Part Two: My year in review

9.  Lose 20 pounds.  Wellllll this didn't happen.  I weigh the same as I did pretty much last year, so I guess yay on no gain?  Losing weight is getting harder and harder, and I just can't find the motivation to do anything about it yet.

10.  Host a holiday party.  Well I did it!  I should have taken more pictures I guess.  My sister called me two days before Christmas asking if I would host, so I went into panic mode.  I had to clean clean clean, and I had to buy all the food.

Menu:

Crab dip

Shrimp

Veggies

Cheeseburger Soup

Baked chicken parmesan

Twice baked potato casserole

Breadsticks

Beer and wine.  Lots of beer and wine.

My sister brought a pecan pie and a cheesecake assortment.  It turned out great for the most part!  I was just super tired after planning and cooking.  My mama made it look so easy!

11.  Not buy anything for an entire week.  Lol...next question.

12.  Start therapy.  Next.

13.  Eat at the Melting Pot.  I still haven't made it up there :(   Oh how I would love to dip foods in yummy melty cheese and chocolate.

14.  Hire a cleaning service:  I haven't done this yet.  My biggest battle is just putting shit away, which a cleaning service doesn't do anyway.  I managed to get my house squeaky clean before the holidays, but maybe down the road it would be nice to have someone else clean the bathroom.

15.  Read six books.  I couldn't even do that!  I really need to buckle down and start reading more.  I started several and just never got a chance to finish.  I thought getting them from the library would help push me to finish them, but that just got me an $11 fee  :p

This is my halfway point.  As you can see there was quite a bit I didn't accomplish, but the stuff I did really needed to be taken care of.  :)

Part 1: My year in review.

So the year 2012 is coming to an end, and I am another year older now.  I didn't knock off a lot on my bucket list, but there is always next year.  Maybe next year I will get better about blogging ;)

1.  Travel somewhere I've never been.  I did get to visit Las Vegas twice this year and had a good time both times.  I have been there before tho.  I did get a chance to visit somewhere I've always wanted to go:

Holy cow.  I didn't even buy anything because I was overwhelmed with the coolness.  This store literally has EVERYTHING:  I can see why people are so crazy.

2.  Make a pie from scratch.  I still haven't done this, but I will in time.

3.  Run a half marathon.  Another year has passed where I haven't done this.  We went from two shifts to four at work, and I had to work EVERY weekend since January.  I am hoping now that I am on days during the week, I will get a chance to run one.

4.  Pay off three credit cards:  I can do one better....I paid them all off!  I have a few balances from Christmas shopping, but I am no longer drowning in debt like I was before.

5.  Save and maintain at least $1500.  I did it!  One trick that helps me save it to round up my withdraws and round down my deposits.  It may be just a few dollars and cents here and there, but that really adds up!

6.  Try one new recipe a week.  Thanks to Pinterest, I found some great recipes.  I don't think I made a new one every week, but it did get me cooking a lot more.

7.  Skate in a roller derby bout.  Well, I wasn't able to.  With my crazy work schedule and my mom getting ill and passing away, I had to take a break from the team.  It was a hard decision, but I couldn't let those awesome ladies down.  I was given the opportunity to try out again this fall, and I made the team!

8.  Finish the downstairs bedroom.  It has all new paint and wallpaper!  I'm not sure what I will do with the room as of now, but its no longer an eye sore.  

Old wallpaper and paint

Pretty purple and grey paint!

Flash from the Past....week of October 5th

Coworkers from the present...

Coworkers of the past....

Frankenruby  :-D

Fried Mac and Cheese

My breast friends.....

Talk derby to me....new helmet.  :D

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

It's definitely casserole weather here in Iowa.  I found this recipe on Pinterest (weird, right).  It was very easy to make, and made my tummy smile.  

What you'll need:

1 pound lean ground beef ( lean)

1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion

2 1/2 cups salsa

1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

Taco seasoning packet

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

6 flour or corn tortillas (8 inches)

1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)

3/4 cup sour cream  *Note: I used 1/2 cup

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or your favorite cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

What you'll do:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, dressing, sour cream, taco seasoning and cumin.
• Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
• The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
• Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
•  Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

Mr. Whoa rating:
√√√√

I think it would have been a lot better had I added more tortillas.  

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Another slow cooker recipe!  This one was tasty, and it was a good comfort food.

What you'll need:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
• 1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

What you'll do:

1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.  Scatter chopped onion over top.  Spoon cream soup over top of that.  Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.  A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. 

Tip-  I cooked the rice a night before and put that in a bowl with the corn and cheese.  When I was ready to serve, I pulled the mixture from the fridge and heated it up for about 10 minutes.

Mr. Whoa rating:
√√√√

Ruby prayed that I would drop a little.

Flash from the past....

Week that is.  Flash from the past is a little segment I'd like to add to my already partially neglected blog.  It will feature pictures from the past week/month/etc of some fun things going on in my life.  I can ramble on and on about shit, but pictures are more fun.

I had my nephew overnight this week.  He is a little spitfire, but we have a lot of fun together.

My new wedding ring....$4.95 at Pier One.  ;)

Photo booth on the Mac is quite fun.  Bloom got a kick out of it.

Hello Kate.  Thank you for holding my now empty wallet since I bought you.

Ruby's a piss because he got a bath.  Wahh.

Nerding out in Target

Star Wars Monopoly.  He quit because I was winning ;)

Ice cream waffle for breakfast.  I am the best aunt ever.

TTC!

Tator Tot Casserole

No silly...not trying to conceive.  Tater tot casserole.  Its been quite chilly outside, so some comfort food sounded fantastic.  This used to be a favorite of mine growing up, but do you think I found my mom's recipe after she passed?  I found one on Pinterest that seemed easy enough.

What you'll need:

1.  1 pound of ground beed
2.  One medium onion, chopped
3.  One can of cream of celery soup
4.  16 oz bag of frozen tater tots
5.  1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
6.  Salt and Pepper

What to do:

1.  Preheat oven to 375
2.  Brown ground beef, add salt and pepper
3.  Add chopped onion, cook until tender
4.  In a casserole dish, combine and mix cream of celery soup and ground beef
5.  Top mixture with tater tots
6.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until its bubbly and tots are golden brown
7.  Remove from oven, top with cheese, return to oven till melted

Mr. Whoa rating:
√√√√

It felt like it was missing something, and my mom always added veggies to hers.  It was good tho.  Nothing leftover!

Cheese-stuffed meatball sliders

I bought a Taste of Home magazine the other day and decided to give a new recipe a try.  I don't usually buy cook books or magazines because internet recipes are free, but it was an impulse buy.

I love meat balls, and I found a recipe that reminded me of tailgating.  With football season in session, I thought this would be great.  I was fooled.

What you'll need:
1.5 lbs of Italian Sausage
16 cubes of part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 jar (24 oz) of spaghetti sauce
1 jar (8.1 oz) of prepared pesto
16 dinner rolls, split and toasted.

What you'll do:
*  Divide sausage into 16 portions.  Shape each portion around a cube of cheese.  Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.
*  Meanwhile, in large saucepan combine sauce and pesto and bring to a boil.  Add meatballs, heat through, and stir gently.  Serve on rolls.

I used little slider buns instead of rolls.  I also added some provolone cheese to the bun.

Mr. Whoa rating:
√√√

He liked them, but I did not.  I think next time I would do half pork sausage and half italian sausage,  It was too spicy for me.  

Nine month review....

Hey friends....if you haven't noticed I kind of go MIA from my blogs.  Am I trying to leave you in suspense?  Not really....I'm just a lazy turd sometimes.

Well its been 9 months since I've turned the big 3-0 and I was looking at the list I made in January.  I haven't conquered most of what I wrote down, but I have taken care of a few things that were weighing on my shoulders.  I have a little time left to get the others done, and if I don't, no biggie.  There are bigger fish to fry.

1. Travel somewhere I have never been.  Well I haven't really done this yet, but I did get to Las Vegas again. 
2. Make a pie from scratch.  Scratch pie: 1  Jajo 0
3. Run a half marathon.  This is one I am really sad about not doing.  I've been saying for years that I want to do this, but I haven't yet.  Its hard when I work Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and most races are held on the weekends.
4. Pay off three credit cards.  This is one I am super excited about.  I have paid off all of my debt (except for three cards that are interest free, and will be paid off before its applied).  I still have my car and my student loan, but thats not bad debt.  I feel good on pay day because its not gone before I get it.
5. Save and maintain at least $1500 in my savings.  Check....super excited!
6. Try a new recipe a week.  I haven't been the greatest at this, but I'm hoping since Mr. Whoa took a new job and its getting colder, we will cook at home more.
7. Skate in a roller derby bout.  I am so sad about this one.  Due to my new work schedule I had to put derby on the back burner for awhile.  I didn't have enough vacation to use every month for the bouts.  Maybe next year.
8. Finish the downstairs bedroom.  This is in progress!  The wallpaper was a bitch to get off, and I hate to paint anyway.  I hired it done.  I wanted to surprise Mr. Whoa, but he caught me.  Oh well...will post pics when "I'm" done.  :)
9. Lose 20 pounds.  I haven't lost 20, but I've lost about 8.  I am also proud to report that I've lost seven inches on my waist.  :)
10. Host a holiday party.  Maybe Turkey Day or Christmas.  I am not looking forward to the holidays at all....will be hard with out mama.
11. Not buy anything for an entire week.  Probably not going to happen.  :p
12. Start therapy.  I keep bouncing back and forth on this one.  One day I feel like I need it, another day I don't.
13. Eat at The Melting Pot.  Still haven't been there  :(
14. Hire a cleaning service.  I found a coupon, filled out a quote request, and the assholes haven't called back.  I'll look at a different company soon.
15. Read six books.  I've read one called Waiter Rant.  Its about a waiter of 15-20 years in the industries talk about his most off the wall experiences.  I loved it, quite funny.  If you've been a server or a bartender, you need to read this.
16. Finish my tattoo.  Finally finished it!  Lots of time and money put into it, but it looks great.  When I'd wear cut off shirts at work this summer, the guys would see the top part thinking it was something dainty.  They asked what it was, so I showed them, and yeah, they were pretty impressed.
17. Take a spa day.  I need this.  Bad!
18. Pay it forward.  I still need to do this.
19. Take a cooking class.  I still need to do this.
20. Burn 10,000 calories in a month.  I am almost certain in my 10 week class I did burn this many, but I was an ass and didn't keep track.  I am thinking about signing up again, so this time I will be a bit better.
21. Participate in the home delivered meal program.  The agency I used to work for has the HDM program (better known as Meals on Wheels) and I used to love to fill in.  Its so fun seeing their faces when you bring them a meal, especially in a lot of cases you are the only person they see that day.  Sad, but true. 
22. Take care of me, medically.  I have been seeing the dermatologist on a regular basis, and they have helped with my break-outs.  My awesome doctor sent me a letter saying she was moving to Colorado, so I need to find a new doctor.  I need to do that soon because my stomach issues are crazier than ever.
23. Have a make-up lesson.  Still need to do this!
24. Get prettied before I go out of the house, at least twice a week.  I've actually been pretty good about doing this.  Its so easy to throw on yoga pants and go, but Ive been trying to wear jeans and do my hair.
25. Detox my closet.  Since I am off all week, I figured the least I could do is clean.  I finally started doing this.  I was getting ready to prepare for a garage sale, and then I stumbled across a Facebook group called Cedar Valley for Sale.  I posted some stuff hoping to make a little money.  I woke up the next morning and had 96 Facebook notifications.  96!  In less than a week I have made over $300, and people are still asking about my stuff.  
26. Be Mrs. Hallmark.  I have been really good about this, except doing my thank-yous from my mom's funeral.  Any time I sit down to do them, or go through her stuff that has taken over the garage, I feel like a 500 pound man is sitting on my shoulders.  I can't deal with that kind of closure yet.
27. Get my 401K rolling.  Yes I know.  I know, okay???
28. Plant a garden.  This was a huge fail.  I tried.  I bought stuff.  I tried to til and I got tired.  Maybe next year.
29. Go horseback riding.  I need to find a place to do this, especially with fall coming.
30. Don‘t sweat the small stuff.  I go back and forth on worrying about things.  This year has been a lot harder than last year.

Ruby Tuesday...Volume 1

I'm a new fur mama!  Well not really, since my pup has no hair.  Meet Reuben, my new Chinese Crested hairless.  Ruby was a Christmas present from Mr. Whoa.  I was actually supposed to get a different pup, but the breeder was a shady lady.

A lot of people push for rescuing dogs, which I support as well.  In our case, Mr. Whoa is allergic to dogs/cats/birds...etc.  Even the hypo allergenic pups bother him.  I had to research different breeders online, and I stumbled across this picture:

I squeeled, showed Mr. Whoa the picture, and he told me to contact the breeder.  I had to fill out an application and even provide three references.  I thought I was applying for a loan or a job.  She called me on the phone a couple of times and then told me she accepted me for the adoption.

Ruby flew in from Ohio about two weeks later.  He's been a little asshole to potty train, but he is such a lover.

Sometimes too much of a lover.....

Autumn Pork Chops

This was the shit!  I love gravy, but this gravy was bomb.  It was light and sweet.

Click here for the recipe!

I actually used butterfly chops because I didn't want to piss around with the bone in chops, especially with a puppy running around.  I like my meat thinner....(yeah yeah, thats NOT what she said).  Call me weird.

Very simple to make and I'm pretty excited for the leftovers tomorrow.  This is another meal that is fairly inexpensive, as most of the ingredients I already had in my pantry.

Mr. Whoa Rating:

√√√√√

Cleaned his plate.  Woot.

Soup and Sammy

Mr. Whoa doesn't request certain things to eat too often, but the other day he wanted soup and sandwiches.  I wanted to hop in my car and drive two minutes (I kid you not) to Panera Bread and take the easier and yummier route.  But I didn't.  Sometimes I'm good.

I came across a recipe for Ham and Potato Soup and decided to give it a whirl.  It was very easy to make, especially since I found a bag of diced potatoes.  I chopped the celery and onion, so give me a damn break.

For the sammies it was nothing special....just picked up some random deli meats from the counter and bought some kaiser buns.

Mr. Whoa rating:

√√√√


Soup was tasty and there was enough leftover for Mr. Whoa to take to lunch the next day.

Chicken Pot Pie

Is it sad that a South Park rerun inspired my dinner?

We've had some great weather here in Iowa lately, but tonight was cold.  I was watching Netflix today and came across the South Park episode where Cartman yells, "No Kitty, thats my pot pie."  I suddenly had a craving for pot pie, and it would be the perfect comfort food for the yucky rainy weather,  

I cruised some recipes online, and I came across this number:  Chicken Pot Pie II. It looked easy enough and the reviews were good.

What you'll need:

1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 (9 inch) pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

1 egg, lightly beaten

What to do:

1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine the chicken meat, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear.
2. Remove the chicken and let cool. Pour the remaining chicken broth mixture into a measuring cup. Let stand; spoon off fat. Add enough milk to the broth mixture to equal 2 1/2 cups. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces.
3. In the same pan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Saute, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in broth mixture. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and boils. Add the chicken, vegetables, parsley and thyme. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 quart deep casserole dish.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
5. Roll out pastry 1 inch larger than the diameter of the casserole dish on a lightly floured surface. Cut slits in the pastry for venting air. Place pastry on top of casserole. Roll edges and cut away extra pastry; flute edges by pinching together. Reroll scraps to cut into decorative designs. Place on top of pastry. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

I do have a confession....I did cheat a little.  I bought a rotisserie chicken.  I bought a garlic and herb flavor one, and damn it was divine.  My blsl chicken breasts were frozen, and hey, I'm lazy sometimes.  

Mr. Whoa rating:

√√√√

We both decided it would have been a little better if there was crust on the bottom, rather than just on top.  But it must have been good?

Life happens...

Mama Vir, Circa 1962

As well as loss of life.  My Mom had a heart attack on January 4th of this year, and passed away on February 15th.  She spent six weeks in the hospital following two surgeries and a stroke, and passed away  surrounded by family and friends.

I was a case manager for the elderly for six years, and I always encouraged clients to have a living will and power of attorney.  My mom would never get rid of her throw rugs or her blouses that were twenty years old, but this is something she did listen to me about.  I can't say the decision to let her go was any easier with it being written on a piece of paper, but it gave my sister and I a peace of mind that that decision is what my mother wanted.  She was only sixty-nine years old, and my heart hurts every day.  So please friends, talk to your parents about this.  It sucks, but it will happen some day.  My sister and I had a folder in her hutch we discovered with all of her important papers in it.  In the folder left a note:

Hi Kelly and Jami-

For my investments call Al.  My life insurance and legal documents are in here.  I have no bills, my car is paid off.  I miss and love you.

Love,

Mom

She wrote that in 2007, five years before she passed.  

My dad has been gone almost twenty years.  I feel bad for people who are estranged from a parent, because I was blessed to have two wonderful parents.  Not everyone can say that, but I can.   

Pinterest Part Two: The Test Tube Spice Bin

Random shapes and sizes make it hard to organize.

My spices in the pantry were a mess.  I hate spice racks because they never include all of the spices you use, plus they include spices you may never use!  I found this idea on Pinterest (you know, the new crack for women) and decided to try it out. 

I went to Etsy and purchased test tubes and corks.  They were at my door step within a few days.  If you were smart you would use a funnel, but I did not.  Got a little more on my table on a few spices, and I've been sneezing like crazy.

I filled the tubes with the spices I had on hand.  Some of them required two tubes.  I was also glad I did this because I found some spices that were expired and should have been thrown out like five years ago.  I wish I was joking.   





Miss Kia is quite the assistant. 

I used a fine print Sharpie to label the spice on the corks.




Coolness....I'm done!  I used a little basket that I've had for years.  This project cost less than $30...$21 for the test tubes and corks, $8 for shipping.  There were cheaper tubes, but I really liked the look of the cork tops.  This was well worth the time and money because there is more room in my pantry and all of my spices are accessible with out taking up counter space. 





I decided to leave my salt and pepper in its shakers.  Maybe some day I'll get big girl shakers, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?    ;)



Bleu Cheese Burgers

I'm a sucker for curley fries.....

I love bleu cheese.  Love it.  I eat it with salads, wings, and will evem dip veggies in it.  Who knew rotting cheese could taste so good. 

Mr. Whoa and I live down the street from a tasty sports bar (hell, we love it so much our rehearsal dinner was there).  Eight times out of ten when we dine there, I order the black and bleu burger.  I've been hungry for one, but Mr. Whoa and I went out to lunch yesterday, so I wanted to try and make it myself.  Plus the sportsbar burger can be a little too spicy or salty, so I was hoping I could fix that. 

What you need:
1/2 pound of bacon
1 pound of ground beef
4 oz of crumbled bleu cheese
1 TB of hot mustard
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper


What to do:
Fry bacon in a frying pan.  When finished, cover in paper towels and set aside.
In mixing bowl add ground beef, bleu cheese, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix together and form into four patties.  Heat in frying pan about 5-7 minutes each side. 

I served on an onion bun and broke a slice of bacon in half to put on the sammy.  Since the bleu cheese was in a 5oz container, I sprinked a little on the top of the burger. 

Mr. Whoa rating:
☺☺☺☺☺

Hot damn these were good.  The flavor was perfect. 

Any other "stuffed" burgers you think are TDF?

My first Pinterest project: The Chalkboard Menu

So I've pinned a gang of cute ideas to do the chalkboard menu, but I don't have a lot of wall space to do anything big.  As I was about to leave the craft store last night, I walked by the spring clearance (Clearance before spring?) and found this little flower pot chalk board. 



before

 I snatched it and grabbed some paint, because I finally had an idea of what to do.  When I got home, I removed the flower and the vine.  I painted around the pot a cream color, and then attempted to paint leopard print.  I added a bow in the corner and attached my chalk.  Glued some old magnents on the back and voila!

after

Since I had NOTHING (no paint, brushes, etc) it was probably pricier than I wanted to spend, but it ended up only being about $20 or so.  Not too shabby!  It took a long time, but it was fun.

Ranchy Chops

Every day, the group of girls I email with share their menu for the day to hold each other accountable.  I don't normally participate because I mostly just eat supper, but once in awhile I will skim through the thread.

Nicole posted her menu and for lunch she wrote she was having ranch pork chop leftovers, even followed by an "OMG," so a few of us were intrigued.

Jesus H, was this as simple as ever, and pretty effing tasty too.

What you need:
Canola Oil
4 Boneless Pork Chops
2 Ranch dressing packets 



What to do:
1.  Pour canola oil in the bottom of the frying pan.
2.  Pour ranch packets on a plate, cover the chops by rubbing both sides into dressing.
3.  Fry chops in the pan.  When flipping over the chops, sprinkle some more ranch seasoning on top. 

Mr. Whoa rating:
☺☺☺☺☺
He loves pork chops, but we never seem to have them.  He said the ranch wasn't overpowering, but it gave it a nice little kick.  He said they were nice and juicy, and hopes we have them again.

Thanks Nicole.  :-D