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Friday, December 31, 2010

Brothers

My brothers are losing their teeth...
And gaining in attitude.

P.S. This is my 500th post of 2010.

Happy New Year. :)

Resolutions

I've been sitting here thinking about my 2011 resolutions. I have this wonderfully blank new calendar just waiting to be filled with writing. I love new calendars.

I'm having a hard time this year with my resolutions.

I finally came up with these:

  • Learn to sew
  • Cut back on coffee - one cup per day max
  • Keep up on house cleaning. 
  • Be a positive wife.
I don't think it's bad, we'll see how it goes. I'm most worried about #3. It's my weakness.

What are your resolutions?

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Random Puppy Picture

Oh! Read me a story!
This story is not so good.
Sooo boring.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Pizza Box Communication

I posted at the beginning of the month about how Papa John's Pizza totally rocks and I'll never order from Pizza Hut again.

If you don't remember (and refuse to look) they gave me free breadsticks because I asked.

We ordered pizza again on Saturday and in the special instructions box, where I usually type "free breadsticks, please" I typed instead "thanks for the breadsticks last time".

This is what they said.

In case you can't see, because I don't have a super cool camera, it says "no problem, Merry Christmas".

It's cooler than a telegraph.

Now This Is Funny

Random Puppy Picture

Excuse me, please. I need all of your attention on me, not your book.
Hey, I sit up there when you're gone....

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Resolutions: Revisited

Last year I made a bunch of resolutions, and then forgot about them until just now.

I was starting this post to talk about my new resolutions for next year, but I think I should discuss last year's first.

My first resolution was to break up with Facebook, for good. Success. I've gotten back on to look at pictures a few times, but in July finally deleted all of my photos and friends so I wouldn't be tempted to get back on. I really like being without Facebook.
 
My second resolution was to get our finances in order and live on a budget. Half success, half fail. Our finances are in better shape, but I don't have us on a budget. I made a halfhearted attempt last January, but gave up when the receipts became overwhelming.

My third resolution was to stop saying the word "hate" and to stop cursing so often. Success. Joshua and I implemented a swear jar in our house, and I've stopped swearing. I think I may have stopped using the word "hate" as much, but I've started more with "don't like at all", "can't stand", or "makes me want to vomit". I don't know which is better. 

Coffee Maker

I'm obsessed with coffeemakers. This is my third one in two years. All three have way different features though.

I'm pretty excited about this one. I'll review it after I've used it a bit.

Fail

When Joshua and I first started dating, it was around Christmastime. The first few Christmases together it always amazed me at the things they gifted to each other. Joshua always gets Oreos, cosmic brownies, Symphony Chocolate Bars and Chicken in a Biscuit crackers with squeeze cheese. Occasionally there is an orange and apple thrown in. My family doesn't give food, except for Nanny who gives summer sausage.

I made a comment about how different it was that food was part of their gifts.

This year I asked for a stove for Christmas. Joshua's mom got it for me right after Thanksgiving. I got us in some hot water at Thanksgiving because Joshua's mom told me not to bring anything to dinner. This caused outrage (really) and I decided that with my new oven I would make everyone their favorite desserts for Christmas.

This is my fail: I only took pictures of two things.
This is what I made:
  • Marty: Chocolate chip cookies
  • Pam: Grandma Ginny's Cheesecake
  • Lisa: Blueberry Cheesecake
  • Rhonda: Key Lime Pie
  • Bonnie: Butterscotch Pudding Pie
  • Carsyn: Oreo Truffles
  • Shane: Pecan Pie
  • Our Neighbor, Louise: Chocolate chip cookies
 I only got pictures of the pecan pie and chocolate chip cookies.

I don't care if I never eat sweets again.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and got to spend it with your families.

This is my mother in law's creepy snowman that is as tall as I am.


Hi Lisa :)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Or should it be Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies? No matter how you say it, they're good.

I'll just say I love the cell phone commercials that look like this...

Josh was really hungry for some cookies the other day while he was working on his homework, so I made some. :) Check out the recipe here.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Yummy Weekend

I made lots of good food this weekend (my opinion of course)..

  • French Toast Casserole
  • Italian Wedding Soup
  • Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

I took pictures and will share them all soon.

What did you do this weekend??

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Book Club

I finished reading Maybe This Time this week. It was very interesting. I have read this author before and was expecting this book to be mushy, but it wasn't at all. It was so unlike anything of her old books I read years ago, and it was very enjoyable.

It is a suspenseful book, and a bit far fetched, but a light, fun read. Check it out.

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer

Is singing loud for all to hear....

Megan and I had a discussion last week about what our favorite Christmas songs are. I have a ton that I absolutely can't stand (barking jingle bells, anyone?) but only a few that I really care for.

Megan texted me the other day to tell me about this version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by James Taylor:



We both decided that we like "Baby It's Cold Outside" the Dean Martin version:


My favorite of all time is "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" by Dean Martin. He's my favorite.

Holiday Eggnog

Joshua is a big fan of egg nog, and he saw Martha Stewart on a late night television show a few days ago making it. He mentioned it to me so I looked it up. It isn't nearly as hard as I expected it to be.
I got the recipe from "Easy Eggnog Recipe for the Holidays" and made my own recipe from a few they had listed.

Easy Eggnog
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups of milk

6 oz whiskey
Dash of powdered nutmeg
Blender method: Blend eggs, sugar, salt with 1 cup milk and whiskey until light and smooth.
Add mixture to rest of milk and stir.


It was good. It is also gone.

Oh, What A Life.

I finally got my radio back up. I took it down when I took down the wallpaper in the kitchen...in February. I was desperately missing it.
Joshua made crescent rolls the other day, and made me my very own special treat.

What A Day

So I'm sitting here knitting...
it is coming along.

Watching the driveway disappear...
Makes me feel like I'm at the North Pole.
This is a house that my cousin and I went to last weekend.It is pretty amazing.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Gifting, No No?

I was watching the Today Show this morning and they were talking with a contributor from The Nest. She was there to tell guys what to buy, and not to buy for the ladies in their lives. Here's what she said:

Nothing weight loss related. Agreed.

Nothing useful. Disagree.

Nothing useful? What are guys supposed to get us?? Stuffed animals? No, thank you.

Dear The Nest, 
Please don't give ideas to my husband for me. You clearly do not know me.
Thanks,
Angi


Some of my favorite gifts have been useful. For example: Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, gas range, crockpot, and of course, my most favorite, my engagement ring. I wouldn't have planned our wedding without it. How is that for useful??


And another question, on a completely unrelated note: Why in the world does Frosty say "Happy Birthday" when he comes to life?"

Monday, December 6, 2010

Better Than Starbucks Coffee Cake

I mean it. I made this coffee cake last night at the request of my sweets loving husband.

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Prep: 20 min Bake: 50 min
Oven 350° Makes: 9 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine

1. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9x9x2 inch or 8x8x2 inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with blueberries. In another bowl combine the 1/2 cup flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over blueberries. Bake in a 350° oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Make this a raspberry coffee cake by substituting raspberries instead of blueberries.

I'm not going to lie. This is amazing. I love it. At 408 calories per serving, I need to not love it. I got this recipe out of my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

A few things I learned:
1. The cake part ends up like a pizza dough consistency when its ready to go into the oven. I had to reread the recipe because I was convinced I had done something wrong.
2. I learned what a pastry blender is. I had no idea. I was confused when I came across that in the recipe. Here is something you should know: don't go buy a pastry blender...use a whisk. No joke.

I didn't measure the blueberries, I just put what looked good.

And there you have it.



Sunday, December 5, 2010

Winter Has Arrived

Snow is nice when you don't have to go anywhere. :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pilates

I found a few pilates shows on my Netflix Instant. I was about halfway through when Amico decided he wanted me to be done.
I really hate to put him in the cage, but I might have to next time.

Knitting

Megan taught me how to knit last weekend.

Yes, we are coming up on 70 years old.

This is what I have so far. Right now it's the beginning of a scarf. I get kind of bored though, so it might take me a while to get it long enough.


You can crack on all my mistakes if you want...my mom already did.

Quote of the Day

"I love you so much, I would never let you hold a bomb."
-Dillian, age 5

The Kitchen

Before:



After:






So far, the only thing I've made is brownies. :)

Book Club

I just started a new book. I waited for this one for a while from the library. I really want to read "Happy Ever After" but I'm still ninth on the hold list. Much better than 54 which is where I was when it came out.

I just started "Maybe This Time" by Jennifer Cruise. Here is the synopsis from bn.com.

"Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything.
When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiancĂ© thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie’s dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that’s not the only haunting.
What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-inlaw, and, of course, her jealous fiancĂ©. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them.
If Andie can just get rid of all the guests and ghosts, she’s pretty sure she can save the kids, and herself, from the past. But fate might just have another thing in mind…"

I'll let you know how it turns out.

December Is Here

It snowed for the first time here yesterday. I love and hate it.

A Pattern?

This is Josh, installing the range.
This is Josh installing the dishwasher.
He does a good job. :)

A Bit of Randomness

My Jeep is in the shop right now and I got a Mazda 6 to drive. I got in and this kind of freaked me out.
Its so weird. It can be manual or automatic. Its a cute little car though. Much prefer my Jeep.

The Worst They Can Say Is No

I feel like I'm always saying that. When people don't want to ask a question because they don't think they have a chance I always say "The worst they can say is no". Because really, it is. What do you have to lose?

Last night we were ordering pizza online, (yes, I got a new oven and then ordered pizza) and there is an open box for special instructions. Whenever we order Pizza Hut I always type "free breadsticks please" in the special instructions. They never send them.

Josh was doing the ordering last night from Papa John's and I told him to put it in the special instructions box. He didn't want to do it, but ended up doing it anyway, and guess what....


I told Josh that if they did it, I would never order Pizza Hut again. So guess who will be eating lots of Papa John's from now on.

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