Letters from the Edge

Dear New Pharmacy Guy at Walmart:

At first I wasn't sure, but then it became obvious that you were flirting with me. And while I am flattered and a little weirded out by the way you tried to have sex with me with your eyes, I have to decline your unspoken request to ravish my body. I'm happily married and fertile - this ride is reserved.

Yours Truly,

heidi

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Dear Space Invaders at Walmart:

Please back off. I know I smell good but honestly, it's kind of creepy how you just decided to all 4 stand in my personal space while I was trying to purchse my groceries. Also, if I haven't paid yet and am putting groceries in the cart please do not take the opportunity to stand in the place where one would pay the cashier. Because I will just go ahead and assume that you are graciously picking up the tab for me in an Act of Kindness kind of thing and begin to gush over you loudly and embarassingly (I can cry on command..don't test me) so that you will feel extremely stupid if you DON'T pay for my purchases.

For further reference, please see this short clip:



Back off. Get your own sandwich. Don't make me go all Jedi Mind Trick on you.

With Malice,

heidi

Saturday Salad

This week I'm participating in Saturday Salad over at Katie's place. Who doesn't need a good Summer Salad recipe, right?? Right. So - here ya go. I discovered this one last summer and it is DELISH, even if it does sound a little odd.

Swiss Apple Pasta Salad

When Granny Smith Apples are used, you get a tart and sweet contrasting taste which makes it a tangy pasta salad...

1 pound rotini, cooked
3 apples cored and sliced into bite sized pieces
3 slices Swiss cheese, 1/4 inch by 2 inch strips
1/2 cup raisins (Golden are best) soked for 2 minutes in a few drops of warm water

Dressing:
1 cup oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons Grey Poupon
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Poppy Seeds (I always forget to buy these so have never used them)

In a bowl beat the dressing with a mixer real well. Pour over the top of the other ingredients and toss. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Enjoy!

Po' Boys

Hey - yeah, I know this is the THIRD FOURTH post today. Oh well. I need help.

We are severely short this time around due to Rob's furlough week, and I need help with some meal ideas. Can you tell me your cheapest meal? Ghetto style, yo. I need to feed 6 of us for 2 weeks and I'm making my menu today!

Friday Freebie Mystery Box

Hey - remember that mystery box o'crap I gave away at the beginning of the month? Well, the recipient hath received said box o' crap and hath blogged about said box o' crap.

:-)

Go check out what kind of lame crap she got!!

But!

Don't forget about today's fabulous, awesome, amazing Friday Freebie being held over at Kasey's place!! Go win that bad boy prize, yo.

Friday Freebie!!!

Welcome to Friday!!! As has become our custom on Friday - we're giving something away to reward you for making it through another week! This week our guest host is a cute, fit and fashionable mom to two adorable littles. She's the creator and host of the ever growing Friend Makin' Monday:



That's right - it's Kasey over at All That Is Good! Click on her cute button and go see what goodies she's giving away this week. And, hey? Happy Friday to ya!

Twenty-Five and One

I can do a lot of things.

I can hold a sleeping child and pee at the same time. Doing the one handed pull down, wipe and pull up - all without waking the baby.

I can hold my bladder for about 3 hours before having to do that dance.

I can silence a whole room of people with one look.

I can clean my whole house in two hours while taking care of a 2 year old and an 11 month old.

I can work 40 hours a week, from home, while also cleaning my house and taking care of a 2 year old and an 11 month old as well as their 7 and 10 year old siblings.

I can make a mean menu.

I can make you laugh.

I can find the positive in almost every situation.

I can recall the lyrics to almost any song I've heard before.

I can do an awesome blowfish.

I can burp the loudest and longest of anyone in my family - immediate and extended.

I can work, answer questions on IM from my boss, make dinner, do laundry and argue with Rob all while keeping an eye on the kids.

I can forget what you just told me pretty easily.

I can make my kids smile.

I can make my husband swoon.

I can make awesome chocolate chip cookies and amazing brownies.

I can learn pretty much anything, if given the chance.

I can stroke your ego pretty well, even though I will choose not to 90% of the time.

I can stay up for days on end with sick kids, and still work, clean the house, make the meals and do all the other related stuff without crumbling to pieces.

I can rememer the words to my solo song in the 3rd grade Christmas play. "You've got the blahs...oh Mrs. Claus...but don't be Blue....cause we all love you..." etc.

I can generally out-guess all of the contestants on Wheel of Fortune.

I can make you feel 2 inches tall.

I can find the humor in almost everything.

I can still do a cartwheel. HA!

I can change a diaper blowout in minutes without getting any on myself or throwing up.

But I can't, to save my life, figure out how in the H-E-double hockey sticks to use Saran Wrap.



Um, P.S. - apparently using Saran Wrap is some sort of sick sexual perversion so you should NOT google it or search it out on youtube, lest you want to see what I'm referring to. I have to go burn my eyeballs now and order a new pair from Walmart Optical.

Iron Chef Winner!

Three came to battle it out and brought their finest potato recipe. They were tasted and tested, but in the end only one can be victorious. The votes are in and have been counted.

In the epic battle of the Potato, one winner reigns supreme...



Katie at A Listmakers Life with her Easy Baked Potato Soup Recipe won with 3 of the 5 votes. Congratulations, Katie!!! Check your email for more info! Also, grab one of those buttons up there and display it on your site. :-)

Thank you SO much to all of my awesome guest judges Shelby, Dana and Cheryl.

Thank you to everyone that tried all three recipes and voted.

Stay tuned for the big challenge reveal next Wednesday - it's gonna be a fun, summery one! If you're interested in guest hosting - drop me a line and let me know.

Also - I'm looking for kids 10+ that like to cook or that want to be a guest judge for a special edition of Blogstyle Iron Chef. Email me at the addy in my profile if you have someone that fits the bill!!

Have a Wednesday!

Vote!!

The poll closes in 2 hours so make sure you vote for your favorite recipe of the month!!

I've recieved ONE of the guest judges votes, but I need the other two before tomorrow morning please!!

I'll announce the winner tomorrow BEFORE 5pm.

If you're interested in being a guest judge for next month (think picnic/bbq/summery kind of foods) then email me at the addy in my profile.

Have a night!

Seriously.

Let's play a new edition of Seriously Tuesday. We've done the Sacred, Profane and Secret (um...a little creepy on some of those, there, hmmm?) so today we're changing it up.

Today I'd like to declare it Seriously Stupid day. What do you find Seriously Stupid? LIke - in the city I live in the library has specified areas for the type of car you drive. Yk, if you drive a GREEN car, you get to park closer to the library. If you carpool you get to park closer. If you have an SUV you get to park out in the back 40. I find that whole thing Seriously Stupid so I intentionally park my minvan in the Green car area in protest of the stupidity. It's not legal - they can't enforce anything other than the handicap parking (which I am FULLY in support of) so they can just bite me.

*phew* Anyway. So...what do YOU find Seriously Stupid?

To Know Me - the Love Edition

Hey ya'll! Kasey over at all that is good has a stinkin' cute new button to go with her fun Monday blog carnival. You can click on it to be magically transported to her beautifully redecorated site and get the lowdown on Friend Makin' Monday.

Today's Question, in honor of Kasey's 7th Anniversary (go tell her Happy Anniversary!):

How did you and your significant other meet? and if you don't have a significant other at the moment then what would be your dream way to meet him?

Rob and I met 14 years ago. I got hired to work in sales at Computer House where Rob worked in the warehouse. He was a skinny, geeky guy that wore his shirts tucked in to his too tight levi's and his high top tennies. We met in 1995. I flirted a bit and he was oblivious. I flirted a lot, and still he was oblivious. (Duh.) His friends finally sold him a clue and I asked him to go out with me. He said sure, and invited me to lunch with him and another guy from work named Peter. Peter was a perv that spent the whoel lunch making comments and looking down my shirt. Rob says it was a strategic move because, really, who can look bad next to Peteer?! HA! We went to dinner the next day and, seriously? Have been together pretty much ever since. There was about 4 days where we "took a break" (ha!) but other than that...it's been going strong since then. We worked together and I'd hang out with him after work. He'd drive me home at about 1-2am and we'd sit in the car and "talk" until 3 or 4. Then he'd drive the 30 minutes home where we'd repeat the same scene until we moved in together (read: lived in sin). This June is our 13th Anniversary. We got engaged 2 months after we met and got married a year after we got engaged.

So, there ya go. Boring story. LOL

How'd YOU meet your sugar pie honey bunch?

Have a day!

What would you grab?

You know that question that is always asked, "What 3 things would you grab if you had to evacuate due to a housefire?" I know the answer to that, now.

On Thursday morning I was working at my desk, the boys were playing in the living room and Rob & the girls were gone. I heard a bunch of thumping and thudding, and just figured one of the neighbors (I live in a 4-plex) was moving. Suddenly, just as I had gotten B down for his morning nap, there was urgent pounding on my door. I was irritated and wondered what was so important that they were literally POUNDING on my door. I answered and the frantic lawn guy told me that the house was on fire and I needed to grab the kids and get out.

I was kind of in shock and just stood there for a minute and said, "Um, ok..thanks." And he said, "Ma'am? Now. There's smoke pouring out the windows and the fire dept is on the way."

I started barking out orders to Corban, "Grab your crocs, get them on, c'mon..let's go! Let's Go! LET'S GO!" As the reality set in...so did the panic and my thoughts become a disjointed, jumbled mess: Oh my gosh - what do I grab? What do I do..where are my shoes? Where is my phone? Corban get your shoes! C'mon boys let's go. Do I lock the door? Does it matter? Where are my keys? Wait, did I grab my phone. Shoot..diapers..I def need diapers. Where's the diaper bag? Get the diaper bag. And my wallet. Are my keys in there? CRAP - I need to get the safe and all of our birth certificates, etc. Oh the HELL with that, let's go boys. Let's go. Get out. Get out. Get out.

I strapped them both into the stroller that was sitting on the porch, went back and grabbed the diaper bag and saw my camera sitting there, so I grabbed it, too. (*ahem*) and then we got the heck outta dodge.

The whole process took minutes but it felt like eternity because I had NO idea how big the fire was or where it was or what was on fire. I could hear the sirens by now as we ran out into the parking lot and across the lawn. The engines pulled up and I saw the smoke coming out of the attic vents on the unit on the opposite end from ours.





The firefighters went over with hoses and axes and started trying to break down the door. There was smoke coming from the back of the house, now, too. Neighbors were pouring out to see what was going on.

They got the door open and smoke came pouring out.





The firefighters went in on all fours and determined where the fire was and cleared the rest of the apartment. They opened windows to let the smoke out.



The got the fire out and brought in fans to air the rest of the smoke out. The apartment next door was checked and cleared - but they sustained some pretty major smoke damage. The apartment between that one and ours has a heavy smoke smell and ours less so, but we did have to have the apartment windows and doors opened all day to air it out.

The firefighters started pulling pieces of wall and cabinetry out of the house and laying it in the driveway to be hosed down. And the story started coming out..

It was a kitchen fire. My neighbor had put a toaster streudle in for her son on their way out the door. Both forgot about it and left the house in a hurry because they were late. The toaster streudel caught fire and the fire melted the toaster and spread to the wall and the cabinets above the toaster. The kitchen just started going up, from there. The micorwave is melted, the ceiling is black. The leather couch in the living room has melted spots on it. The plants melted. The pictures and posters melted. The floor is burnt. The cabinets are fried.

Had the lawn guy not spotted the fire when he did, the whole kitchen would've ignited and who knows how bad it would have been from there.

As it goes, he was working on the lawn and saw smoke coming from the attic vent and upstairs window. He started banging on the door and got no answer so he climbed up on the the roof of the garage in this pic:



and tried to see if anyone was in there. He called 911 and the property management place. Then he went from door to door, banging on all of them and evacuating us all.

What if he hadn't have done that? What if he decided it was none of his business? What if he just went about his day?

I don't want to even imagine.

Our neighbors have been moving stuff out onto the lawn all weekend and the wind blows the smoke smell down this way during the day. Today is their son's birthday and they had to cancel his birthday party celebration. It isn't much, but we took him to DQ last night and gave him $10 to celebrate. He's been over at our house most of the time, while they clean up the carnage and see what they can salvage.

So, I know now...that if someone tells me there is a fire and to get out, that I'll only grab kids, my diaper bag and..yk...my camera.

Friday Freebie!!!

Welcome to another Friday! You made it...let's all do a happy dance!! What? you don't dance? Well, Mama, if you don't dance does that mean Daddy don't Rock N Roll??! (bad joke)

Ok how's about if we just give you something for free, instead?

That's right - just like we do EVERY Friday over here at Sacred & Profane, we're going to give something away. And, once again, I'm going to shoo you over to someone elses house to win it. Another thing that I am TOTALLY bummed that I cna't win because, seriously? It rocks.

Go give Shawn at SERIOUSLY a shout out and check out what she's giving you just for making it through the week. I promise that you will NOT be disappointed.

And come back Next week for another awesome Freebie!

I Chose to Accept It

On Wednesday's Mama Kat hands out writing assignments. This week, I chose to play along.

The prompt: 3.) List ten things you are currently sick of.
(inspired by Jenny)

Sounds like a rant to me! Whooopeee!

Uno: I'm sick of paying Bills. Every month we throw money at them and every month they want more. Helloooo? Didn't we pay you LAST month? Sheesh.

Dos: I'm sick of kid's fighting. Just put a sock in it, already. Oh, is that mean? You'd prefer I say 'shut your pie hole'? No? hmm... 'Can it'? 'Shut it'? 'Zip it'? 'Put a cork in it'? I rally don't care which one it is..just shut up and stop fighting, already.

Drei: I'm sick of all the neighbor kids making a mess with my kids toys (even when we're not home) and then my kids or Rob & I end up cleaning it up. I have enough to do without cleaning up after all of your lazy butts, thankyouverymuch.

Vier: I'm sick of being tired all the time. Or maybe I'm sick FROM being tired all the time? I'm confused.

Cinq: I'm sick of winter. We've had a summer preview these past few days but I'm sure winter isn't done bending us over and flogging us yet. Jerk.

Six: I'm sick of sharing a computer with Rob. It makes Rob grumpy and grumpy Rob is not Fun Rob.

семь: I'm sick of fighting with the people that live here with me to get them to help me clean up. I don't make 80% of the messes yet I do 90% of the clean up. Are the other people that live here incapable? Um...no. So, let's get a move on and get motivated, already. Becfore I motivate you myself.

восемь: I'm sick of the taste of water. It's so damned boring. And no, I don't like the flavored water, either. Blech. Patooey. Why can't water taste like beer? Or wine? Or Pepsi?

Hati: I'm sick of my flab. Can it just magically disappear, please? *poof* Flab be gone!

Kyuu: I'm sick of thinking of what I'm sick of. I thought this would be easier than it is but apparently I don't have as much anger or righteous indignation as I thought I did. Must have been all the purging in my earlier post.


Go check out what other, wittier people had to write about!

Scrolling Buttons & Stupid Ads

I get many a question about the cool scrolling button feature down there on your left. I don't always remember to refer people to the answer, so I'm doing it here, again, now.

Brooke over at Dinkypops No More is the one that hooked me up and is now hooking all of you up. She's a Rock Star. Scrolling Button Tutorial

Now, there is an ad on some of your pages that is completely wigging my IE 7 out. I mean COMPLETELY - it's begging me for a xanax as I type because everytime I try to go to your pages I get an error message and it shuts down. But it's only certain blogs with ads on them. Dunno if I'm the only one having problems but, yo, heads up.

Promise, no more posts today. Two scheduled for tomorrow. Giddy-up.

You're SO Vain...

...You Probably Think This Post is About You.

Yesterday on the Seriously Secret post there was a comment left...the very first comment, actually. It said:

I have a friend that I don't really feel like we're friends anymore. She's moved on to this new group of friends and left a lot of us behind. It's like the new group of friends are better because they all think she's witty and charming and real. I'm second guessing that last part about her. It makes me sad. I will not stroke her ever expanding ego.

It was left anonymously.

I immediately became convinced that this was supposed to be a message for me. I became obsessed. I consulted people and I tried tracking down the poster - something I NEVER do on anonymous posts. I failed at that, by the way. Not really a super cyber sleuth. Alas.

I spent the day thinking it was for me and about me. Worried about who wrote it. Mad at the person that left it, whoever it was. Then I got all introspective and tried to be deep, thinking about the seasons of Friendship and a few of my friendships that evolved and just got outgrown by one party or another. Friends that were lost because we no longer had enough in common - not enough common threads to keep us connected. Friends that got lost in the overflow of life. *le sigh*

Then I found out that someone else spent some time thinking that the post was about HER!

Wait...what? You mean it's not always about me?

Maybe there's more of you out there that read that and thought, 'Is that person talking aboout ME?' Or, yk, maybe you all thought, 'Dude..who'd heidi piss off?' and I'm completely off base here. Wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last. At any rate, the point is this...

Sometimes, it's not always about me. Other things take precedence. Other people get to be front and center. Circumstances may not be as they appear. Objects in mirror are CLOSER than they appear. Seasons change. To everything (turn, turn, turn)... there is a season (turn, turn, turn) .. I digress. And that's not the song I want to implant you with today.

I want to impregnate you with this one:

And I'll try and remember that it might not always be about me, ok? Ok.

Have a day!

Iron Chef: Potatoes

Don't forget to try out the Iron Chef Challenge recipes for this month and vote over in my sidebar! Ideally, you'll try all three and THEN vote but, yk, ideally isn't realistically, eh?

If you want to see some awesome reviews of the recipes for this challenge..make sure you go check out Dana's place. She said she's doing them up "Pioneer Woman Style" and she doesn't disappoint!

Easy Baked Potato Soup from Katie @ A Listmakers Life
Basil and Thyme Potatoes from Jill @ Sneaky Momma
Texas Style Mustard Potato Salad from Miss Pinkalicious @ One Pink Fish

The winner will be announced next Wednesday and will get some cold, hard cashola!

Seriously Secret

Well, since Kameron outed herself as our mystery pregnant person we need some new secrets. Do you have one to share? Something you're dying to say out loud but can't yet or don't want to? Say it here, anonymously. What about something you're ashamed to admit but really feel like you have to let it out? Go for it...it's cathartic. And sometimes admitting it does one of two things; it either 1) makes you realize it's not as bad as you thought it was when it was echoing around in your head or 2) it helps you to see it in black and white so that you can start taking action.

Doesn't matter what kind of secret it is, big or small, serious or not....spill it.

Menu Plan Monday - WITH recipes

With a skip in my step and my head held high - I present to you our menu for the next two weeks:

Bourbon Chicken, Steamed Veggies
Grilled Steak, Sauteed Mushrooms, Basil & Thyme Potatoes, Salad
Crock Pot Roast, Potatoes & Carrots
Mince & Tatties
Easy Baked Potato Soup
Haystacks (B's Birthday with the IL's)
Cheese-It Chicken, Cheesy Hashbrowns, Corn on the Cob
Chicken Georgia, Asparagus, Angel Hair
Burgers, Fries, Fruit
Spaghetti, Green Beans
Harvest Soup (hold over from last menu)
Pizza & Salad
Fettucini Carbonara, Steamed Broccoli
Chili Dogs
Leftovers

Check out More Menus at Orgjunkie.com

Getting to Know Me..Even More.

Yeah, that's right - I'm participating in Friend Makin' Monday this week. I always MEAN to, but time gets the better of me, usually.

So here we go. You can head over to Kasey's place to pick up the info on your own. My task is to answer the questions in red. So, yk, I did.

You wouldn't be caught dead where?: OH! Um...Hmm...I dunno. If I'm dead do I really care, anyway?

Do you have any hidden talents?: If so, I may need a hypnotist or therapist to bring them out!

Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at: Not to be vain or anything (*nods* suuuuuuuure) but I consider myself pretty good at writing to the average person and, uhmm...hmm...laundry? No. Cooking? No. Cleaning? No. Well...really..honesty? Is that what we're going for here? Ok...Then..You've been forewarned...my husband doean't complain about my bedroom talents. *ahem*

Name two things you consider yourself to be very bad at: Knownig when enough is enough so I should say 'No'. Number 2 - keeping a distance.

Have you ever won a trophy?: An actual trophy??? No.

Name one thing not many people know about you: Uhm..hmm...if you DON'T read my blog maybe there is a lot..but if you do? Yeah. I just kind of put it all out there. How about this: I used to manage a Pizza Hut in Salt Lake City, UT.

Name your earliest memory: Hmm...pass.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high?: Which part???? Bullet Boys, Poison, Ratt, Motley Crew, Metallica....7-th and 8th grade. Some 9th, too. My FAVE in 9th, though, was Yaz.

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did?: She told all of our friends that I stole her debit card (didn't) and then didn't pay her rent while she slept with my boyfriend *cough* Whore *cough*.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?: Teacher. Child Psychologist. Counselor. Social Worker. Mom. Any or all of the above.

What was your worst dating experience?: Really?!? Oy. I dunno if there's enough time. One guy - well, I owed some money to one of those quick check cashing places back when I was 19. He came to my WORK and intimated that if I went with him my debt would magically disappear. I was desperate enough to agree to the date. Then I didn't go. I called him the next day and asked him, with indignation, why he didn't show up. I convinced him that he said an hour earlier than he really had and that I'd given up on him and gone out with friends. He wrote my debt off, anyway. HA! Wait...that wasn't a bad experience. Hmmmm....I dunno. I dated losers..because, yk, they had drugs and I wanted them. One guy I was living with was convicted of child sexual abuse. The next guy cheated on me 16 times (that I know of) with 16 different women. The last one before I met Rob actually tried to kill me. So, yk, you pick. Ha!

If you were about to die what would your last meal be?: Oooh! Good Question! It's one I always ask people. I dunno for sure but it would include a cheese burger, green chile smothered enchilada and cheesecake with Corona to drink.

Who is the most important person in your life?: Rob.

If your house was on fire what 3 things would you grab on your way out?: My family. Honestly? The rest of it is just stuff and can burn to ashes but without my husband and my kids, I would die.

There ya go. Check out Kasey's Place for more fun!

More Awesomer Then Mostest

So, I recently won an award for Most Awesomest Recipe/Food blog given out by i am mommy. I have to tell ya - at first this award baffled me. NOT that I'm not grateful to have received it, really. I am. I'm honored. But I never thought of my blog as a food-type blog. Rob, in all his infinite manly wisdom *cough cough* (sorry, got something stuck in my throat there) said that it really IS more like a food blog than not - what with all the Menu Plan Mondays, random Recipes and the Iron Chef Challenges. So, yk, ok...I can accept that I guess. *shrug*

Then I had a hard time showcasing an award with the non-word "Awesomest" on it. If you know me at ALL, you know non-words make me a little bit cuckoo. Then my friend Kim pointed out that Urban Dictionary lists Awesomest, so it is in a dictionary *cough cough* (urban dictionary is in no way, shape OR form a dictionary and is full of words that do not exist in phrases that make little to no sense WHATSOEVER) and while I generally refuse to acknowledge anything Urban Dictionary says..I decided to make an exception, in this case.

Look, they can't even get it right in the definition:

Awesomest - To be more awesome then awesome itself

(Pet Peeve - it's THAN, not then. You can't be more anything THEN something unless you're describing a sequence of events. This bugs me ALMOST as much as when people say "I would of gone if I could of." *shudder* HAVE, people..HAVE. I would HAVE gone if I could HAVE. The 'of' sound you hear at the end? Yeah...that's part of a CONTRACTION. Could'VE, Would'VE, Should'VE as in - Should've paid more attention in basic English class. OK..I'm done being snotty now. No, really..I am. For now.)

Gosh, all of that just to say - Hey, thanks for the award...I really am more awesomer than most. *flops around on the ground from using that sequence of words*. Thanks for nominating me and thanks for voting for me. I'll try to be way more funnier *oh MYLANTA, the agony!* so I can be nominated in the humor section next time around.




(Whoa, I just read through all of that, again, and while I was trying to be funny and, sure, a little snotty - I really AM grateful for the award and honored to have been thought of - I was just trying to be funny. My mom and dad always told me I wasn't as funny as I thought I was - must be true. LOL)

Friday Freebie!!!

Are you ready to par-tay???? Oh yeah, babe. It's party time. My friend Liz is having a Blogoversary party at her place this week and she's kicking it off by hosting the FF today. Woot!! So, go visit Liz and see what cool stuff you can win today and all week!



Happy Blogoversary, Liz!!! Rock it out!

Iron Chef: Potatoes

Time for the finalist announcement! The three recipes for this month are:

Easy Baked Potato Soup from Katie @ A Listmakers Life
Basil and Thyme Potatoes from Jill @ Sneaky Momma
Texas Style Mustard Potato Salad from Miss Pinkalicious @ One Pink Fish

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone else that linked up - I actually am going to be trying some of your recipes out anyway because they just looked SO GOOD!

Now it's up to YOU guys! Go, try them, enjoy them, evaluate them. Then come back and vote in the poll I will be putting up in a bit. I will also have the recipes linked in my sidebar for convenience. The poll will close on Tuesday, May 26th and I need all three guest judges to have their votes to me by Tuesday, as well. On Wednesday the 27th we'll pick the winner!

Since I have been SWAMPED and haven't been able to get an actual prize for you, I'm totally copping out and giving away this:



Yep, not even a GC - just some cash. If you have a PP account I can just send it right over or I can mail it to ya. Either way, $10 is the biggest, baddest prize I can give right now.

Finalists - feel free to grab one of these buttons for your blog!



Good Luck and enjoy!!!

Smelly Pee

Have you ever noticed that almost immediately after you eat asparagus, your pee smells like you just ate an entire field of it? What IS that?

Or after you eat Sugar Puffs, your pee smells like it a couple hours later?

So weird.

Carry on.

Seriously Profane.

I bet you have a lot to get off your chest, don't ya? Got something you need to say? Something just eating away at ya? Did your husband take a nap on Mother's Day and leave you to take care of everything else, all alone, just like every other day? Did he forget entirely? Is your boss being a pain in your backside? Co-worker not doing their share? Did you NOT win the videocamera over at Tim's place? (What?! WHAT?!? Whatever. Hmph. *wink*) SOmeone at the grocery store just really tick you off?

Well..hit me with it. Let me have it. I can take it. That's right, I got on my Big Girl Unders...vent away.

And, hey? If you have something to say but don't want anyone to know it was you? Feel free to post anonymously. I have no issue with it at all - I'm cool like that.

Best Day EVER

Today started out fabulously and just got better and better. It has been the best day EVER!!

Brennan woke up at 4 am, when I had to be up for the day at 5:30am and had stayed up until after midnight with Rob. Finally got him down enough to shower and get ready to head out. We had an appointment for B in another town with his surgeon to make sure we were still on track for the surgery we have scheduled for June for him. The plan was to take the girls to school, see Sienna's science project and then head out with the boys. We had asked ROb's dad to be available in case we didn't make it back in time to be here when the girls got home from school. All was well and, as I generally enjoy, planned out in advance.

Got the kids up, fed them and made a lunch. Went to turn on my computer to see what shifts I Had to work tonight, since I had taken most of the day off. Only..uh..my computer wouldn't turn on. Yk, the computer I have to have for WORK? Seems that the video card is shot. And since it's a laptop, so is my computer. At least my harddrive contents are salvageable. *sigh*

Ten minutes before we're set to leave, and as I'm loading people and things into the van, Rob's dad calls and says he's not goign to be able to help us out because he JUST agreed to go to idaho and help tow a friend who broke down. So, we're left scrambling trying to make sure that there is SOMEONE who can be around just in case we're not. Oh, and Rob's dad has our house key so we need someone that won't need to be in our house. Was able to get that all taken care of as we were walking out the door.

Got to B's appointment and waited for 45 minutes AFTER our appointment time to see the Dr. Discussed the surgery and found out that the defect is worse than originally thought, so the surgery is definitely important. Talked about how they're going to put my baby under and then give him an epidural thingymadohickey (damnit, next time someone come with me take notes, okay?) so they can perform the reconstructive surgery he needs. Discussed all of the after effects and pain management etc.

Went out to lunch and hit the road. We got home just before the girls got off the bus *phew*.

My computer is SHOT. Dunno where we're gonna get the money for a new one. I'm on Rob's right now but ALL of my work stuff is on mine, obviously. My work links, passwords, email, alllllll of it. So Rob is less than happy because 1)I'm going to be hogging HIS computer and 2) He has to figure out how to make this thing work for me and put all my crap on it - by tomorrow morning.

He uses his computer to work from home and at night when he gets calls to fix things at work. So sharing a computer is NOT a long term solution. I'm fairly certain we're goign to have to suck it up andgo charge a damned laptop to the credit card with the 23 frigging percent interest. Or, yk, buy another Dell on credit and make payment. Who the hell knows.

So, we're all grumpy and this has actually NOT been the best day EVER. It wasn't the worst day ever, but I'm thinking we're gonna write it off as being a suckfest.

Luckily I have scheduled most of my posts for the week already in some flash of sheer brilliant foresight (pats self on back). I'm off to try and get ahold of my boss and see if she can get my work passwords for me - which is ging to seriously piss her off and she's not the worlds most pleasant person to start with. I'm a little skeered, yo.

Hope your day was infinitely better.

Peace out.

Potato Bugs

Hey!! Thought I'd share a couple potato recipes of my own, even though I can't be in the Iron Chef competition.

Greek Fries

1 bag frozen fries
can of spray oil
Cavenders greek seasoning
lemon

Put the fries on a baking pan. Coat with thin layer of cooking spray. SPrinkle seasoning over the fries. Bake according to directions. Flip oven to broi for the last 2-3 minutes. Squeeze fresh lemon over the finished fries. Serve and eat. Try to use manners and share.

I serve this with a big ole Greek Salad. Or, yk, whenever I want some.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Baked Potato Soup

8 slices bacon -- retain drippings
1 cup yellow onion -- diced
2/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups baked potato -- peeled and diced
2 cups half and half
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons tabasco sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onion -- diced

Chop cooked bacon. Set aside. Cook onions in bacon drippings over med. high heat until transparent. Add flour stirring to prevent lumps. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture begins to turn golden. Add broth gradually, stirring constantly with whisk until thickened. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, bacon, parsley, garlic, basil, tabasco and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Do not boil. Add cheese and green onion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Madras Vegetable Curry

1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp Madras curry paste
1 1/2 tbsp flour
3 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 potato, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, cut into thin slices
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced

In a large pot, stir together coconut milk, curry paste and flour. Then add all other ingredients and set on medium-high heat. Once mixture has come up to a boil, turn down to a low simmer and continue cooking covered for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Serve over basmati rice.

http://themealplanner.blogspot.com/2008/12/madras-vegetable-curry.html

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mmmmmmmm..fried potatoes with some beans and cornbread?? Uh - YEAH!

How about some potatoes with Roast or stew? DELISH.

Scalloped potatoes???

Chili Cheese Fries????

Mashed Potatoes?? With gravy or with a little spring of butter flowing out of the middle?

Oh, good gravy and a loaf of bread..my mouth is waterin'!

What about you? What's YOUR favorite potato recipe? Doesn't have to be an original, just something you and your family like that has potatoes in it (Preferably as a primary ingredient).

Make sure you post it and link it up for the Iron Chef challenge for May!

Pssst....It's a Secret!

Hey...check this from Saturday's post...

I'll send a $10 GC to someone that is picked by random.org on Monday, for posting on this post at Heidi's place. Just because I love Heidi and her sweet family and I want ya'll to love her too. So, yk, I'm not afraid to buy Heidi some friends and stuff. ;-)

You have until 9pm Mountain time to comment on that there post to win a $10 GC. So..what're you waiting for??? GO!!!

Just a few things...

I went ahead and got you all something for Mother's Day.

You take a look and see which one is for you. Feel free to snag it for yourself. ;-)








Happy Mother's Day to you all!!

Friday Freebie Winner!! And some other stuff.

Woot! 83 comments - ya'll were Busy!!!



OK, so Random.org picked comment number 48..and that comment went something like this...




Congrats to Heidi @ Tayterjaq's Rebels!! Stop by and give the girl a shout-out...she needs some traffic, yo.

Tell ya what - I have ONE MORE PRIZE up my sleeve. I'll send a $10 GC to someone that is picked by random.org on Monday, for posting on this post at Heidi's place. Just because I love Heidi and her sweet family and I want ya'll to love her too. So, yk, I'm not afraid to buy Heidi some friends and stuff. ;-)

Heidi - you'll have to blog about your big lame-o package when it gets to you.

Hey? Today I got something cool in MY mail that I won over at Mommy Needs Motivation.

Check these hot little unders out...



HA! Were you totally afraid I took a pic of myself in the unders? Uhm..I did. HA! I'm wearin' those bad boys while Rob snapped a pic of my backside. I LOVE them! Thanks Cathy!!!!

PSAs:
Don't forget to enter your potato recipe into the May Iron Chef challenge by Tuesday night!

Tuesday is Seriously Profane day - get your rants ready, yo!

Ok, I'm off to watch Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Have a Saturday night.

You can stop asking "Are we there yet?" Because we're here. We made it. It's Friday!!! Can I get a woot woot?! An amen? A witness?? Hit me!

This week's Freebie is going to be a surprise! Brown Bag Present. White Elephant gift.

Do you know what a white elephant gift is?? It's like a gag gift! Yep. You're going to enter to win a gag gift package, lovingly put together by yours truly. You never know what will find it's way inside a white elephant package. And you never WILL know unless you enter to win.

No fancy-schmancy stuff today, except I'm totally copying Mimi this week and letting you enter as many times as you want. Every comment you leave is an entry.

Hey? I'm looking for people to guest host the FF. If you're interested in having the party at your place, email me and let me know!

Have a Friday!!!

COMMENTS CLOSED

Iron Chef: May

Welcome to the Iron Chef announcement for May! Are you ready for your ingredient?? It is a totally versatile ingredient. Baked, fried, steamed, boiled, grilled....as a side or as a main dish or even as an ingredient in ANOTHER dish. This month's ingredient is...



POTATOES!

Here's how we play:

Link up in the Mr. Linky to your favorite Potato Recipe. It can be one you've already posted or one you go post right now. Next Wednesday I will use a random.org widget to choose the three finalists from the Mr. Linky list. I'll post the recipes and link them in my sidebar. I'll hook up the poll and pass out the 'vote for me' buttons. I'll also reveal the prize for May.

There are 3 celebrity judges plus myself. All 3 of these judges have committed to trying the 3 recipes and passing along their vote to me. My family will be weighing in with their collective vote as the 4th judge. The poll will count as the 5th vote.

You guys are the 5th vote. So, it's up to YOU to go and try all three recipes and then come back and vote in the poll. Feel free to post reviews of the recipes! I think it's fun to read what other people thought.

Any questions?

Ok...so let's see 'em...show me your potato recipes! Mr. Linky will be up until Next TUESDAY night!

To quote the chairman on Iron Chef America...

"Allez! Cuisinez!"



ETA: My friend Shugah Momma (Sugar Mommy) asked if this was specific to white potatoes or if it included sweet potatoes. Let's stick with regular potatoes - white or gold. Not red or sweet. Tho' I love me some sweet taters!

Menu Plan Monday...again

Oh, sure, the one time I don't put recipes and ya;ll are like.."Can I get the recipe for that?"

Suuuure...no problem. I LIVE to SERVE. *sigh*

;-)

Lemon Garlic Pasta

Harvest Soup

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Southwest Corn Bread Bake

1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans (or ranch style beans are good too)
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I use more because we love Cumin)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp white sugae
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tasp Canola oil

In a bowl, combine beans, corn, onion and cumin. Transfer into an 8" square baking dish coated with non-stick spray. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Combine milk and oil; stir into the dry ingredients until moistened.

Drop by tablsespoons over chili mixture; carefully spread over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 4 gnerous servings.

***You can play with this a bit - sometimes I add olives, chopped green chiles, diced jalepenos, etc. Just add them in with the bean mixture.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BBQ Meatless Loaf

1 onion, chopped
1 stick margarine or butter
8-10 slices wheat bread, cubed
1 can Vegeburger
2 cups shredded cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sgae

Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Saute onion in butter until soft; add bread and saute a bit longer. Combine other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add bread and onions to bowl. Press into a greased 9 x 13" casserole dish.

Mix topping with generous amounts of each ingredient and spread to edges of baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until top is carmelized.

***I don't use onion because Rob doesn't like it. I also use about 2 Tbsp of Cavenders seasoning in place of the other seasoning. I make this dish ahead by at least 24 hours so that the topping will seep down into the casserole, adding the bbq flavor to everything. You can throw this into the oven at 125 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours if you want to have something ready when you come home from church.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I think those were the recipes specifically asked for. Let me know if I missed one you want!

Seriously Sacred.

QUICK! Look around your desk RIGHT now...do it! Now, if I told you to throw every single little thing away except ONE THING, what would you keep and why. No cheating. You can't list three things. Just pick ONE and tell me.

Why is it so Sacred that you couldn't/wouldn't toss it?

(Psssst...It's not real. Please do NOT throw everything away. Unless, of course, you want to. Might be bad to toss the electric bill befor eyou pay it though. THey really have NO sympathy or mercy. Just sayin'.)

On Making Friends and Being Old.....

So I just sent an email to my daughter's teacher - whom I ADORE. She is funny and witty and sarcastic and...well...so LIKE ME. We've talked on and off throughout the year and been in contact a whole bunch and tonight I finally got the guts to ask her out. Oh, come on now..you KNOW that's what it is, right? I said "You wanna have coffee sometime?" Which is TOTALLY like asking someone out on a date, right? I put myself out there (makes me wanna puke, btw) and am thinking I'm an ass for doing so.

Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult, huh? I mean...c'mon! She and I are a lot alike. She's even told Sienna it seems like we share a brain and are often thinking the same thing. So..why shouldn't we be friends, right? When we run into each other we chat and talk about our lives, etc.

How do you go about making that happen?? I guess I effectively asked her out on a friend-date. Coffee, dinner, whatever. I even gave her an out..."If you aren't comfortable because my daughter is in your class, I'm totally cool with that." Whatever. I'm not. My feelings will be hurt if she says no and if she says yes, I'll be nervous.

Totally like dating.

I hate trying to make friends as an adult.

Isn't this whole thing ridiculous!?!?!?! The answer, in case you were at a loss, is yes. It's ridiculous. I am an adult woman with 4 children, a full time job and a husband. Why am I so worried about what this woman is going to say to me? Huh? Right.

Sorry. I think I may need to go lose my dinner now. I am so desperate for another IRL friend. I have ONE right now, and she's great. Just..I dunno. Sometimes I want more, yk? Is that bad? Sad? What? I dunno. My SIL is moving and she's always been my close friend, too.

I reitterate...why is it so hard to find friends as adult women? Huh? Why? I don't feel competitive. I don't care if you're prettier than me or make more money or drive a nicer car. I just want to laugh and have a good time. I want to share experiences and be silly and stupid and have someone to call and say "Dude. Today sucked. Wanna go have Margaritas?" Does that make me sound like a desperate fool?

Then I guess I am. A desperate fool, that is. Because that's what I want.

Someone to laugh with. Someone to cry with. Rememeber BFFs from HS and stuff? I want something like that. My husband is there..yeah, sure. He's my BFF, I know. But I want a girl. I want a woman. I want a mom and wife that get's it. Yk?

Anyway. I hope she doesn't tell me to jump off a cliff or something. I am not used to putting myself out like this but I had to take a chance.

Menu Plan Monday

For those of you still interested in my boring menu plan..here it is from today until the 15th:

Chili pie & Green Beans (Cara)

Spaghetti & Veggie

Pizza & Salad

Lemon Garlic Pasta, Steamed Veggies, Fresh Fruit

Lemon Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potaoes, Salad

Harvest Soup, Homemade bread (maybe)

Beef Broccoli & Fried Rice

Southwest Cornbread Bake

Korma Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Salad

BBQ Beef Sanwiches, Potato Saladm Fresh Fruit

Meatless Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie, Dessert

Burgers, Dogs, Mac Salad, Baked Beans, Watermellon

What're you having?

Mother's Day Manifesto

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching. May 10th. This is for my family.

*ahem* (cough cough cough)

So, in order to avoid the fight that punctuated the end (with an exclamation point!) of last year's Mother's Day I wanted to write this down for you.

This year, for Mother's Day, I do not expect for you to buy me things. I do not need you to spend money that we do not have on things I do not need (but would love, obviously). I do not need flowers or jewelry or spa gift certificates. I do not relish the idea of standing in line at Perkins to eat breakfast on Mother's Day. I do not think that eating out is a fabulous use of our funds, either. Instead, let me propose the following:

On Mother's Day, I would like to not be thought of last. I spend all year making sure the rest of you come first. Your food, your clothes, your needs, your wants, your desires - all five of you .. on Mother's Day? I would like it to be me first. One day out of 365 doesn't seem like too much to ask. I would like some advance thought put into it, instead of realizing the night before that, while you bought a card for your mother, you haven't given a single thought as to what to do for me. I would like you (husband) to remember that the littles can't do much on their own so you have to take the initiative and get them moving. I don't want or desire store bought cards...no. I would LOVE a hand-drawn picture from them.

This Mother's Day, in lieu of spending the day rushing around to get me a present, I would adore for you all to just.. do my chores for me. Do the dishes, make the meals, clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom and the entry way, clean up the living room. Just... do it FOR me. Don't LET me do any of those things. Clean my van! Do the laundry! Clean the tub! Whatever. Oh! Oh! Oh! Girls? Clean your room withought fighting!!!!!!! Oh. My. Barbie. That would be a present in itself.

A nap? That would be a definite bonus, I assure you.

If, after all of these ideas, you feel you MUST spend money on me - just buy me the plants I need for my front porch and spend time with me planting them. That's all.

I don't need much. I don't ask for much. I try to DO much for you all throughout the year, I just want to feel appreciated for one, single solitary day out of three hundred and sixty five.

I would like, for once, to not be an afterthought.

Thanks.

Your loving Wife

and

Mom

Another Helpful Hint from heidi

I know how you look forward to my helpful hints, so I thought I'd share this one with you tonight.

While cooking dinner, it is helpful if you do NOT put the plastic bag full of cheese straight onto a hot burner while dealing with food on another burner. The plastic AND cheese will melt to the burner, making a large mess and a nasty smell. Plus it will cause you to swear, loudly, like a chaste sailor:"Son of a .... Mother ... Holy ... Doggoneit!!!" And it causes your husband to laugh at you and make comments HE thinks are witty (but only serve to make you think of more chaste swear words).

This has been another helpful hint from heidi. Stay tuned for other helpful hints as these things occur.

La Te Da

I'm supposed to be doing my menu and grocery list. I already did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. But, yk, I got distracted by the shiney computer so here I am. And when I got distracted by the computer I ended up over at Lisa's place. She had ordered an awesome t-shirt for Bryan awhile back and I loved it so, yes I did. Went over to window shop and laugh at all the cool stuff when I saw they are having a sale. Now, I don't often blog about this sort of stuff, right? I mean - they are whole blogs out there dedicated to this but not mine. I'll leave that to the pros. But this? THIS was too much to pass up.

Wanna know what kind of sale they're having?

Sure ya do. Cause then you could get this little number:



Or even this one:



OK, I'll tell you. It's 50% off. Yeah. HALF OFF. I love me a half off sale!

Oh, you have a girl? WHat about this cute little thing:



I really think I need that therapy onesie....I mean, yk, for Brennan. I don't wear onesies.

Go check them out. They Rock.

Friday Freebie!!

Happy Friday to ya! Happy May Day, as well!!! You'll all be happy to know that, in honor of May Day, I have a prize for EVERY PERSON that stops by today. Yes, you heard read that right..EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON.

Wanna know what it is?

This:



Yep. Just that there picture of beautiful Gerbera Daisies.

You're welcome.

Now, if you want a REAL freebie you'll have to head over to Mimi's because she always hosts the first freebie of the month. Isn't she awesome? Thanks Mimi!!



Have a Friday!