If you're wanting to make an easy dinner that's reminiscent of pizza, Pizza Casserole is the way to go. It's really a no brainer. My favorite thing about it is that you can make it just as you like your pizza. I made mine to suit the hubby. Meat Lovers', I guess.
2 cups medium-shell pasta (dry)
1 lb Italian sausage, browned
1 package pepperoni
1 14-oz jar of pasta or pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp pizza seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chopped dried onions
Boil & drain the pasta. Brown the meat with the garlic, garlic salt, and onion. Combine everything into a pot over medium heat till it heats through. Eat. :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentines' Day
On Valentines' weekend in 2007, I went on my first dinner date with Rich. Our first date had been two months prior. As crazy as I was about him then, I've come to appreciate him so much more in these past four years. I have been so blessed to have married a man who loves me no matter what, is forever laughing with me, stays as a steady as a rock through life's ups and downs, works unbelievably hard--not only to provide life's necessities, but also the things he knows or thinks I "want," and who remains my best friend. He puts up with me when I am cranky, makes fun of me when I am being ridiculous, laughs at me when I being a snot, and reminds me what life is truly about. He has even learned how to kindly co-habitate with my obnoxiously demanding and crabby chihuahua. :)
Since we moved to Fort Lauderdale, not knowing a soul out here, we have built the most amazing life together. God has blessed us with great friends, a one-in-a-million church, and even put some college friends just an hour away. :) We had such a great Valentines' weekend together--and my sweet valentine got me an outrageously adorable bag that he knew I would love. :) So I guess to my list of the things I love about my sweetheart, I will have to add "amazing gifter!!" I have so much enjoyed spending the weekend celebrating us--each year adds new depth to our relationship that makes "us" just that much better!
Happy Valentines' Day!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Nail Spa Day: Marcy, Delia & Ms. Lemonface
After a ridiculously annoying workweek, I *finally* got to stop by the nail salon on my way home today to have my gel mani refreshed. Now typically, this would be a lovely hour, spent in a nice cushy chair, with a nice breeze blowing through the salon, meandering, sporadic conversations with other salon-goers, and the soothing foreign murmurs of the Vietnamese nail techs. Yes, it should be relaxing. But, NOT TODAY!!! Spa day began with the loud, obnoxious whining of a girl who was with her mother. "Buuuuuuuut Mooooooooooom, IIIIIIIIIIII waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant a peeeeeeeeeeediiiiiiiiiiiiicuuuuuuuure toooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!" And so on, and so forth. Next, a lady with attitude comes in for a manicure--and when she finds out she can't be seen, like, 5 minutes ago, she has a HUGE hissy fit and storms out, slamming the door. What, you can't call ahead like EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS SALON?!?!
Spa day continued with the addition of March & Delia. Now they were especially special. Most girlfriends spend time getting their nails done together to have a relaxing time. Apparently, Marcy & Delia missed that part of "woman training." :) They had matching perms & matching complaints. Surely Delia's husband wasn't as bad as Marcy's! Surely Marcy's kids weren't as bad as Delia's! And have you heard about the new president of the women's club? "Girl, she is just NOT cut out to be a president!" (Missed out on the full details of that, as they actually whispered some of *that conversation.) Within 30 minutes, I knew more about Marcy & Delia than I ever want to know about anyone. Seriously.
Now bring in Ms. Lemonface, an extremely sour-faced woman approximately in her 60's. Ms. Lemonface marched in and demanded a manicure and pedicure. Poor, innocent Annie had the nerve to ask if Ms. Lemonface wanted a gel polish manicure. I obligingly held out my hands for Ms. Lemonface to see. The wrath of Ms Lemonface falls: "I DON'T WANT FRENCH!!!!!!!!!!" Poor Annie says, "we have other colors besides French." This seems to appease Ms. Lemonface momentarily, until Annie says, "The gel polish is $20." Now that just sends Ms. Lemonface over the edge. "Why on earth would NAIL POLISH cost $20?!?!" After futilely attempting to explain that it's because the gel polish has to cure under the UV light three times and takes much longer, Ms. Lemonface loudly exclaims that, "THAT IS $10 I CAN SAVE! I'll take the regular manicure!" Well excuuuuuuuuuuse Annie for trying to offer you an upgraded service. By this time my nails were nearly done, and I was longing for a hasty exit!
So really people, the moral of the story is this: if you see me in your nail salon, tie your kids to the front door, sit down, shut up, and if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all!!! :)
Happy Saturday!
Spa day continued with the addition of March & Delia. Now they were especially special. Most girlfriends spend time getting their nails done together to have a relaxing time. Apparently, Marcy & Delia missed that part of "woman training." :) They had matching perms & matching complaints. Surely Delia's husband wasn't as bad as Marcy's! Surely Marcy's kids weren't as bad as Delia's! And have you heard about the new president of the women's club? "Girl, she is just NOT cut out to be a president!" (Missed out on the full details of that, as they actually whispered some of *that conversation.) Within 30 minutes, I knew more about Marcy & Delia than I ever want to know about anyone. Seriously.
Now bring in Ms. Lemonface, an extremely sour-faced woman approximately in her 60's. Ms. Lemonface marched in and demanded a manicure and pedicure. Poor, innocent Annie had the nerve to ask if Ms. Lemonface wanted a gel polish manicure. I obligingly held out my hands for Ms. Lemonface to see. The wrath of Ms Lemonface falls: "I DON'T WANT FRENCH!!!!!!!!!!" Poor Annie says, "we have other colors besides French." This seems to appease Ms. Lemonface momentarily, until Annie says, "The gel polish is $20." Now that just sends Ms. Lemonface over the edge. "Why on earth would NAIL POLISH cost $20?!?!" After futilely attempting to explain that it's because the gel polish has to cure under the UV light three times and takes much longer, Ms. Lemonface loudly exclaims that, "THAT IS $10 I CAN SAVE! I'll take the regular manicure!" Well excuuuuuuuuuuse Annie for trying to offer you an upgraded service. By this time my nails were nearly done, and I was longing for a hasty exit!
So really people, the moral of the story is this: if you see me in your nail salon, tie your kids to the front door, sit down, shut up, and if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all!!! :)
Happy Saturday!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Easiest Ever Chunky "Mexican" Soup
1 can chicken breast, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes & jalapenos
1 pouch Mexican rice (the microwave kind)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp taco seasoning
any other spices or seasonings you like: cumin, cayenne pepper, etc.
Heat & Serve. Top with sour cream and cheese if desired.
It's amazing the things you can make when you are trying to empty the cupboards.
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes & jalapenos
1 pouch Mexican rice (the microwave kind)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp taco seasoning
any other spices or seasonings you like: cumin, cayenne pepper, etc.
Heat & Serve. Top with sour cream and cheese if desired.
It's amazing the things you can make when you are trying to empty the cupboards.
Whole House Challenge Update
The turn that cooking has taken since I started the whole house challenge has been interesting--and very simple. Since you can use only what you have in the cupboards and fridge already, you have to think of some interesting solutions to making simple food. I found something in the back of the cupboard that I had forgotten about: a box of "mashed potatoes." The box instructions called for 1-1/2 cups water (no problem), 2 tbsp of butter or margarine, and 1/2 cup of milk. I ended up stirring in 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth instead of the milk, and Parkay spray instead of butter. They tasted almost identical but had a slightly stiffer texture. With the potatoes, we had chicken that I stir-fried in the wok and steamed sugar snap peas.
It's amazing that I have been cooking without buying groceries for almost 2 weeks now. I had no idea how many boxes of pasta were in the cupboard and how much meat was in the freezer. Now I am finally down to my final bag of chicken breast tenderloins and my last 2 boxes of pasta, though I still have lots of other items. I also found some vacuum-packed beef--I'm not sure what cuts, though. I'm going to have to defrost it before I can know what to do with it. I also have 7 pounds of wheat flour!! Thanks to my bread maker I will be able to make bread for sandwiches (Rich will like that for his work lunches!) I have plenty of jam (4 jars of various flavors) but I will probably get some peanut butter. Based on the average amount we spend for groceries each month, I have saved about $265 in groceries alone in less than 2 weeks. Also (it's part of the challenge) we have not eaten out at all since January 26. We went out today to a burrito place with our friends and spent $20--and we have enough leftovers for Rich to have for lunch tomorrow. :)
Taking this challenge has made me realize something that I hadn't thought about. I thought the challenge was just about saving money and using up some extra food, but it has made me think about how much excess I actually have sitting in the house in the back of the cupboards, unused. I usually make a quick stop for groceries on the way home from work when I run out of "convenient" items instead of only buying what we will truly use up. A lot of the items I bought were on great sales, or buy-1-get-1, but it's only a deal if you use it! I'm actually excited about running out of everything in a couple of weeks. Then I can complete the final stage of the challenge: reevaluating what should actually be in my shopping cart when I do start shopping regularly again.
Happy Sunday!
It's amazing that I have been cooking without buying groceries for almost 2 weeks now. I had no idea how many boxes of pasta were in the cupboard and how much meat was in the freezer. Now I am finally down to my final bag of chicken breast tenderloins and my last 2 boxes of pasta, though I still have lots of other items. I also found some vacuum-packed beef--I'm not sure what cuts, though. I'm going to have to defrost it before I can know what to do with it. I also have 7 pounds of wheat flour!! Thanks to my bread maker I will be able to make bread for sandwiches (Rich will like that for his work lunches!) I have plenty of jam (4 jars of various flavors) but I will probably get some peanut butter. Based on the average amount we spend for groceries each month, I have saved about $265 in groceries alone in less than 2 weeks. Also (it's part of the challenge) we have not eaten out at all since January 26. We went out today to a burrito place with our friends and spent $20--and we have enough leftovers for Rich to have for lunch tomorrow. :)
Taking this challenge has made me realize something that I hadn't thought about. I thought the challenge was just about saving money and using up some extra food, but it has made me think about how much excess I actually have sitting in the house in the back of the cupboards, unused. I usually make a quick stop for groceries on the way home from work when I run out of "convenient" items instead of only buying what we will truly use up. A lot of the items I bought were on great sales, or buy-1-get-1, but it's only a deal if you use it! I'm actually excited about running out of everything in a couple of weeks. Then I can complete the final stage of the challenge: reevaluating what should actually be in my shopping cart when I do start shopping regularly again.
Happy Sunday!
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Jar of Life
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Real Life: Vacation, House Hunting & Vegetarian Slop!
We had a great trip to Virginia for our friends' wedding. We got to see so many friends from California. And, we got acquainted with truly freezing cold, miserable weather. We spent a day in Colonial Williamsburg, which was actually interesting...and made me aware of exactly how much I hate walking around in cold weather, and also how thankful I am to have been born in the 1900's instead of the 1700's. :)
We also spent a day shopping in Carytown, which is downtown Richmond. We found so many unique little shops. I made my first purchase in LeenaLu's boutique, where I found a super amazing mustard yellow handbag that made me smile. :)
We meandered down the street a little further into a stationery shop where Rich ordered some custom notecards & envelopes. He was excited about them because they have his initials on them....I have to admit, they do look really sharp & masculine. My favorite part is the envelopes lined in black. :) I spent a little time in a makeup & skincare boutique next, where I stocked up on some of my favorite products. By then I was so cold that we had to get back in the car. But, we had a great afternoon! My least favorite souvenir from the trip was the cold-slash-flu that I brought home with me. I actually got an earlier flight so that I could bask in my sickness alone. After missing four days of work to sit at home coughing, blowing my nose, and puking everything up, I finally felt a little better and we decided to go house hunting.
Even though I am still not 100% better, I REALLY enjoyed house hunting on Sunday afternoon!! We really liked our realtor and found some great places. So far we are favoring one house above the rest...it's a two story townhome. We were pleasantly surprised, because we didn't expect much from the tiny pictures we saw. However, somewhere between the travertine floors and the sunny master suite, we both started smiling a little. We'll see what happens.
This entire crazy couple of weeks left me with very few perishables in the house...I had just been too tired, then too busy to go grocery shopping. So I decided to take the "whole house challenge" that I had been reading about a few months back. This challenge entails using everything edible in your house that you have stuck in the cupboards and forgotten about. Boxes of pasta, rice, jars of beans, pasta sauce, frozen vegetables, even the veggie burgers in the bottom of the freezer. Last night's dinner actually came out pretty amazing. I made bow tie pasta with olive oil & seasonings, then cooked a bag of broccoli florets and 3 random chicken tenderloins that have been floating around in the freezer. Topped with a little parm, it was actually a pleasing meal. That whole concept took a slight downward twist tonight, in Rich's eyes, anyway. I actually enjoy vegetarian and vegan dishes...the husband, not so much. I started with ziti rigati, then added a bit of leftover pasta sauce. I dug through the freezer to find a mix of frozen vegetables that seemed...Italian. Zucchini, carrots, roasted peppers. Somehow I thought that tomato & basil vegetarian pizza burgers would be tasty cut up, sauteed, and mixed in. And to me, it was. Poor Rich made a valiant effort to the enjoy a meal that is two of least favorite combinations--Italian & vegetarian. To his credit he did thank me for attempting to save on grocery money. :)
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