
Spanakopita (~27 pieces)
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 - 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 - 4 oz pkg crumbled feta cheese
4 eggs, beaten lightly
salt & pepper, to tast
1 1/2 - 16 oz pkg phyllo dough
3/4 pound butter, melted - seems like a lot, but melt it 1/4 at a time as you use it
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened. Mix in spinach, dill, and flour. Cook approx. 10 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in feta, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Cut phyllo dough in half. Using one sheet at a time, lay flat & brush with butter. Place a small amount of spinach mixture on one corner. Fold dough into triangles around mixture. Brush with butter.
Place triangles on a large baking sheet. Bake in oven ~45 minutes, or until golden brown.
*Just like lumpia, can be premade and frozen. Do not do last buttering until ready to bake.
Broccoli Cheese Amandine (4 servings)
4 c fresh broccoli
5 oz Velveeta cheese
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c toasted sliced almonds, preferrably Sunkist Almond Accents Italian Parmesan
Steam broccoli for 5-8 minutes, until tender but firm. Place cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, or until cheese is melted. Toss broccoli in cheese sauce. Sprinkle with almonds. (I also mixed almonds in with broccoli. Love them nuts!!)
