Lake Life

Soup-er Bowl!

2012-02-05T21:03:00.001-05:00

Confession:

I do not like football.

I do not like it in a house.

I do not like it with a mouse.

I do not like it here.

I do not like it there.

I do not like it anywhere.

Get the point?

For the past 4 months (feels like 4 years) I’ve avoided football every Sunday afternoon except today.

I know it’s super bowl cliché, but I participate for the commercials- and the food!

Today to celebrate “Commercial Bowl”, I made some Buffalo Chik’n Wing dip- with Authentic ANCHOR BAR buffalo sauce.

(For those who don’t know what the Anchor Bar is, it’s a bar in Buffalo, NY where Buffalo Wings were invented!)

Since I’ve been a pescetarian for about 6 months now, I made a vegetarian Buffalo “Chik’n” Wing Dip today with MorningStar “Chik’n” Strips instead of chicken. If you’re a meat eater, you can sub 8 oz of cooked chicken in place of the Chik’n Strips.

Step One:
Assemble the ingredients

Step 2:
Dice chik’n strips, measure out 1 cup of Colby Jack and dump everything into a crock pot.

Step 3:
Mix all ingredients together and heat on low for 2 hours

Step 4:
Serve with veggies and tortilla chips

PS: Next time I’ll be getting the MILD version of this sauce- medium was way too spicy!

For the “main event”, I wanted to do a little tribute to New England because, if I have to pick, I like them more than the NEW JERSEY Giants.

Confession:
That “tribute to New England” crap was a lie. The truth is, I’ve had the ingredients for Cioppino for about a week and my basil was about to go bad. Cioppino is a fish stew originating in San Francisco and is considered an Italian-American dish but since it has clams, I equate it with New England. That’s just the way my mind works.

Anyway, this is probably the easiest Cioppino you’ll ever see since it uses canned soup.

All you need to do is drain the clams, dice the shrimp and shred the basil (the easiest way is with kitchen scissors) and combine.

heat and serve (with Oyster crackers- it just seems like the right thing to do!)

And for dessert?

Football-shaped cookies that I helped decorate yesterday and a cupcake from Wegmans’ Patisserie.

Happy Soup-er Bowl!

Red Velvet Cake Pops

2011-12-10T10:31:00.001-05:00

Cake Pops have been sweeping the blog world for some time now, thanks to a little blog called Bakerella.

When I first caught wind of this new trend, I thought to myself “this can’t be that hard, it involves boxed cake mix and canned frosting!”
Let’s just say I was wrong. I made my first attempt at Cake Pops a couple months ago, while testing out recipes to bring to this year’s Cookie Exchange.

It’s safe to say that I failed the first test…

The first batch was way too sticky, had way too much coarse sugar and just wasn’t what I envisioned. So over the past few weeks I’ve made some tweaks and am now have cake pops fit for a Cookie Exchange!

My final Cake Pop challenge started Thursday night when I got to work on my Red Velvet Cake Pops:

I started with a box of Red Velvet Cake mix and baked it to specifications on the box.

After the cake had cooled, I annihilated it with a fork and mixed in the cream cheese frosting.

Once mixed together, it was time to get down and dirty…really dirty.

(Told ya!)
That’s a result of what happens after rollin’ tiny balls all night.

Once all the cake balls had been rolled, I popped then into the freezer til last night when I had the time to dip them like the dip sh*t that I am

(This is tip #1, keep your dough balls in the freezer until JUST ready to start dipping)

When I got home today, ready to dip, I had to first prepare the dipping station.

You will need:

Lollipop Sticks
Frozen cake balls in a small tupperware container
Tweezers (for placing decorative sprinkles)

Candy Waffers
Sprinkles
Crockpot dip server (tip #2, this keeps the candy wafers from hardening)

Egg cartons (with a hole cut in each space) or Styrofoam blocks (Tip #3- Styrofoam blocks work best)

In assembly line form, place a cake ball onto a lollipop stick and dip into the candy wafers that have melted in the crock pot.

Once dipped, place your sprinkle on the top (I got the snowflake and candy cane sprinkles at JoAnn’s Fabrics)

and place into the egg carton or Styrofoam to dry.

That’s it!

I packaged up the cake pops (in treat boxes from JoAnn’s Fabrics) and they’re ready for today’s cookie exchange

P.S. If you don’t want to dip all the cake balls you can keep them in the freezer for whenever you want a quick “bite” of cake!

ENJOY!

(if you have any questions about this recipe, please leave a comment- I check them daily!)

Thanksgiving at the Farm

2011-11-24T19:02:00.001-05:00

This year we tried something new for Thanksgiving- going out to eat.

My parents and I took the hour and a half drive to Sprague’s Maple Farms in Portville, NY.

Long car rides are the perfect opportunity for backseat blogging.

(Rockin’ the Native American look in honor of my people)

As always, I managed to amuse myself.

(It’s true!)

As soon as you arrive at Sprague’s, you get the maple farm feel, they even had maple leaf prints in the sidewalk.

Once inside you can get a real picture (pun intended) of the making of maple syrup process in the “Sap Evaporator Room”

Sprague’s is so popular for Thanksgiving dinner that if you don’t have a reservation, you don’t have a chance at getting a table –the place was packed!

While waiting for our table to be cleared, we enjoyed the Thanksgiving décor.

We even got a visit from a (clearly pardoned) turkey while waiting!

Once seated, we ordered almost immediately. I mean, is there really any question about what to order on Thanksgiving?

While waiting for our salads, I perused the gorgeous dining “room”. Geese flew overhead and I was reminded of the Hogwarts’ Dining Hall when I saw Hedwig (the white owl on the right).

(The antlers, geese and owl are not real. In fact, every so often the wings of the geese calmly flap simultaneously and the owl turns his head. Cute, but not tacky as in a “Bugaboo Creek” type of way).

Also in keeping with the ever-present maple farm theme, the lights above our tables were upside down sap buckets with maple leaves punched into them.

Such an awesome idea!

Before we knew it, our salads arrived.

As well as the bread basket, which included several breads, mini corn muffins and MAPLE mini-muffins.

Then…the piece de resistance:

The turkey dinner was perfect! Turkey breast (with a small piece of dark meat as well), sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry jelly, butternut squash and another roll. Perfect in every way, especially because Sprague’s raises their own free range turkeys.

No turkey guilt here

And, since Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without dessert, we had our choice of pie (apple, pecan or pumpkin) or Maple Custard. My aunt Cindy (the traditionalist) went with the pumpkin pie, which had quite the presentation.

The rest of the table had the “when in Rome…” philosophy and ordered the Maple Custard.

My Mom and I were a little afraid that it would be too sweet, but it was perfect!

After dinner, we briefly visited the little gift shop where we picked up some Red Velvet fudge, a dozen Maple Mini-Muffins, a dog bone cookie cutter and, of course, some maple syrup.

Leaving Sprague’s Maple Farms, we drove around a little man-made pond

where 2 swans live…aka “Swan Pond”.

All in all, I’d have to say Sprague’s Maple Farm is the perfect place to go for Thanksgiving Dinner. The atmosphere is great, the food is even better and best of all…no dishes to wash!

You can even snap a photo or two by the statue of two horses, a driver and a wagon of corn if you’re so inclined (which I always am).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Finger Lakes Foliage

2011-10-12T20:46:00.001-04:00

We’ve been experiencing an extremely warm set of Autumn Days, and since the weatherman forecasted rain for the next 3 days, I took yesterday’s commute as an opportunity to snap some foliage photos. Enjoy!

I wish it could stay this way all year!

Caprese Bruschetta

2011-09-18T20:05:00.001-04:00

I got hooked on the ingredients of Caprese Salad this past summer. Now that it’s getting cooler, I’ve found a new way to feed my Caprese obsession:

Diced tomato
Pearlini Mozzarella
Fresh Basil
Wegmans White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Any sort of thick bread

In my case, I had leftover New England rolls to use. I dub this new creation “Caprese Bruschetta”.

Simply toast any type of (thick) bread then top with the tomato, mozzarella, basil and vinaigrette mixture. Pop the bread back into the oven at 350* for 5-7 and enjoy!

Welcome to Horrorsport

2011-09-17T21:02:00.001-04:00

Halloween is my favorite Holiday to decorate for. Christmas will always be my favorite all-around holiday but Halloween is a VERY close second.

I started decorating today in the form of putting up the Department 56 Halloween Houses I received last year for Christmas!

Once I had the houses set up I tried to get photos, but I still haven’t mastered the art of holding still enough to take night photos without a flash so I decided to make a little video.

I did manage to get my facts mixed up, the first house is “Gravely ESTATE”, not manor, and the little cottage that reminds of Hocus Pocus (my 2nd favorite movie of all time) is called “Deep Woods Haunt” NOT “Deep Woods Cottage”.
My love of my Halloween houses has me on a search for more. I’ve got my eye on Dead Creek Mill:

The Voodoo Lounge (I love New Orleans!)

the Shipwreck Light House:

and The Spooky Schooner

(This reminds me of the Beauxbatons ship from Harry Potter!)

I’ll be scouring Ebay for deals, the Shipwreck Light House and the Spooky Schooner would be perfect additions to…HORRORSPORT!!!

Hope you like the town

The story of August

2011-09-13T21:18:00.001-04:00

"Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty."

- Robert Frost

(Pictured above is the beautiful card my coworkers made for me, complete with “stick figure me” with a cane and “stick figure Julie” laughing at me.)

As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words, so this post is going to be mostly words. Just kidding

In August there was the ritual attendance of Music in the Park in Hammondsport

with the Moose River Band (which apparently drew in the largest crowd of the summer).

There was pre-birthday dancing with a fellow LEO that was home from North Carolina

Then there were ACTUAL birthday celebrations.

Namely, my birthday dinner with my parents at Snug Harbor.

Yes, I wore black to commiserate the event.

After we sat for dinner and had drinks, it was card opening time.

Not only did I have cards from my parents but also from their pets! They have the most thoughtful pets (who must also have opposable thumbs as well!) I am so very blessed!

After the cards, one of the most (if not THE most) gorgeous appetizers I’ve ever had arrived.

Tuna Tartare Tacos with wasabi sauce

The tacos weren’t bad, the wasabi sauce was a little too spicy for my taste…or maybe there was just a little too much of it. But, being the brave foodie that I am, my burning tongue did not stop me from trying my first caviar.

Nor did my burning tongue keep me from disliking it. At least I can check it off my long and extensive “foods to try” list!

Luckily, I can also cross “fabulous lasagna” off my list.

Artichoke, Fontina, and Spinach Lasagne with a chunky marinara sauce

This was so good that I might have to check it off my “foods to try” list a few more times or, better yet, recreate it at home.

Since it WAS my birthday I decided to have dessert.

Crème brulee is my favorite dessert of all time, so I order it whenever it’s offered.

Being the crème brulee connoisseur that I am, I can safely say that The Union Block Italian Bistro's crème brulee still reigns supreme.

I concluded my birthday night by enjoying the view of the lake from the beautiful home I was house-sitting at

and heading to bed early because that’s what 30 year olds do!

But, the birthday celebrating did not end there. I don’t celebrate birthdays, I celebrate birth months!

I celebrate birth months with LOTS of desserts:

Carrot cake cupcake from Debbie & Kimmy

Gotta love that frosting to cake ratio!

Wegmans Lemon Raspberry Cake from Christi and there was also a Cantaloupe Cream Pie from Lori that went unpictured. Oops!

Along with desserts, I also welcomed lots of cards, cash and presents!

There are many advantages to having a brother who is a Wegmans manager

There is also an advantage to having a brother who is a former vegetarian.

My first vegetarian cookbook!

Along those lines, be ready for lots of cooking coming up in the blog. September is all about getting back to structure. Bring it on! This 30 year old is ready to act like an adult…or at least adultish

Please vote Hammondsport for “Coolest Small Town”!

2011-09-11T15:36:00.001-04:00

Not surprisingly, my amazing lake town has been nominated (and is leading) Budget Magazine’s race for “Coolest Small Town”.

Please stop by the website listed below and vote for Hammondsport, NY!

Vote HAMMONDSPORT, NY for Coolest Small Town

While there, take a look at all of the comments illustrating why Hammondsport, NY should win the title of “Coolest Small Town”!

Missing dogs in Savona, NY

2011-09-10T23:43:00.001-04:00

I promise, I haven’t forgotten to post the story of August, but first I have to post something much more important.

My best friend’s 2 dogs got loose on the morning of Tuesday, September 6th 2011. As of today, they are still missing.

Please see this CraigsList ad for complete details, and please forward the link to anyone you may know in this area. Thank you!

http://elmira.craigslist.org/laf/2591615079.html

The Story of July

2011-07-29T22:22:00.001-04:00

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
- Ada Louise Huxtable

Rewinding to a few days before July began, one of my long-lost best friends came back to NY from Texas for her brother’s graduation.

Needless to say, I was super excited to see Becca- it’s literally been years! She is such a fun girl and we can be our goofy selves around each other- hence when we decided that “fish face” is the new duck face!

I can’t wait til she comes back again in ~~October~~ a week!

As for July, of course it started with fireworks…lots of fireworks.

Saturday, July 2nd, was at the head of Keuka lake, from my friend Chris’s boat.

The next day, July 3rd, from the beach at Debbie’s cottage, about a mile down from mine. The guys bought a ton of awesome fireworks in PA and we had a front row (deck) seat of them setting them off from Debbie’s beach!

Monday, July 4th there were fireworks going of all around the lake but I couldn’t get photos of that. There’s no better place for fireworks than the lake!

The second week of July found us in a heat wave, accompanied by some stormy waters. (If the boats are rockin’, don’t come a knockin’.)

On July 14th and 15th there was a gorgeous full moon reflecting off the water.

On July 15th I also finished Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. It’s official, I am a Potter-head. Being the smart shopper that I am, I bought my mom the book and DVD set for Mother’s Day this past year. Each time we finish a book, we watch the movie. Hopefully Deathly Hallows pt 2 will be out on DVD by the time I get done! Right now I’m reading Order of the Phoenix- the thickest book so far in the series.

In the week following the full moon, we got hit by a full-fledged heat wave.

Unfortunately, this was right around the time of my mom’s birthday and my mom HATES the heat. We revamped our plans and I took her to dinner and a little shopping spree at one of our favorite stores- WEGMANS! On the way there we spotted twin baby deer that live on my parent’s road.

After our deer spotting, we had an early dinner at Wegmans (Chinese for me and a medley of food bar delicacies for my Mom). After eating I sipped on a Matcha Tea Frappe from the coffee bar while perusing the Patisserie.

Of course, after having the Matcha Frappe I had to pic up some of my own Matcha to try at home in a Green Monster!

Unfortunately, I forgot to pick up bananas so my at-home trial included organic nonfat milk, Stoneyfield organic low fat vanilla yogurt, spinach and matcha.

OMG, I am addicted to green smoothies all over again!

The night I tried my at-home matcha smoothie was the same night I went with Debbie, Christi and Jim, as well as their family friends from NC, to All-You-Can-Eat Crab legs at The Switzerland Inn.

For $29.99 you get all-you-can-eat crab legs, corn and salt potatoes. I will admit, we were less-than-thrilled with the crab legs. The first plate was ice cold, the rest wouldn’t snap or the meat would be stuck to the insides of the shells. I much prefer The Waterfront’s crab legs to those at the Switz. They’re $10 more, but worth it- as you’ll see in a future post. The Switz did make a mends in the form of a free drink or dessert for the whole table. We were a bunch of happy diners after that.

Three days later, I came over to the family cottage for a little 3-day weekend. I got to the cottage Saturday afternoon and setttled in have a few drinks and appetizers with Christi, Jim, Chris, his cousin, and a neighor, coworker and his wife. I slept hard that night and woke up around 7:3o on Sunday morning to a snuggle buddy.

(Shh….Milo’s not allowed on the bed. I’m such a pushover when it comes to dogs!)

Once Milo and I got up for the day we were greeted by Jim committing fish murder.

*If you don’t like to see where food comes, please ignore the next 3 pictures.*

Hopefully we’ll have a fish-fry Friday this week if Jim keeps this up!

Later Sunday afternoon, friends and family stopped by for some fun in the sun!

and some munchies in the sun:

The clouds rolled in…

And they say the fish bite in the rain.

The adults decided to watch from the safe, dry sun porch.

Fortunately, the rain stopped just as fast as it started. Unfortunately, the fish weren’t biting so the kids decided to take the kayaks out and play in the water with Milo instead.

Meanwhile the grown ups decided to have a little fun as well…with dead bugs.

Boys will be boys!
Speaking of boys, the most handsome one has a little issue with owls. Since I’m hooked on Harry Potter, I think I shall name this one Pigwidgeon.

My last day at the cottage ended with being a pirate and reading some hard literature while laying in the sun

Some duck feeding:

Then some Pesto Turkey Layered Loaf

before a stormy boat ride home

I said goodbye to the cottage for this summer,

but at least I still live on the lake…until the fall

A new format

2011-07-10T13:24:00.001-04:00

Since we rarely get to enjoy nice weather here in upstate NY, I’ve decided to limit my posting to once a month during the summer and fall months. I’ll summarize the events of the month in one post, mostly with photos.

This decision was made because I really want to enjoy what may be my last summer on the lake, and because I really need to buckle down in studying for my NY state RHIT certification.

This will also limit people having to check back on the blog every week.

See you at the end of the month! :-)

Easy Caprese Salad Appetizer

2011-06-23T23:12:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I was invited to a fabulous girls’ weekend about a mile down the lake from me. It was a great time, but definitely needs a whole post to do it justice.

So, first, I wanted to do a quick little post on the appetizer I brought, which was a Caprese salad –antipasto style.

You start with an awesome appetizer tray.

(If possible, get this tray from Wegmans, where it is $20 cheaper than any other retailer.)

Then, take an idea from the “suggested serving” picture on the box.

Assemble your ingredients: cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.

Rinse all ingredients and fill tray.

How pretty and easy is that?

I packed ice in the bottom of the tray, put the covers on and put it back in the box to take to the gathering.

I also made sure not to forget the white balsamic vinaigrette dressing that would go in the middle.

The vinaigrette adds an extra layer of flavor to the Caprese salad, but why not take it up another notch with some homemade croutons? Simply slice up some day-old bread, drizzle with olive oil and bake @ 300* for about 10-15 minutes.

For the finished product: skewer the crouton, tomato, basil and mozzarella with a toothpick then dip in the vinaigrette and…VOILA!

You’ve got an easy, fresh and impressive Caprese Salad Appetizer!

This was perfect on a hot (almost) summer day and would be great to bring to a 4th of July picnic- I guarantee your fellow guests will be impressed!

Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

2011-06-13T21:06:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday I made my debut on the big stage!

Just kidding! My cousin Dianne starred in Steel Magnolias at Spotlight Studios for the Performing Arts in Fairport and gave us a backstage look. I was somewhat apprehensive to see how Steel Magnolias would turn out as a play, but it was excellent! Great job Dianne!

After the play, we hit up the Cracker Barrel for dinner and I got the “Country Vegetable Plate” (choose 4 sides to make a meal). The sides are not all vegetables by any means. I ordered Mac n Cheese, corn and carrots.

and fried okra!

I’ve always been intimidated by okra and felt the best way to try it would be to have it fried. (When in doubt, fry!)

It tasted like nothing. I don’t think I’ll be giving it a second chance.

After the taste-test, we visited a place that has a lot of food that actually tastes like something.

I’ve decided to add “visit every Wegmans in the world” to my bucket list. I can check off 4 or 5 but have about 70 to go…

On the way home, I was running through ideas to use up some zucchini and summer squash I had in my fridge. By the time I pulled in my driveway I had decided on roasted veggies.

LOTS of roasted veggies.

I mixed (a lot of) zucchini, summer squash, baby bella mushrooms, frozen Brussels sprouts, frozen broccoli florets, and the last of my Wegmans Special Blends Grilled Vegetables in a bowl with some Italian dressing and let it marinate over night.

Oh yeah, I also added some sweet potato fries that I had cut up a few days ago.

Then on Sunday afternoon I preheated the oven to 450* and filled not one…

not two…

but three baking sheets full of veggies!

(Please ignore the regular orange-handles scissors on my magnetic strip. I accidently tossed my kitchen scissors while making guacamole last week and have yet to replace them.)

I baked the veggies for 35 minutes (flipping once) and voila! Roasted veggies!

I’m sure you can guess what I had for dinner last night.

Parmesan roasted asparagus and grilled scallops with Arthur Marc’s Garlic Butter.

You thought I was going to say roasted veggies didn’t you?

I planned to have a roasted veggie wrap with some cheese and greek yogurt tonight for dinner…but then today I smelled my co-worker Julie’s pizza she had for lunch. I had an instant craving for pizza and scanned my brain for ingredients I had at home to make pizza out of.

HELLO?! Roasted veggies!

I spread a whole wheat tortilla with half red sauce and half jarred garlic Alfredo sauce, then added some fat-free mozzarella, roasted veggies (sans Brussels sprouts) and sprinkled with parmesan. Cook for 10 minutes at 350 and cut into slices with your handy-dandy pizza cutter!

This was so good and satisfying! If you’ve never tried roasted veggies on pizza, I suggest you add that to your own bucket list! Remember, don’t ~~kick it~~ knock it til you try it!

I have to give a big thanks to The Chic Life's "Project Veg-Up Challenge" for inspiring me to eat more fruits and veggies

I dare you to do the same!

Union Block Italian Bistro (revisited)

2011-06-07T23:36:00.001-04:00

The Place: Union Block Italian Bistro in downtown Hammondsport.

The reason: Connor turned 18 today!

(Random funny story: Christi & Jim named Connor “Connor James” and planned to call him “CJ” for short. This never panned out, and “CJ” had been called Connor for about 16-17 years. That was when I learned that Connor was mortified by being called “CJ” so now I exploit that mortification whenever possible.)

The drinks: Iced tea for me

The starters: Insalata alla Cesare (romaine, parmesan, crouton, artichoke heart and pecorino with Caesar dressing)

Insalata di Casa (artisan lettuces, red onion, toasted pecan with white balsamic vinaigrette)

and bread basket

Between starters and entrees: Photo sessions.

Between photo sessions: Christi and I laughed at ~~Gary Busey~~ Mom.

Jim was so shaken by the resemblance that he was hit with waves of nausea.

Luckily he felt better when it was time for: the main courses

Pizza ai Funghi (garlic cream sauce, wild mushrooms, pecorino & white truffle oil) was mine

The birthday boy got pizza as well, and Barry shared his NY Strip Gorgonzola with him.

(Pictured above is CJ’s “18 year old man eating cow” look.)

Last but not least: The desserts

Chocolate brownie sundae for CJ (yes, there is a candle in there somewhere)

(Clearly the guy in the background is used to paparazzi)

~~Mom~~ Gary Busey ordered the lemon tart:

And I had the best crème brulee I’ve ever tasted.

After dinner: A family portrait

Just kidding

Happy 18th birthday Connor! Don’t forget- you’ll have to find your own bail money now

Stayin’ Alive, Stayin’ Alive

2011-05-21T18:26:00.001-04:00

It’s 6:11 pm, and the world has yet to end (that I know of.) No zombies have broken into my house yet. Sorry Harold Camping.

Even though the world was supposed to end today, I had big plans to hit an 8am Zumba class.

Today I slept in until 8:15.

I can’t say I regret the extra sleep. I got up, remembered I had forgotten to buy coffee, and thought maybe a shower would do the trick.

NOPE!

I took a little drive downtown to get a Monster Java and some random groceries. At the local grocery store I also picked up some beer from the Keuka Brewing Company, a local brewery.

I grabbed an India Pale Ale and the only 4-pack they had left, which happened to be Habanero Ale.

I have no idea what any of these beers are, since I’m not a beer drinker. I picked them up for my uncle Tim (aka Pi Man), who is visiting from Louisiana.

Once the fam got to my house today, we headed up the road to Penn Yan, specifically to the Apple Barrel to get some “deer apples.”

Deer apples are bruised or yucky (a technical term) apples that are deemed unsuitable for human consumption. My parents put these apples in their backyard, thus retarding the deer into forgetting how to forage for food on their own.

ANYWAY, when we got to the Apple Barrel, we saw this sign.

Luckily, my parents spend about 1/4th of their income on deer apples from the Apple Barrel and therefore were able to score 3 crates that Pi Man helped load into the car.

After the Apple Barrel, we headed to Seneca Farms for lunch, then to a local place called Oak Hill Bulk Foods.

This is not your average “bulk foods” store such as Costco or Sam’s Club. In the line of organic, natural and ethnic foods they reign supreme. They have every spice, grain and baking good you can imagine. This was today’s loot.

(Kinda clockwise)

Fresh spinach
Fresh lettuce
Whole wheat wraps
Lemon
Organic roaming, grass-fed, organic brown eggs (aka “happy eggs” )

Vegetable chips
Dried mango
Herr’s Buffalo Blue Cheesies (obviously the healthiest of all)

On the way back from Oak Hill, we popped BACK in to Seneca Farms, but this time for ice cream. I ordered a Cake Batter Custard baby cone with peanut butter dip.

Yum!

Since I was on a mission to get some fresh local asparagus, we stopped at Indian Pines in Penn Yan, yet another local produce shop. I ended up coming home with more than just asparagus!

Vidalia Onion Cucumber Dill Dressing (to be put on grilled salmon)
Zesty Fruit Salsa (to be put on grilled Mahi-Mahi)
Watermelon, Cantaloupe and blue berries ($1.99 for all that fruit!)
“Local” asparagus

I can’t wait to make some parmesan roasted asparagus tonight, probably on the grill since it’s so beautiful out. The Marina was busy today.

Here’s a riddle:

How many people does it take to put a sailboat into the water?

If your answer was “Four Men with a woman watching”, you are wrong. It takes that many to put the mast up then park it again.

Such a lovely view. I think the answer to the riddle may be “an army.” Perhaps some day this thing won’t be crowding my view.

I’m off to grill some asparagus, since the world seems to keep spinning. In fact, there’s new life all around. This was made evident by these little ones my friend Amy found while mowing the yard today. (Don’t worry, they didn’t get mowed.)

Life goes on

The end of the world as we know it

2011-05-20T20:16:00.001-04:00

I know they say a picture’s worth a thousand words (or is it a million now)? Anyway since there’s rumors circulating of the world ending tomorrow, I want to get as many posts in as possible.

Tonight I made a healthified version of Fish Fry because, really, what’s a Friday without a fish fry? I pan-seared Wegmans Mahi Mahi and served it with organic Annie’s shells and cheese, coleslaw and some steamed brussel sprouts with vinegar. Yum!

Now I’m relaxing for the evening so I can get up early for my first 8am Zumba class. This may also be another first for me, since I don’t think Zara is going. Eeek!

After Zumba, I’m heading to The Windmill with my fam to get some bubble tea and hopefully some fresh asparagus- among the plethora of other fresh veggies

I’m ready to party it up in celebrations of The Rapture.

I guess that means I can drain my bank accounts and max out my cards tomorrow as well…right?

Monkey Business

2011-05-13T20:29:00.001-04:00

My homepage on my work computer is BING. Bing features a new picture every day on their search engine homepage. This is what greeted me this morning when I opened Internet Explorer:

My co-workers and I couldn’t figure out if this monkey was doing yoga or auditioning for an adult magazine.

Things that make you go hmm….

Mother’s Day WEEKEND 2011

2011-05-08T13:27:00.001-04:00

I’m a firm believer that good Moms deserve more than just a day of appreciation, so I decided my Mom should get a whole weekend.

Yesterday morning I took my parents to breakfast at Bob Evans and when we got back, my ‘rents decided to do some mowing. That’s when the weather decided to do some hailing.

Normally hail would be no big deal…unless it’s Prom weekend.

My little baby nephew (who is 17) went to his first prom last night! It’s tradition to meet in the town park to take photos.

Don’t they look cute together?

During the hour we were there, I had to scope out the dresses and pick my faves. My mom shot the pics because I felt a little too paparazzi/stalkerish taking pictures of complete strangers’ dresses.

I loved this pink and black dress that my mom dubbed as “psychedelic”.

If it were my prom, I would have worn this orange/salmon colored dress with hints of shimmery yellow.

The dresses I wore to my (4) proms were pretty bland (white, silver, black, then black and light pink). The colors available back in the day were pretty boring.

But my favorite dress of the evening was a purple/blue feathery poofy gown with a corseted, sequined top. Of course, this is the only picture we got of it.

Most of the dresses were gorgeous, with a few exceptions. This LITTLE number would be great for Carrie Bradshaw, not so much for a high schooler.

Also, this classy camo dress (complete with Hunter orange tie-up back) was funny, but nothing I’d want to look back on when I turn 40.

Just sayin’.

Anyway, after an hour of feeling old and nostalgic (I went to my first prom 14 years ago!), I decided to drown my sorrows in carbs.

Just kidding.

Kinda.

My parents and I had originally planned to go to Jerlando's Ristorante & Pizza Co in Watkins Glen for lunch, but ended up going to dinner, which was a great choice.

Jerlando’s is a family-owned Italian restaurant in downtown Watkins Glen (they also have pizzerias in Montour Falls and Horseheads) and the atmosphere is awesome from the moment you reach the front door.

We arrived around 6:30 on a Saturday evening so there was a 20 minute wait, which we spent at the bar, sipping wine, reading through the menu and checking out the Italian décor. Jerlando’s is decorated as if to make you feel like you’re dining in a little outdoor Italian café.

Source.

I loved the hanging lit umbrellas!

By the time we were sat at our table, we already knew our orders. We started with an order of Garlic Knots (which, according to the menu, you aren’t supposed to leave town without trying.)

OMG, the menu was right. These little knots of bread were amazing!

Topped with Jerlando’s red sauce and melted garlic butter, the Garlic Knots were crusty on the outside and deliciously doughy on the inside. I’m craving them again already!

As if the garlic knots weren’t filling enough, we then had salad

AND garlic cheese bread

(My mom was the only one to partake in the garlic bread. She’s a garlicky carb lover.)

After all that bread, I was really pleased that I had chosen the Seafood Trio for my main course (Haddock, scallops and shrimp in a white wine, scampi butter sauce).

The shrimp and haddock were delicious but the scallops were a little under-cooked for my liking. I brought them home and will sear them up this week. My dinner also came with a side of spaghetti that I took about two bites of and gave some to my stepdad. The rest is in a box in the fridge with my mom’s lasagna

She could not stop raving about this stuff- “perfect amount of sauce, meat and cheese”. Half of that is in a box in the fridge now too. We had quite a few boxes to take home.

If ever in Watkins Glen, NY, I highly recommend Jerlando’s for an amazing atmosphere and even better food –at a great price!

Continuing with Mother’s Day weekend, this afternoon we’re having the first BBQ of the season.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms and, of course, the best one ever

My first Zumbawear

2011-05-04T19:02:00.001-04:00

I had to say goodbye to Zoey tonight

I knew I’d need to treat myself to something awesome, so I finally decided to open a package that had been sitting on my desk for about a week.

My very first order from Zumba.com!

In the cute little ZUMBA bags were:

A black and silver Heart Wrap Around bracelet

A silver metallic Logo wrap bracelet (my fave- it can be wrapped around your wrist, ankle, waist and even worn as a necklace!)

“Make Some Noise” Rubber Bracelets –8 of them!

And last, but not least…

A 3-pack (for $19.95) of Zumba logo tank tops

Needless to say, I’m off to pick out my outfit and accessories for tomorrow’s class

Union Block Italian Bistro

2011-05-01T15:01:00.001-04:00

Last night I FINALLY got the chance to visit a local Italian restaurant I’ve heard so much about and had been meaning to try for quite a while.

My sister Christi wanted to take me out as a little “thank you” for pet-sitting for her. Tonya and Debbie joined us, and it was a little reminiscent of our Girls’ Night at Medley's Café last fall.

Last night we had the pleasure of dining at the Union Block Italian Bistro

Source

Luckily we got a table for four without a wait, and after perusing The Menu we decided to split the Antipasto for 2.

I can’t remember the details exactly but starting at 12 o’clock and going clock-wise, we had:

~Chilled melon and feta soup

~Deviled eggs with truffle oil and capers

~Pita chips with hummus

~Broiled cheese-stuffed tomatoes with herbs

~Crustini with herbed cream cheese and spicy fruit compote

~ Prosciutto-wrapped scallions with pesto on top of fresh greens with vinaigrette

I felt like a judge on Top Chef, sampling all these dishes! There honestly was not one item that I did not like, but my favorites were the Crostini and the chilled soup! We also enjoyed a bread basket while waiting for our entrees.

The rolls were a little bland but the garlic bread was delicious, especially smeared with the leftover pesto and hummus from the antipasto.

Then, the Pièce de résistance arrived.

My selection was the “Macaroni and Cheese” special of the evening –orecchiette with four cheeses, mushrooms, truffle oil and Maine Lobster.

I can honestly say this was THE BEST pasta dish I have had in my life. It was creamy, smooth and did not skimp on the lobster. Even the zucchini/summer squash on the side was perfect. Not too raw and not mushy, topped with a little red sauce and parmesan.

Unfortunately, the sun was just setting and made photography of my perfect pasta a little challenging. Fortunately, I woke up craving my leftovers and couldn’t wait for lunchtime. Here’s a pic I snapped today of some of the leftovers I had for lunch.

My Brie Baker makes for a perfect pasta-baker as well! I still have another serving of pasta for lunch tomorrow (or possibly dinner tonight )

I highly recommend the Union Block Italian Bistro. I can guarantee I’ll be back!

Things I’m loving

2011-04-29T21:27:00.001-04:00

~Signs of Spring (such as the Esparanza Rose that went by my window this evening).

and my landlord opening the marina!

(Added photo 4/30/11)

~Veggie Chips

(Taro is just another root vegetable)

~Wegmans Cream Cheese with Smoked Salmon on Whole Wheat Bagel Thins

~Spending couch time with Zoey while watching Grey’s Anatomy and listening to her “purring” until she falls asleep.

~Last, but not least…Zoey’s chitchatting in the morning when I first get up and when I get home from work…

HAPPY FRIDAY

Toto, I don’t think we’re in NY anymore

2011-04-27T20:24:00.001-04:00

Tornado warning in upstate NY. It makes me want to watch Twister. It also made me put books, candles, bottled water, Larabars and a blanket in my bathroom. Apparently I think Tornadoes last for days.

Anyway, I’m pet-sitting again this week! My friend Zara is on vacay in Myrtle Beach, and asked me if I’d watch her pet for 9 days.

Now, I’ve already pet-sat dogs and cats, but now I can add PIG to my resume!

A GUINEA pig, that is; though when she gets in her igloo she looks more turtle than anything. Sometimes she basically wears the igloo like a shell. If she wants to move, she’ll just turn in a circle with the igloo attached.

Her name is Zoey, but I’ve already got many nicknames for her:

1. Toto (that’s a new one today)

2. Black Face (*explicit but my favorite)

3. MOUTH

Why Mouth? Because Zoey likes to chit chat. Zara warned me that when Zoey figures out that you’re going to the fridge she’ll start whistling/making noises. Why, you may ask, does she get chatty when I go to the fridge? Because Zoey loves:

A. Apples

B. Carrots

C. Organic Baby Romaine

Organic baby romaine is Zoey’s favorite. I think it’s kind of like Guinea Pig crack. Zoey’s least favorites are:

1. Zucchini

2. Bananas

3. Grapes

I’m thinking maybe she could be the poster girl for Wegmans organic baby romaine lettuce.

Turn up the volume to hear Zoey chitchat.

What do you think?

Bunnies don’t lay eggs

2011-04-24T18:53:00.001-04:00

Does anyone ever wonder why the Easter BUNNY supposedly brings eggs on Easter? Bunnies don’t lay eggs. Hmm…

This morning I watched “The Easter Parade” on TCM and, until this morning, never realized that Judy Garland was Liza Minelli’s mother. Also, if you’re reading the Easter Story in the bible, Pilate is pronounced “Pilot”, not like Pilates the exercise. Oops.

After the musical, my mom and I got started on brunch. An easy little brunch that included turkey sausage, egg and cheese English muffin sandwiches and fruit with yogurt and “granola.” (The granola was really a crushed up dark chocolate cherry Kashi bar.) Friday really enjoyed the half of turkey sausage patty I gave him. It’s Easter for the pets too!

For dessert after brunch (YES, dessert after brunch) I had a Chocolate Cappuccino Mousse from Wegman’s Patisserie.

It was a perfect mix of light fluffy mousse with rich chocolate and smooth coffee flavor. Just the right amount of sweet.

Don’t worry, the mousse wasn’t my only dessert of the day.

In typical Easter tradition, my parents and I visited Seneca Harbor Station in Watkins Glen for Easter dinner.

Seneca Harbor is our go-to restaurant and they rarely fail to please. We started with a warm loaf of buttery garlic bread.

Being the creature of habit that I am, I started off with some Bacon Wrapped Scallops.

These scallops are always cooked to perfection and accompanied beautifully by chive & lemon butter sauce (that I MUST recreate at home).

For my entrée, I was set on Lobster Pasta Aromatizzato-sweet Lobster prepared in a light Tabasco cream sauce over linguini

(I always order my food without parsley as a garnish. Parsley’s only purpose is to embarrass you when it gets stuck in your teeth.)

This pasta dish did not disappoint! It was rich and creamy with just the right amount of kick from the Tobasco. I’ll be having this for lunch tomorrow too, since I had to save room for dessert.

The Raspberry Bongo is Seneca Harbor Station’s signature dessert-Cream puffs surounded by a mountain of mascarpone and cream cheese sweetened with raspberries, topped with chocolate sauce and a touch of Chambord. This year they’ve decided to use chocolate-covered cream puffs instead of plain, which I thought made an awesome addition to the fabulous dessert!

Let’s just say I’m stuffed and we have a whole extra person worth of leftovers now!

My Mo’s Dark Bacon Bar will just have to wait until tomorrow.

Happy Easter!

Easter in winter

2011-04-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

I have been accused of being a 29 year-old child. I really have no problem with that. Nor do I have any problem spending Easter weekend at my parent’s house. You never know how long you’ll have with people, so you should make the most of it!

Unfortunately, we’re not experiencing traditional Easter temperatures here in Upstate NY, so shopping, reading, eating and indoor Easter activities are on the agenda for the weekend.

Last night we took a quick trip to Barnes and Noble where I picked up a couple books.

3 weeks ago I went to B&N to get “Mini Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella. I had re-read all of the previous Shopaholic books in preparation for the newest one…but B&N had none in stock! They told me I could order it online or wait until it came out in paperback on April 19th. So, I waited.

I also picked up Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I absolutely love the movie and, until listening to the commentary, never realized it was a book! It’s a perfect quick read for a dreary weekend.

Along with the theme of guilty pleasure books, I had been meaning to buy “sTori Telling” for some time now. I absolutely love Tori Spelling and her shows.

After Barnes & Noble, we made a quick stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond so I could pick up a piping kit for the awesome cupcakes I plan on making for my step-father’s birthday in May.

I also grabbed some chocolate-covered Jelly Bellies because, really, you can’t NOT eat jelly beans on Easter!

To celebrate the REAL (non-jelly bean-related) meaning of Easter, we’re headed to a musical production at church this afternoon.

Between 2 Thieves Trailer from Victory on Vimeo.

Seeing the story of Easter played out in a nice warm church is way better than running around in 30* weather hunting for plastic eggs any day!

ABC’s of ME

2011-04-14T21:31:00.001-04:00

A - Age: 29…forever

B - Bed size: Queen for the queen.

C - Chore you hate: Dishes. I long for the day that there’s a dishwasher in my kitchen

D - Dogs: None of my own but I love spending time with Friday Bruiser, and Milo.

E - Essential start to your day: Good Morning America and a cup of coffee.

F - Favorite color: Purple

G - Gold or silver: Silver or white gold. NOT THIS:

H - Height: 5'8''

I - Instruments you play: I don’t play anything now but growing up, I dabbled at Piano, Violin, Flute and even the Oboe.

J - Job title: Clinical Coding Specialist

K - Kids: Never. To everyone who repeatedly would smile at me and say “oh, you’ll change your mind some day”, I simply say HA!

L - Live: World's Most Beautiful Wine Region

M - My mom's name: Nancy

N - Nickname: Lace or L.A.

O - Overnight hospital stay: Quite a few when I was younger and had really bad asthma. Most recently was about 4 years ago when I shattered my ankle and had to have it internally fixated. That was the worst physical pain I had ever been in…and the most morphine I’d ever had in my life.

P - Pet Peeve: Way too many to list. Lately it’s people that drive vehicles too big for them to park properly and people who add extra lettersss to their Facebook statussss.

Q - Quote from movie: “I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” ~Steel Magnolias

R - Righty or Lefty: Righty ( we live longer)

S - Siblings: Christi & Brett

T - Time you wake up: My alarm goes off at 5:30, but my clock is at least 20 minutes fast, then I hit the snooze until the clock says 6:30…so whatever time that evens out to be.

U - Underwear: Under there.

V - Veggies you dislike: Eggplant and tomatoes (unless they’re seeded.)

W - What makes you late: Thinking I have enough time to finish doing something before I leave the house.

Y - Yummy food you make: Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and many more.

Z - Zoo animal: I love turtles…and on my last trip to the zoo, I found out how much turtles love each other too!

The NEW Food Revolution

2011-04-12T21:08:00.001-04:00

I absolutely loved Food Revolution last season. Only 15 minutes in to the new season and I love it all over again.

Some people have an ignorant view of what is in their food, especially MEAT. Jamie showed tonight what school hamburger patties have as ingredients: the ground-up parts of the cow that no one wants, as well as a bunch of chemicals (including Amonia.)

Just an FYI, I’m thinking of cutting meat out of my diet. Not fish, but chicken, pork & beef. The funny thing is that at the current moment, I only have salmon & Mahi Mahi in my freezer, and one can of chicken in my cupboard. I love whole foods.

Along those lines, since I’m back at home, I needed a little splurge for dinner tonight. Since I really miss Milo & Whiskers, I decided a brie plate was in order.

I baked my brie in the awesome Petite Masion Brie Baker that my bro gave me for Christmas two years ago.

Thus, I’m dining on brie, organic Wegmans apples, Wegmans seedless grapes and Wegmans “Vive la baguette” tonight.

I know that Brie has a gazillion calories…but I also know that my grandmother would be able to identify all the items on this plate.

Food Revolutionaries UNITE!!!

Equal opportunity pet-sitter

2011-04-07T19:46:00.001-04:00

Last night I posted a pic of the handsome guy that I am spending the week with.

Being the good pet/house-sitter that I am, I had to post about the beautiful girl that I also get to spend the week with.

This is Whiskers.

Now, I must mention that I am NOT a cat person, but Whiskers is honestly an AWESOME cat. She loves treats, she never tosses kitty litter all over the floor when doing her business AND she never turns bipolar when you’re petting her. No scratches for me

Who let the dogs out?

2011-04-06T20:37:00.001-04:00

I have the pleasure of spending this week with a very handsome boy.

His name is Milo…and he is the most faithful boy I’ve ever met!

We all scream for ice cream

2011-03-16T20:11:00.001-04:00

The inspiration has hit- in the kitchen and in the blog.

Tonight after dinner I was craving ice cream. Craving ice cream is a real sign of nicer weather on the horizon. (It’s also a real sign that you’re a living, breathing human ).

While gazing into the freezer with hopes of a Ben & Jerry’s tub of ice cream magically appearing, I spotted a bag of frozen bananas and a box of no-sugar-added fugdesicles. My decision was made then and there for PB chocolate banana soft serve.

Simply add 2 frozen bananas, a couple TB of PB and 2 fudgesicles to the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. sprinkle with random chocolates and enjoy!

While enjoying your own PBCB soft serve, feel free to also enjoy this bittersweet story of a faithful dog who refused to leave his wounded friend alone in the rubble in Japan. We should all strive to be as good to our friends and family as this dog was to his.

Visit this site for the full story with translation

Blog strike

2011-02-21T18:26:00.001-05:00

I am officially on Blog Strike until the weather improves. The last weeks of winter simply make me tired, not inspired.

KISS OFF!!!!

2011-02-11T06:46:00.001-05:00

My best friend Zara and her boyfriend Mike are in a Kiss-Off contest on the local radio station this morning!

Basically it’s a “how long can you kiss for” contest. If they win, they get four tickets (a $120 value) to Seneca Lake's Wine & Chocolate weekend with a limo to the wineries on Sunday!

GOOD LUCK ZARA & MIKE!!!

(If you would like to listen to the morning show online, click the link below).

http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=WNKIFM

“Those icicles have been known to kill people!”

2011-02-04T19:16:00.001-05:00

I can find no reliable source that documents a history of anyone actually being killed by an icicle.

It seems much more likely for someone to die by practically climbing out of her living room window to snap pics of said icicles.

But the fact that I could even snap these pictures is a testament to the fact that spring WILL be here at some point. The sun is up just as I leave for work now.

And, most of those murderous icicles that were outside of my window this morning have melted away while I was at work today.

So I’ll be able to rest easy tonight

YOU MIGHT BE AN UPSTATE NEW YORKER IF…

2011-02-01T20:21:00.001-05:00

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by.
If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse gets more snow than any other major city in the US.
If your local ice cream stand is closed from October through May.
If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year.
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there.
If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead.
If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day.
If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number.
If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here'.
"Vacation" means going South past Syracuse for the weekend.
You measure distance in hours.
You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.
You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.
You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.
You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.
You can identify a southern or eastern accent.
Down South to you means Corning
You go out for a fish fry every Friday .
Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." and 55 is shorts weather.

Organization is Godliness

2011-01-26T18:40:00.001-05:00

Ok, ok. So it’s cleanliness that’s Godliness, but don’t the two go hand-in-hand?

On Saturday I posted my weekend to-do list. I managed to do everything except organizing my dressers and closet. There’s always this coming weekend right?

So now my filing cabinet has lots of room for 2o11 paperwork.

This box will end up going in the crap closet. You know, that closet where you just shove all the stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else?

(Cleaning the crap closet is on next weekend’s to-do list.)

Before cleaning out my kitchen cupboards I had whipped up a little berry crisp with the berries that were left over from my fruit tarts.

It was pretty good, even though it was made by someone who never bakes

Ok, let me preface the upcoming “before and after” pictures by saying that I am an extremely organized person to begin with. This isn’t any magic transformation like you would see on Hoarders, but I like to organize my kitchen every few months. It’s easier to put food to good use if you know what you have!

I also washed and put to use some of my new spice bottles and put them in my awesome Pampered Chef spice turn-about.

I still have a lot of spice bottles left but little room in my turn-about.

Maybe some weekend I’ll feel ambitious enough to just switch all of my spices over to these sleek glass bottles.

Or maybe I’ll just work on cleaning out the crap closet.

Thankful

2011-01-22T10:33:00.001-05:00

After Monday's fiasco I could not be more thankful for heat, electric, hot water and a working oven. Especially today since it’s so cold out!

I have a big to-do list to tackle today and am hoping the blog will hold me accountable. Everyone needs accountability.

Saturday’s to-do list:

File 2010 paperwork to make room in filing cabinet
Organize kitchen cupboards
Wash, label & fill new spice bottles
Organize dresser drawers and closet.

I have a bad habit of never throwing away or donating clothes. My drawers and closet are about to explode. I still don’t plan on getting rid of any of my clothes, simply putting some less-worn items into storage. Wish me luck!

P.S. The fabulous Ms. Britney Spears is auctioning off a dress that she wore in her perfume billboards and all proceeds go to my Uncle Tom & Aunt Judy’s grandson Matthew. Matthew was born with a brain injury and requires 24-hour care. The bid is up to $35,000 and there’s still a week left!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280618521364

MLK day black-out

2011-01-17T20:01:00.001-05:00

Redundant, no?

This morning as I was walking in to work another employee said to me “you don’t want to go in there.” I laughed it off and joked “I know right? It’s Monday.” She then explained to me that the electric had gone out about an hour earlier and we were running on generator power.

Since I work in an office in a hospital, when we’re running on generator we’re not supposed to even have our computers on. I guess they want to save all the electric for the life support machines or something ridiculous like that. Either way, there’s not much to do in an office without your computer.

So after 6 hours of organizing and cleaning everything in sight, we were finally given the option of leaving early.

I was all for leaving early and since I’ve adjusted my hours around Tues & Thursday night Zumba, I didn’t have to be back to work until 9 tomorrow morning. Thoughts of all the stuff I could accomplish in those 19 hours started floating through my head as I drove home, in daylight for a change.

Then it all went to crap.

It was 45* in my apartment when I got home since I, too, had lost electric at 7 am. I had called the electric company before I left work and, according to the recorded message, my electric was supposed to have been restored at 2:30. I called again. The recorded message told me 3 pm. So I decided I would just turn on the oven to warm the place up.

Nothing happened. Why did nothing happen? Because apparently you need electric to turn your gas oven on. Fail.

I waited until 3 o’clock. Still no electric so I decided to run to the store in hopes of warming my hands and feet up and to pass the time until my electric came back on. I came outside to find that my “new neighbor” had decided to conveniently park his giant obnoxious truck lengthwise in front of my car.

I laid on my horn a few times then stomped next door to my landlord’s house, where he informed me who the truck belonged to. As I was walking back to my car I looked up to see my “neighbor” about to get in his truck. That’s when he said…

“Sorry Darlin’, I’m the one with the big blue truck.”

Funny, cuz I had already given him his own special name and it wasn’t “the one with the big blue truck.” Anyway, once DB moved his pretentious truck I drove to the grocery store and decided to check with the electric company again via cell phone. They had changed the restore time to 5pm, equaling a total of 10 hours without power. I called back and pressed “1” for “if you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency” and finally was able to speak to a real, live person. The person told me that there was “a problem with a pole in a wooded area.” That pretty much describes every electric pole within a hundred mile radius. I gave up and drove back to my parents’ house for the night. I might as well just move in here. (Just kidding ‘rents, no need to change the locks yet.)

I don’t need to live with my parents, but I do like to take their money ;-)

Last night was our Golden Globe competition. My mom and I were trying to figure out what our wager should be when I suggested “THE CHANGE JAR.” The change jar is a big beer mug that Barry puts all his change in to at the end of the day.

Admittedly, it wasn’t mine to wager but luckily Barry doesn’t like to argue. Plus it was a win win for ~~me or mom~~ him because, if he won, he’d be getting back a whole jar of money he had almost lost! Imagine that feeling of relief!

My mom said the only condition for us to use the change jar was that she and I had to contribute something to the jar. She contributed the $5 while I frantically searched the house for something valuable and came up with this treasure.

What? It may be a collector’s item some day!

My mom vetoed the baby troll so I dumped a handful of change from my wallet into the jar and the games began.

Unfortunately for my ‘rents, I’m a winner.

I’m sure Barry didn’t want to lug all of that change to the Coinstar machine anyway.

Leave the gun, make the cannoli

2011-01-16T15:54:00.001-05:00

I’ve been spending all afternoon trying to figure out how to add a navigation bar and comment reply to my blog. This means that I got to decipher and search through HTML code all day.

After about 5 hours of staring at this crap and getting absolutely nowhere I was ready to shoot something.

Luckily, my conscience got the best of me and I decided to leave the gun and make the Cannoli

My brother had brought this kit to my parents’ house on Christmas day and we never used it. My mom took it out of the freezer on Friday so everything was thawed and ready to be assembled today.

It doesn’t get much easier than this!

What could be better to snack on while watching the Golden Globes than mini cannoli?

I’ll give you a hint.

NUTELLA cannoli!

I mixed the Nutella with the sweetened Ricotta and…VOILA!

Traditional and Nutella Cannoli for Golden Globe snackage.

My mom and I always fill out award show ballots and have a competition to see who had the most correct answers.

Since movie theaters are for rich people, I haven’t seen any of the nominated films. I think I should take this time to do some online research.

Who will you be looking forward to seeing on the Golden Globes tonight?

What a tart

2011-01-15T18:43:00.001-05:00

I have a thing for Wegmans fruit tarts.

I DO NOT have a thing for the price of Wegmans fruit tarts.

So, since I’ve gotten this Sparkpeople recipe at least 20 times in my email I decided to finally give it a try. Actually, I decided to give it 2 tries.

Tart 1 courtesy of Driscoll’s (and Wegmans)

and tart 2 courtesy of just Wegmans

I wanted to make a fresh fruit tart but my mom isn’t a huge fan of fresh fruit, thus the 2nd tart idea was born.

But I digress.

First things first, the washing of the fresh fruit

and the draining of the canned fruits.

Then the consulting of the recipe.

1/2 package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 ounces of whipped light cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup apricot preserves
Fruit of your choice

(all doubled)

DIRECTIONS
CRUST: Spread the ½ package of sugar cookie dough over a 14-inch pizza pan.

(I used two 9” aluminum pie pans)

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan.

TOPPING: Blend the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until completely mixed.

Spread in a thin layer over the cooled crust.

FRUIT LAYER: Creatively arrange the fruit in circles while slightly overlapping the slices around the crust.

(Apparently not creative enough, because my mom decided that she does indeed like raw blueberries. Picky, picky )

GLAZE: Bring the water and preserves to a boil, stirring constantly. (Stopping only long enough to snap a pic).

Lightly brush this glaze on top of the fruit to preserve the color.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sorry Wegs, I never realized fruit tarts were this easy to make!

What weekends are for

2011-01-15T10:54:00.001-05:00

I’m staying at my parents’ house for the whole weekend and don’t plan on stepping foot outside even once.

On the agenda for the day is:

Catching up on my Google Reader
Watching last week’s premiere of the Hungry Girl TV show (and today’s episode @ 4)
Screen-less reading

Making not one, but two fruit tarts

Maybe even making a new layout for the blog

Because really, isn’t that what weekends are for?

Blogspiration

2011-01-13T20:40:00.001-05:00

You know how on some days you wake up knowing exactly what you’re going to make for dinner?

Today was not one of those days.

Luckily, I have some awesomely inspiring blogs in my Google Reader and this gorgeous Penne with White Beans and Spinach recipe on Jenna's blog called to me.

Instantly, dinner started forming in my mind. I knew I had no white beans in the house but I did have the remnants of a jar of Alfredo sauce, fresh spinach and sundried tomatoes in my fridge as well as some Rotini in the cupboard.

Plus, my friend Zara had just given me a new kitchen gadget she had gotten for Christmas but didn’t want. Enter: the Pasta n’ More!

A word to the wise: always be wary of a product with the words “n’ more” in the name. I thought the Pasta n’ More would make it quicker to cook pasta but I was wrong. So wrong. The first warning sign: my Pasta n More didn’t come with any water.

Secondly, I had to measure the pasta, whereas traditionally I would just dump some pasta in a pot of boiling water.

I had about a cup and a half of pasta so I consulted the guide for a cooking time. Then I had to re-read it about 3 times.

21 minutes? How is this quicker? Oh well, I forged ahead and put the Pasta n’ More in the microwave. Sort of.

The Pasta n’ More was almost the same size as my (filthy) microwave. Thoughts of the smell of burnt noodles started streaming through my head and thus, it was curtains for the Pasta n’ More.

While I was waiting a whole ten minutes for water to boil I sautéed up some olive oil, garlic and spinach.

and cut the seeds out of some sundried tomatoes with my kitchen scissors.

Now kitchen scissors are a kitchen gadget I can’t live without, as opposed to say…a Pasta n’ More.

Once cut, I added the tomatoes to the spinach

and then things got crazy.

I added the Alfredo sauce right to the pan.

But wait! I took it to a whole ‘notha level by adding the cooked pasta right to the same pan!

Yup, things were just crazy in my kitchen tonight. The pasta, by the way, took a total of 22 minutes to cook. This included waiting for the water to boil.

I sprinkled the finished product with a little parmesan and it was AH-MAZING!

I loved the spinach but the real star of this dish was the sun-dried tomatoes. In every few forkfuls there was a chewy, tangy kick that went so well with the creamy Alfredo sauce. Clean-up was a snap and I also have enough left over for tomorrow’s lunch.

As for the Pasta n’ More, I’ll be taking it to work with me tomorrow.

Here we snow again

2011-01-12T18:18:00.001-05:00

Reminiscent of Saturday, the roads were CRAP (yes, capital letters) again this morning.

Planning ahead, last night after Zumba (which rocked) I headed to my ‘rents house in lieu of the impending “blizzard.” On more than one occasion my step-dad (who braves the wintry roads no matter what) has been kind enough to drive me to work on snowy mornings. This morning he had to go to work early and pulled my car out of the nice warm garage for me before he left.

Then, as I was getting ready to walk out the door, he called to say the roads were really bad. For Barry to even admit that the roads are bad, you know they must be treacherous.

Luckily, vehicles are not in short supply at my parents’ house so I ended up driving the Green Monster to work.

I’ll be damned if I use 8 valuable PTO hours just because of the snow. I’d rather save them for days like this.

Those days may be months away, but I know they’re coming!

The Dehydration Station

2011-01-10T19:36:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I finally got that dehydration win that I’d been waiting for.

But, first things first.

Friday night was spent doing this:

Then on Saturday morning I learned the secret to speedy grocery shopping.

Go on Saturday morning at 8:30

during a snowstorm.

True story. After grocery shopping the ‘rents and I got breakfast.

I am a firm believer that the best way to eat pancakes is with syrup and over-easy eggs on top.

After breakfast I braved the roads back to my apartment. By that time it was so bad out that I could barely see across the lake.

Perfect cleaning weather. I’m talking serious deep-cleaning, removing-everything-from-the-counters and scrubbing the floors kind of cleaning.

That, my friends, is where the “magic” happens. The magic that I’m speaking of is…dehydrating! On Sunday morning I set up the “dehydration station”.

On the dehydrating menu was fresh apples and mango (that I dipped in Fruit Fresh to prevent browning)

and canned pineapple, peaches and apricots.

Yes, you can dehydrate canned fruits! It’s way cheaper and it comes out tasting like those expensive “fruit leather” you can buy at the store.

Here’s what 10 hours in a dehydrator does to apples.

And pineapple

and peaches & apricots

and the most entertaining…mango.

I must say, my favorite of the bunch is the apples. It’s probably due to the cinnamon and sugar I sprinkled on them but who knows?

Now I finally have the confidence to attempt beef jerky again…at some point.

As for now, I’m off to catch up on my Google Reader and go to bed early. Zara and I are trying a new Zumba class tomorrow after work!

Reason #328793458 why I love WEGMANS

2011-01-06T23:08:00.001-05:00

My grocery store is better than yours.

Damn right, it’s better than yours.

Last weekend I did a huge grocery shopping trip so this week’s shopping will be pretty much supplemental. I made my list tonight.

But not on boring old paper. I made my list on the Wegmans website. It is the 21st century after all.

There’s so much you can do on the website, even fill prescriptions, but today was grocery-list specific.

1. Sign in or create an account.

2. Create a new list or select an existing list.

3. Type in the product you want to add to your list.

4. The website will bring up recipes containing the item, all products matching that description and any reference or news (i.e. recalls) about the item. Click on “view all products”.

5. Peruse the list then make your selection by clicking “add to list”.

6. If you want to know more about a product before making the selection simply click on it. Wegmans provides details.

Nutritional information

and a simple description.

7. When you’re done making your list simply click on “View/Print Full List”.

8. Voila!

The final list gives you a picture of the item, the quantity you’ve chosen, the dept and aisle where the item is located, the size of the item and the PRICE. Tomorrow when I go shopping after work I should be spending right around $30.

I’ll check back to report whether the amounts match or not. Until then, feel free to sulk/pout/eat a pound of chocolates because you’ve realized how lame your grocery store is

In here, it’s always Friday

2011-01-04T19:25:00.001-05:00

I wish. It’s only Tuesday night and this week has already been too long. Or maybe just the day has, since I hopped right out of bed at 5 am this morning.

5 am is really early for me. I managed to get ready for work, pack lunch and make a really weird breakfast bake.

In an effort to conserve on dish-washing, I thought maybe I could layer spinach with feta and goat cheese then pour in egg whites. A word to the wise, spinach, feta & goat cheese floats.

It still came out pretty tasty and would be even better with some salsa on top.

This morning I also laid out everything I needed for a dehydrating project after work.

After a failed jerky attempt this past weekend ($30 of meat and marinade literally went to the dogs), I was determined to redeem myself.

Then on the way home from work I seriously contemplated whether or not I would be able to stay up late enough to successfully complete the project. My dehydrator doesn’t have a timer so let’s just say, if you do something stupid like fall asleep, you will over-dehydrate your food. Plus the book that came with my dehydrator said most fruits take 6-12 hours to dehydrate. That’s a pretty big window, so I decided to shelf my project until Saturday.

I was really not in the mood to cook, chop or wash dishes this evening anyway, so I dug into my freezer for this.

A few weeks ago I had a $2 off coupon that was about to expire for a T.G.I.Friday’s Skillet Meal and the Santa Fe-Style Chicken with Rice and Beans meal sounded yum.

Prep was easy to say the least. I simply had to open the big bag and remove other little bags.

I started defrosting the sauce

while the chicken went into a skillet with some olive oil

and on top of the chicken went the “vegetables”.

After about 5 more minutes I added the Santa Fe sauce

and since it didn’t exactly look pretty I covered it.

Well, actually, I covered it because the directions said to. While the chicken mix simmered away I microwaved the rice and bean packet and, since I’m a super chef (sarcasm) I decided the mix would be best served with some Greek Yogurt on multi-grain tortillas.

I only ended up eating one of the tortillas because my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. I also had enough left over for lunch tomorrow and I had clean up in the bag

2011 Goals

2011-01-01T10:12:00.001-05:00

Since I’m up bright and semi-early on this, the first day of 2011, I figured I would post my goals for the new year. I don’t like the word resolutions, because they kind of set you up for failure to begin with.

I have had tons of goals running through my head for the past month or so. It was the typical “get healthy, get out of debt, etc” and then I narrowed everything down to 5 attainable goals.

1. Pass the AHIMA coding certification exam

I have been putting this off for the past 3 years. I have a degree in Medical Coding but employers prefer that you also be AHIMA certified. Since my hospital has finally agreed to pay for me to sit for the test, I need to buckle down and study. It will be tedious and boring but I have to do it.

2. Go to Zumba at least once a week, if not more

I know you’re supposed to exercise at least 3 times a week, but even attending one class a week will be a challenge for me, and I know that I can do it. Plus on the 11^th there are new classes starting at a place that’s right on my way home from work.

3. Read more books and less blogs, but blog at least twice a week.

There are 29 blogs in my Google Reader (excluding my own). I honestly read all of them and only once in a very great while do I clear out the Reader without reading everything. I need to realize that I don’t have to read EVERY post, it’s the OCD in me that makes me think I have to. Also, I plan to blog at least twice a week. If I had said every day I know I would be setting myself up to fail. Twice a week is attainable.

4. Take a multivitamin every day.

I really want to be healthier in 2011 and this is a simple way to work towards that.

5. Do not eat at my desk (@ work or at home) except breakfast and 2 snacks.

I eat breakfast at work every day because after I wake up in the morning it takes my stomach a couple hours to wake up too. I usually have breakfast around 9 when I’ve already been engrossed in work for about an hour. I also will eat one morning snack and one afternoon snack at my desk. Lunch will be eaten in the cafeteria, and dinner at home will NOT be consumed at my computer desk. It’s easier to focus on the food that’s in front of you (and how much of it you’re eating) when you’re not distracted by Kim Kardashian’s new hair ‘do or which one of your friends was lucky enough to find an ugly duck in Farmville.

Wish me luck!

Peace Out 2010

2010-12-31T23:23:00.001-05:00

Today was a wild and crazy day!

Just kidding. I spent the day shopping and eating. I was on a mission to find some new jammies and some clear spice bottles to use in my Pampered Chef Spice Turn-About. I checked TJ Maxx for pajamas but, since I had a gift card, of course they didn’t have any.

Old Navy, on the other hand, did have jammies (I didn’t have a gift card). Word to the wise, don’t go clothes shopping on New Year’s Eve unless you are a size XS or XXL.

The pink and grey fit fine but the blue and yellow ones are going to need a wash with hot water and a tumble dry on extra high.

The search for spice bottles was unsuccessful. I don’t even know why I bother going to stores anymore when Amazon has all you need.

Of course, if I didn’t go shopping then I would have missed out on lunner at Red Lobster. We can’t have that.

My parents and I got to the Lobster at around 1 o’clock and there was still a 25 minute wait. We waited it out at the bar.

The ‘rents enjoyed some drinks

while I enjoyed some air…that is, until a booth was available. Then I enjoyed Lobster, Artichoke & Spinach dip.

A creamy three-cheese blend with artichokes, spinach, Maine and langostino lobster, and seafood. Served with tortilla chips and pico de gallo.

While Barry and I snacked on the dip, my mom (the Ichthyophobiac) snacked on mozz sticks and chicken fingers.

While waiting for entrees I tried to ignore the suicidal Ronald McDonald on the roof across the street.

I was easily distracted when this was set in front of me.

I always order the “Create your own feast” at Red Lobster and choose Crab Alfredo, Coconut Shrimp and Seafood-stuffed Flounder. I end up eating the flounder, 2 shrimp and a few bites of the alfredo then taking the rest home (screw the mashed potatoes). I love getting 2 or 3 meals out of one!

There’s only about an hour and 15 minutes left of 2010 and I’m looking forward to 2011. You all can look forward to my ~~resolutions~~ goals of 2011 post tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

Red sky in the morning…

2010-12-30T23:02:00.001-05:00

sailors take warning!

This little nugget of wisdom may only be true when you’re on the high seas.

This is what the lake looked like this morning when I left for work

and this is what the sky looked like.

Yes, the moon is still out and the sun is barely coming up when I go to work in the morning. Even though the sky showed signs of red, it turned out to be a pretty mild day.

I snapped the picture of the lake this morning because, after all, my blog is called “Lake Life”. In all honesty, Lake Life is just normal life but prettier.

So today for my normal life I worked for 11 1/2 hours to try to get caught up before the 3 day weekend. I had wanted to come in to work tomorrow but got vetoed. I personally think that having to use 8 valuable PTO (paid time off) hours on New Year’s Eve day is a waste but oh well.

I’m going to use the wasted day off to pajama shop and have an awesome early dinner at my favorite restaurant. Here’s a hint:

The restaurant is named after a colorful crustacean

Until next year.

2010-12-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

My Christmas decorations are all put away. See you again next year!

My domain

2010-12-27T17:26:00.001-05:00

My Christmas present to myself was going to be a small one. A simple domain name for my blog. I had my heart set on simply “LakeLife.com”. When I tried this website it looked available.

When I typed it into blogger to check availability, it wasn’t. Google was kind enough to give me some alternative suggestions.

LakeDeath.com was my favorite because it’s so uplifting and really paints a picture of my life. So from now on, you can find my blog at that address.

PSYCH.

The new blog address is

http://www.lakelifeblog.com/

Please add the new address to your Google Reader, save it to your favorites, or simply keep typing in the old address and it will direct you to the new.

Snow blows

2010-12-27T12:27:00.001-05:00

Literally.

I have today off for a doctor’s appointment that’s about an hour away and I won’t be going. It’s been snowing non-stop since Christmas day and today the wind is blowing the snow, creating white-out conditions. I’m really bummed about missing a day of work for no reason.

Anyway, yesterday I took some pictures of the snow.

Then again this morning.

Yes, the Christmas lights are still buried under there somewhere.

Last night my ‘rents and I took advantage of being snowed-in and broke out the Whoville-opoly game we got several years ago but had never played.

In the Grinch-themed version of this Monopoly game, I was the Rare Who Roast Beast, my Mom was Cindy Lou Who and Barry was…The Grinch.

We played the short version (1 hour) which means we all got dealt four random properties and that was it.

Instead of “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards we had “Heckuvarush” and “Whobilation” cards.

They had funny sayings reminiscent of The Grinch such as “The Doctor finds onions in your soul. Pay $37 for Onion-oscopy.”

Maybe our hospital should start specializing in those?

During the game I kept landing on ~~Ho Bags~~ Who Bags

and ended up saying “Bloobedy Blah-Blah” more times than I can count!

When the hour of play was up we all added up our money and properties.

It may have been only by $116 but…I’m a winner!

The weather outside is frightful

2010-12-26T15:20:00.001-05:00

So I’m taking advantage of this blizzard-like weather to catch up on all things blog-related and try out my new bed desk.

It’s so much nicer to have my screen at eye-level as opposed to looking down all the time!

I’m busy today editing blog tags (labels) and trying to get everything ready for some changes that will be coming to the blog in the new year.

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:44:00.001-05:00

It’s official, Christmas 2010 has come!

Every year it’s tradition for my parents and I to have a “Grinch” themed breakfast.

This breakfast always includes (but is not limited to) Who Hash, Who Pudding and Rare Who Roast Beast.

(Tapioca pudding, corned beef hash with eggs and Canadian bacon).

After breakfast the three of us opened our stockings and gifts.

Gifts before

Gifts after

Did you check out this year’s Hippo in the upper left-hand corner?

Also pictured is shampoo, conditioner, tea kettle, garbage bags (yes, I made my list practical), Lindor truffles, prep bowls with lids, a bed desk, alarm clock, Operation Beautiful by Caitlin Boyle, Ferrero Rocher and lots of Department 56 Halloween collectibles.

More specifically, autumn trees, little ghosts, a Lit Graveyard Tree, “Resting My Bones” accessory, “Lazy Bones” accessory, Gravely Mansion and the Black Widow Dating Service. These will go perfectly with the Deep Woods Haunt that I already have.

It’s only Christmas and I’m already wishing it was Halloween!

After opening presents we set out food in preparation of the arrival of my brother, sister and her husband and son.

The spread

Chips & salsa, deviled eggs, PB&J and pepper jelly cornmeal thumbprints, a trio of cheese spreads (Buffalo, Roasted Tomato & Pimento) with wheat crackers and baguette slices, crab cakes with rémoulade sauce for dipping, Spinach & Artichoke Tortilla cups and Lit’l Smokies with grape jelly & chili sauce.

As well as…Escargot!

Yep, I tried snails for the first time

I thought they would be rubbery and chewy and slimy but they’re not. They have a smooth texture and simply taste like the butter and herbs they’re stuffed with. Plus the shells are darn cute.

My brother (the Wegmans assistant store manager) provided the Escargot and THE DESSERTS.

As pictured above, there was Chocolate Decadence cake, Tripleberry Crumb Pie, Ultimate chocolate cake, a cupcake Christmas tree, seedless Satsuma Mandarin oranges and a Mixed Fruit tart.

My contribution was a bottle of gold.

Otherwise known as Hunt Country's 2006 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. Yum!!

We opened more presents

while the snow fell outside.

This is the first actual white Christmas we have had in a few years, it was perfect!

After the 2nd round of present opening we all settled down for a few games of Buzz on the PS2.

It’s a really fun game show-type video game complete with buzzers and everything. I didn’t win, but on Christmas it’s not about winning, it’s about spending time with the ones you love.

Merry Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas Songs, Day 12

2010-12-24T19:46:00.001-05:00

Earlier today I posted a pic of my hand-me-down stocking that used to be my brother’s. My step-dad felt bad that I didn’t have my own stocking so while he and my mom were out shopping today they picked this up for me.

A stocking I could personalize with my name! This is a big deal for me because I can NEVER find anything with my name on it.

So I set out to simply put my name on the stocking but then…I had an idea.

An awful idea.

A wonderful awful idea.

Take THAT Brett

I did end up putting my name on the other side

and I used the rest of the letters for my parents’ stockings

As well as one for my favorite dog in the whole world

Now that the new stockings are hung by the chimney with care

I’m off to watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with my ‘rents and go to bed early. The earlier you go to bed, the earlier Christmas gets here!

But first, I leave you with the final 12 Days of Christmas song, Mariah Carey’s version of “O Holy Night” set to clips from “The Nativity Story.” If you haven’t seen this movie I highly suggest it. Merry Christmas!

Home for the holidays

2010-12-24T13:19:00.001-05:00

There’s no place like home for the holidays!

Luckily for me, “home” (my parent’s house) is only about 25 minutes from my house. So I’ve been here since Tuesday night.

I woke up this morning and had some coffee with Sugar N Spice creamer. It kind of has a bubblegum flavor. That sounds disarming but it’s actually really good!

While sipping coffee I played with my mom’s creepy Cookie Clockington wall ornament.

“Plates full of happiness, mugs full of cheer; that’s what we’re having for Christmas this year!”

Like I said…creepy.

After some coffee I hung our stockings by the chimney with care. Since I’ve “grown up”, I fill my parent’s stocking every year

My stocking used to be Eeyore but ~~my parents~~ Santa couldn’t fit all my stocking stuff in it so I now use my brother’s knitted (aka super stretchy) hand-me-down stocking.

They never changed the name on it because ~~he’s their favorite~~ it’s nostalgic.

Anywho, after the hanging of the stockings I wandered around the house taking pictures of my mom’s Christmas décor.

First things first, the Christmas trailer my mom bought for our Redneck Christmas party.

Nearby the trailer were the Happy Tails mice, naturally.

Christmas houses (click on any collage to see it in a bigger size.)

Tree

Presents

and most importantly, Fontanini nativity set and scenes

I just whipped up my final batch of Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Cups for tomorrow and I’ll be back later with the final 12 Days of Christmas Songs song.

How are you spending your Christmas eve?