Dirt Poor, Filthy Rich

A Simple Dessert Idea

2012-01-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not going down in any history books for point out this simple dessert idea, but hey, I hadn't thought of it until last Fall, so why not throw it out there for anyone who hasn't thought of it yet either, right? Wow. That was a long sentence.

Tiny Tot #1's birthday was in November, and Buppy's family came up from Virginia to celebrate with us. I made tacos, and for dessert, Tiny Tot said he wanted a chocolate cake with white frosting. Easy enough, right?

My plan was to make the cake and frosting from scratch, but I fell through some kind of wicked time warp. All of a sudden it was the night before the party and I hadn't baked. Well, box cake it is! And frosting? Light whipped topping, of course! My mother would not be proud. She always made the best cakes, cutting them into shapes for us. They were from scratch, and so was the frosting. Love you mom! Oh well. You do the best you can, right? Right.

Now keep in mind that I'm by no means crafty. Or creative. Or artistic. I can't cut a cake into shapes, and I can't frost things to make them look like something specific. Me? I spread frosting on a cake, all in one layer, and then I jab in some candles. This time, however, Buppy and I had an idea. Why not crush up a candy bar or 2 from the pantry and sprinkle it over the whipped topping? I didn't have to "decorate" a cake, but it still looked fancier than the plain white top. Score!

I roughly chopped a full-sized Butterfinger and sprinkled it on top. Turns out Butterfinger just happens to be his entire family's favorite candy bar. Yup, score again. While I didn't taste the cake at all - I don't have much of a sweet tooth - everyone else seemed super satisfied with my efforts.

Next time you're running out of time and don't know how to jazz up a dessert, just take a look around for a random candy bar or 2 and chop 'em up. I don't see why most varieties wouldn't work. Then nom-nom-nom on your fancy dessert. Enjoy!

Leek & Bacon Soup

2012-01-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

Have you ever made the exact same recipe twice, only to find the results taste almost nothing alike? That happened to me recently. I first made this soup back in December and loved-loved-loved it. I think I ate it for lunch at work and then dinner the same night 2 days in a row. It was super simple to make, not unhealthy and well, it has bacon and leeks. Winner-winner in my book folks! So . . . I made it again just a day or 2 ago. Now keep in mind the only change I made was not peeling the potatoes this time around. I know, I know, I always hear about all that nutrition I lose when I peel 'em, so this time I figured why not leave 'em unpeeled? Heck, it all goes through the blender anyway, so it won't really matter. Well kids, something mattered, and I have no clue what. Maybe it just needs more salt and pepper. It's by no means bad this time around, but it's so different it's scary. Can you say bizarre? Well, here you go. It's your turn to see how you like it.

Leek and Bacon Soup
Adapted from Kraft

8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 c. chicken broth
2 large leeks (approximately 1 lb.), white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 baking potatoes (approximately 1 lb.), chopped
Dash white pepper
1/2 c. skim milk

Bring the broth, leeks, potatoes and pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook 15 - 20 minutes veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Add half the crumbled bacon and the milk to the pot and combine all. Blend in small batches in a blender until smooth; pour into bowls or back into the pot. To serve, top with reserved bacon.

There, you see, simple enough to make a person really wonder how one could get such different results. It's not a hard recipe! Hmmm, what does that say about me then? Well, we won't go there. Both results are tasty, so I'll just have to make it a 3rd time - 2 out of 3 wins? Then I'll know what to expect? Well, it sounds good in theory at least. Anyway, give it a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Scratch-Made Pizza Dough

2012-01-14T15:35:00.009-05:00

I'll tell it like I did on Facebook - when I told Buppy I was making pizza for dinner on Friday night and not using the bread maker to 'cheat' to make the dough, his response was, well, not real positive. The first words out of his mouth were, "Do you want me to stop and pick some up? You know, just in case." No. I don't. C'mon now - I'm usually pretty great in the kitchen. Have a little faith man!

Now I'll admit, the crust was a bit thicker than I'd hoped for. I'm definitely a thin crust kind o' gal, so next time I think I'll divide the dough and simply make 2 pizzas. What's not to love about that? I used a rectangular baking sheet as opposed to the round 12" pizza pan the recipe suggested, which might account for a bit of the thickness. Maybe not; what do I know? Whatever the case though, I didn't even mind the crust being a little thicker; it was tasty-o! Plus, the thickness seemed a bit more balanced because I loaded that puppy up with toppings. Have I mentioned I love pizza lately? 'Cause I do. Good thing I work ooouuuuuutttttt!

Basic Pizza Crust
The Taste of Home Cookbook, p. 449
Beverly Anderson, Sinclairville, NY

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp. from a jar, which is what I used)
1 c. warm water (110F - 115F)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 - 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
Cornmeal
Pizza toppings of your choice

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt and 1 1/2 c. flour; mix until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough; I ended up using 2 3/4 c. flour total to achieve this. Turn onto a floured surface, cover and let rise for 10 minutes; I used these 10 minutes to chop my toppings. Multi-tasking!

Roll the dough into a circle or rectangle depending on the pan you plan to use. I just noticed the recipe says to grease the pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Apparently I missed the "grease the pan" part last night; my pan only got cornmeal and the dough still released perfectly. I guess either way works! Oh, and side note: instead of rolling the dough next time, I might just use floured hands to press it into the pan, which is kind of what I had to eventually do last night anyway. I'm not sure rolling is necessary, although I suppose it helps to make it all a uniform thickness. I'll let you know . . .

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. The recipe suggests building up the edges slightly, but I didn't do this. Since the dough was thicker than anticipated at this point, I just pressed it to fit into the pan and made it all the same thickness. You make the call though - thicker-edge crust or not? Ah, decisions. Either way, do not let the crust rise while you hash this out with your inner self. Good luck.

Bake the crust (no toppings yet!) for 12 - 15 minutes in a preheated 425F oven; it should be a little brown when you pull it. Add your choice of toppings and bake for 10 - 15 minutes longer. Viola - pizza success! After Buppy's lack of confidence in me, I had to post a picture on Facebook to assure everyone (fine, myself, I admit it!) that I can, in fact, successfully make dough from scratch. And to be honest, it was so good, I don't see myself using anything else in the future. I love that feeling.

As for toppings, my 'za has chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, chopped black and green olives, sliced deli ham, crumbled bacon, pepperoni, sauce (which I still need to try to make from scratch) and an Italian cheese blend. Yes, it's as good leftover today as it was last night for dinner, possibly better. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - January 9, 2012

2012-01-08T21:10:00.006-05:00

Alright, back *hopefully* to normal speed here now that the holidays are over. I returned from Wisco last week after a thoroughly enjoyed vacation to see my family, but then was out sick from work on Thursday and Friday. While not 100% better - I have constant issues with my stomach - I feel like I'm making something of a comeback. Tomorrow we return to work, the gym and a week of planned meals. Here's what's in store . . .

Monday: Homemade French onion soup, crusty Italian bread toasted for the croutons and melted Jarlsberg cheese

Tuesday: Ground chicken soft tacos and refried beans

Wednesday: Turkey cutlet Parmesan over angel hair pasta

Thursday: My night solo, as usual, and I have bacon in the fridge. I'm thinking BLT; they're so darn delicious!

Friday: Homemade pizza with pepperoni, black and green olives, onions, mushrooms . . . and whatever else I find to throw on that sounds good that night.

Saturday: Grilled steaks topped with blue cheese crumbles (or should I make my "light" blue cheese sauce instead?) served with a garden salad

Sunday: Pan-fried turkey ham steaks and potato-cheese pierogi
*Side note: anyone have a good pierogi recipe? My mom is stellar at making them, but I tried once and burned the outside without even heating the middle. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to deep fry them? Ah, my search continues . . .

So there we have it folks. Welcome to the lovely world of menu planning for 2012 (yes, a week late).

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T14:55:00.006-05:00

In Wisconsin until Tuesday, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year! May 2012 be our best year yet. Stay safe in your celebrations!

Any resolutions up for discussion? My list isn't incredibly long, but there are few things I'm planning to adjust and goals I'd like to meet this year. That post, my friends, will come shortly. Until then, enjoy the first day of 2012! I finally got my snow here in Wisco, so I'm quite content.

Christmas

2011-12-26T21:05:00.002-05:00

Buppy and I don't really exchange gifts at Christmas (or birthdays for that matter), but it's fun to get something small for each other. I guess we say we won't get each other anything, but we always find something fun to show each other we care. This year, I was lucky enough to receive a new cut glove for my mandolin (Buppy accidentally cut mine last month, but at least it saved his hand!!), a pecan snipper (which I've wanted since last Christmas when I got an ice cream bucket of pecans from my parent's orchard and I have no way to crack them) and a restaurant gift card for a place we frequent. Yay! For Buppy, well, I was torn between an iPod (since he's becoming a regular at the gym and doesn't have one) and a panini press, which he's been desperately wanting. Since I couldn't decide, he received a charcuterie gift basket. We enjoyed some for lunch on Christmas Day, and he'll take some to work tomorrow for lunch. I think we'll still have cheese left over, too. Good thing, because the 5 year aged gouda is AMAZING.

Top left kind of under the bowl and working our way over: Tuscan grilled ham, ciabatta bread, peppered salami, more bread, Breton crackers, fire roasted pork, more bread, 5 year aged gouda, more bread, a 1st place winning buttermilk blue cheese, truffle ham with herb and my homemade olive tapenade. Trust me when I say it doesn't get much better than this. And here's the picture with Buppy being the "I'll sneak into your foodie picture" ninja! I love when he jumps in.

Well, my family Christmas will be over New Year's - I'm flying home after work on Wednesday and will fly back to Maryland late next Tuesday night. I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Christmas 2011. Happy *safe* New Year's all!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-09T21:20:00.006-05:00

My, my, my - where does the time go? I swear just yesterday we were hosting my stellar birthday party (which was in March), and here I turn around and we're less than a month from Christmas. Obviously when I was younger and people told me time flies by quicker the older one gets, they weren't lying. And I'm not even old yet!

If all goes as planned, 2 week from now I should be soaking up the warmth of a wood stove and the love of my family at our house in Wisconsin. This will be the 2nd year in a row I'll be making the trip back, which is nice considering the 1st 2 years I was out here I didn't get to go. My dad and brother are already there, and my sister and my mom will arrive around the same time I do. I'm completely stoked for the time there, although not so much for the drive. Speaking of which, I have to check plane fares tonight to see if I can book something that works with my timeline and won't break the bank. Update: flying this time of year will break the bank.

This weekend I'll begin my holiday baking. I have so many ideas for things I want to make it's ridiculous. There are certain staples my family will expect, but I always like to try out a new recipe or two just for fun. I'm happy to say they generally don't disappoint.

Tomorrow is the holiday party at the cycle shop that sponsors the Hogs and Heroes chapter Buppy belongs to, so we'll head down there in the afternoon to meet up with friends and enjoy some good food and company. I'm making chicken fajita dip, which is a recipe I tested out at our summer party. I hear it was great - it was gone before I got a bite. I thought I posted the recipe, but apparently I'm wrong. Once it's made tomorrow, I'll have to snap some pics and post about it.

Also on the agenda this weekend? Finish Christmas shopping, go grocery shopping, hit up the gym, laundry and possibly find a salon to touch up my highlights. Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. Happy Holidays!

FREE 8"x10" Photo Collage

2011-11-25T11:30:00.003-05:00

If you'd like to score a free 8"x10" collage, head on over to Walgreens.com through today (11/25). I uploaded 4 pictures Buppy chose, created the collage, and now we'll have a very inexpensive gift for his mother for Christmas - only the cost of the frame! Use code RGIFT2U at checkout and make sure to choose in-store pick up to make it absolutely free.

This collage will be my 6th free one from Walgreens so far this year - gotta love that! I still need frames for 2 of them though, meaning it's time to hit up Goodwill. Thanks to Coupon Pro for posting this deal! Enjoy!

FREE Birthday Card

2011-11-21T12:30:00.002-05:00

Tiny Prints is at it again! Today only (11/21) head on over here and order your favorite birthday card. At checkout, enter promo code FREEBD and your total should come to $0. I just ordered mine. Hurry!

FREE Thanksgiving Card

2011-11-16T14:40:00.007-05:00

Hey all! Head on over to tiny prints to score a free Thanksgiving card today only (11/16)! Use promo code FREETHX11, and make sure you get in on this before the day is over. I just finished ordering mine. Enjoy!

A big thanks to Frugal Finders Facebook post about this!

Quick Pics from NYC

2011-11-13T17:20:00.004-05:00

I didn't take a camera with me to the Iron Skillet Cookoff in NYC, but here are a few more photos from Buppy's phone. What a phenomenal night!

A steak pinwheel that was jam-packed with yumminess, including bacon and Asiago cheese. It didn't win, but it did in my book.

Marc Murphy's cod cake. The cake by itself wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but when eaten with the sauce and greens, it was very tasty.

Crazy taco guy and I.

Crazy taco. Please don't ask what's in there, 'cause I sure can't tell ya.

Menu Plan Monday - November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T20:00:00.016-05:00

Three posts in one day - I'm officially a blogstar. Here: the quick menu plan for this week.

Monday: Buppy and the kids are eating out due to Scouts; I'll have breakfast for dinner

Tuesday: Baked cod (marinated in a special seafood marinade/grilling sauce I was given as part of a gift), roasted broccoli and mushrooms, baked seasoned sweet potato chips

Wednesday: Taco salads loaded with veggies, topped with fresh salsa

Thursday: My night alone, and I've been craving tuna cakes

Friday: Shrimp pizza

Saturday: Heavy Seas Chili and Cheese Fest - super excited for this. Luckily we purchased tickets in advance because it's now sold out.

Sunday: Garden salads loaded with fresh veggies and topped with either grilled steak or chicken (that decision can be made later in the week . . .)

Maybe it's just me, but this menu sounds crazy tasty. Enjoy!

FREE Granola Bars!

2011-11-07T16:15:00.008-05:00

The Ellen DeGeneres show is currently giving away free boxes of Nature's Path granola bars, and you even get to choose from 4 flavors! I picked the chococonut, which sounds absolutely yummy. Their pumpkin spice flavor sounds great for Fall, too. Hurry - the site doesn't say how long this lasts!

Thanks to Coupon Pro Blog for posting this lovely deal!

HOT - Toy Story 3 Operation Game

2011-11-07T13:10:00.006-05:00

I know I've been largely absent on here lately, but I'm trying to make a come back since we're rapidly approaching the gift-giving season. I've already come upon a stellar deal for Tiny Tot #1 for his birthday at the end of November.

If you're located anywhere near a Toys 'R Us, head on over to score a Toy Story 3 Operation game for $1! Yes, I said $1!

We were planning to pick up the Cars version of this very game anyway, which comes in around $15 on sale. Both boys love the Toy Story movies anyway, so this just made sense! I picked up a 2nd one too that will either go to Buppy's niece or to Toys for Tots or a similar toy donation organization for the holidays.

At my store, these were kept behind the customer service desk, I'm assuming, so they can regulate the number an individual can purchase. I know the gentleman next to me chose to purchase 4, so you should be able to purchase that many if you so choose. The recommended age range is 6+, so this will be a perfect gift. This sale lasts through Saturday, 11/12, but they were almost out when I got there yesterday around noon. Hopefully stores will get additional shipments throughout the week to replenish their inventories, but you might want to call ahead to make sure. No sense braving a Toys R Us this time of year only to leave empty-handed!

I can't wait to see what other fantastic sales will be offered this holiday season! A big thank you to Coupon Pro Blog for this heads up!

Meeting a Celebrity Chef

2011-10-25T19:20:00.003-04:00

Yes, this is Marc Murphy and I at the fundraiser Buppy and I attended on Monday night. For those of you not as obsessed with food as myself, Marc owns several famous NYC restaurants (Landmarc, among others) and is often a judge on Food Network's Chopped series. Sweet! (I realize I look slightly alarmed, but I blame the lighting.) How exciting!

Almost Fantastic Overload

2011-10-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

This is the Nicole Miller Square Neck Metallic Sheath I'll be wearing to the World Cares Center fundraiser Monday night. This will be by far the most chic event I've ever attended, and I wanted to bring my 'A' game. I think this dress will accomplish that while still allowing me to wear it on the NYC subway if need be (while not dragging on the ground)! Plus, I get to see (and maybe even meet!) a real Food Network star.

Not only that, but while I'm up in that area, I'll get to see the new house my long-time BFF recently purchase in Stratford, CT. Can't wait to see her, her hubs and the house. Love ya Rhi-Rhi!

Completely, 100% psyched for this weekend.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

2011-10-18T18:00:00.003-04:00

One of my coworkers celebrated her birthday last week and me, being the homemaker I am, volunteered something sweet for the occasion. The original plan was a chocolate-vanilla swirled cheesecake, but after hitting up the gym that night, I knew there was no way this girl was gonna whip up a cheesecake and stay awake the 70+ minutes it was supposed to take to bake. Nu-uh. Good call on my part. I know myself so well.

What came about instead was a chocolate truffle pie, recipe courtesy of the same mag the cheesecake was featured in. I think I should have served room temperature instead of chilled, but there were still zero complaints!

Chocolate Truffle Pie
Kraft Magazine Holiday 2007, pg. 25

1 1/4 pkg. (10 squares) Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 c. whipping cream
4 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
Whipped topping, optional, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F. Place chocolate in a large microwaveable bowl and add whipping cream. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until chocolate is mostly melted. Stir until the chocolate completely melts and cool slightly.

Add eggs, sugar and flour; beat with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour into a 9" pie plate that's been coated with cooking spray.

Bake 35 minutes or until outer half of pie is puffed but center is still slightly soft; cool. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired, and serve. Makes 10 servings.

I received compliments on this from all coworkers who tried it; poor Buppy didn't get any. Pretty sure he would have loved it. Oh well, there's always next time hun! Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Brisket Sammies

2011-10-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

It all started with this recipe for slow-cooker brisket sandwiches. And for the record, I took a picture, but it was ugly and icky and not post-worthy. I digress.

I took the time last night to prep my marinade and sear the brisket for tonight's dinner so I could quickly throw it all together this morning before heading out the door for work. I was excited; things smelled great.

I called Buppy on my way to the gym to ask if he had tried it and find out how the house smelled. Word was that the house smelled fab and the brisket was yummy. It didn't hold together to slice, but heck, I can deal with shredded meat!

Then I arrived home . . . to disappointment. Well, Buppy had just sprayed down and wiped off the dinner table, so I couldn't smell the meat, just a lemony-piney-clean odor. Ok, fine, whatever; I can deal with that, too.

Then I tried a bite. Most of you dear readers would probably like this meat, but for me, it was way too sweet. Anyone who knows me knows I don't care for sweet meat at all, which means we almost never eat BBQ sauce (at least I don't). I should have known - the recipe called for tomato paste (I had to use sauce as I thought I had paste but turns out I was wrong) and brown sugar. Couple that with some Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar and you've got one overly sweet brisket folks!

Buppy liked it, and Tiny Tot #1 devoured his (so I'm told, I wasn't home to witness this). He ate almost all of it before touching his homemade fries! What I'm trying to say is that if you're a regular Joe and enjoy your BBQ, give this a try and you will probably enjoy it. Make sure to get some nice crusty rolls to pair with it - they were the saving grace for me. Thanks for picking up the rolls, Buppy! Also, I topped mine with dill pickle chips for some acidity in hopes of cutting the sweetness. It helped a little.

Now go, enjoy your sweet brisket. Me? I'm off to find a savory dry rub for my next go-round.

Menu Plan Monday - October 10, 2011

2011-10-09T21:45:00.001-04:00

Things have been crazy busy here lately, both work and home-wise. Hopefully this menu plan helps things run smoothly this week.

Monday: Slow-cooker brisket sammies and oven-roasted potato wedges (brisket is already browned and the marinade is already mixed; all I have to do is combine 'em in the slow cooker in the morning)

Tuesday: My night alone (Buppy swapped his usual Thursday overnight this week), so something easy after coming home from the gym - breakfast for dinner or a ham sammy

Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana with homemade garlic toast rounds

Thursday: Grilled New York strip steaks with light blue cheese sauce and baked potatoes with light sour cream and green onions

Friday: Dinner in downtown Bmore since we're attending a Hogs and Heroes fundraiser at the Baltimore Comedy Factory at 8pm

Saturday: Cajun-seasoned cod and oven-roasted veggies

Sunday: Buffalo wing pizza if we feel like eating after we come home from Six Flags - we have free tickets!

There we have it; nothing super exciting, but we have almost all the ingredients on hand, making it much easier to stick to it. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - September 26, 2011

2011-09-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

Ah, back to the menu planning grind. Work has been a bear the past 2 weeks (multiple people out, so I'm blessed with their work loads) and these next 2 weeks won't be much better. The Meetings Director's daughter is getting married, so she'll be out and I'll be stuck with several incredibly large and detailed events on top of my normal work load. Ugh. That means that menu planning is going to be important so I don't get the urge to go out to eat or pick up something convenient from the store at night (read: pizza). We have a well-stocked pantry and freezer, so there's really no excuse for that except lack of planning.

Monday - Cauliflower cheese soup. I have a lot of cauliflower on hand that I need to use up.

Tuesday - Cilantro noodles. This is posted as a side dish, but I'm thinking it'd make a nice light, quick and easy vegetarian meal. Plus, I picked up cilantro last weekend at the produce market specifically for this and I have to use it before it goes bad.

Wednesday - Chicken breasts with a mustard-caper pan sauce. I've made this once before and it's amazing. We'll probably pair this with some oven-roasted veggies of some sort.

Thursday - My night alone, and I've been favoring breakfast for dinner meals on these nights lately.

Friday - Spirit of Baltimore Cruise. Buppy purchased half-price tickets, thanks to Groupon. Three hours of music, food, drinks and dancing, all with a stellar view! I'm psyched for the Salmon Mediterranean and the hand-carved roasted rosemary beef, being the foodie I am and all.

Saturday - Hershey Park. Yup, the Hershey Park. I've never been there before but have wanted to visit since I moved here. Buppy was able to get tickets through work for $24 each, which is much nicer than the standard $55.95 price.

Sunday - Slow-cooker brisket sandwiches. The ingredient list appears to be mostly things I already have on hand, including the necessary brisket in the freezer. We have 2, and I keep meaning to find a recipe for one. I'll throw it all in the slow-cooker, then probably take nap after my exhausting weekend. Enjoy!

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

2011-09-25T19:40:00.008-04:00

Yes, I realize the picture doesn't look like much, but believe me, that's some crazy-tasty soup right there!

For tomorrow's dinner, I planned on cauliflower soup since I had almost all of a head in the fridge with no real plans for it. Plus, I'm a soup junkie. I perused recipes on the 'net today before heading to town to run some errands, then I got busy as soon as I got home. The recipe is a little vague simply because I have the awful habit of not measuring when I cook, but I got most of it stored up in my lil' head for now. Gotta get it out quick!

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (cut the large ones in half for faster cooking)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Water (just enough to cover these veggies once they're in the pot)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (preferably yellow for color, although white would work, too)
1 c. fat-free half and half
1 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

Add the cauliflower, onion, celery and bouillon cubes to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until they're quite tender (10-15 minutes or so). Fork test them for softness if you're unsure.

Once they're soft, blend in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. I left the last 1/2 c. or so unprocessed because it didn't fit with the earlier batches, and I refused to blend that small amount all by itself. Return all of it to the pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the cheese; stir to help it melt and become smooth.

Mix the half and half (must be cold!) with the cornstarch in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well dissolved; add to soup and stir. Heat through, on the verge of boiling (to thicken), but do not bring to a full boil. Served with crusty bread or crackers. Or just slurp it down as is, 'cause that's ok too!

There, it's that simple! I'm glad I made it tonight so we can reheat at our leisure tomorrow for dinner; I'll probably be home later since I'll head to the gym after work. Hopefully it reheats well; I'm not too worried though.

My sister and I feel like some of the best cream-based soups we've ever had come from Flamingos in Shawano, Wisco, so they're kind of our standard that we judge cream soups against. Well Sissy o' mine, this recipe beat their soups hands-down. Perfect creaminess. Subtle but still noticeable flavor. Salty, but not overly so. What can I say? I'm a soup rock star! Enjoy some this Fall folks --- I promise you won't be disappointed.

This post is linked to Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday for 9/29/11. Head on over to check out more fab recipes!

Free Photo Collage

2011-09-23T19:30:00.000-04:00

Hurry --- this expires tonight. I just ordered my free 8"x10" photo collage from Walgreens. They run this promo several times a year; thus far I have 3 framed collages and 2 unframed, all of which were free because of a promo just like this. Pair a free collage with a spiffy frame and presto: instant inexpensive gift for family or friends. If I happen upon any others this fall, I think I'll order some of the kid's pictures for Buppy's parents for holiday gifts. He's already received 2 of only their pictures as Father's Day and birthday gifts. Gotta love that! Head on over to Walgreens photo and get started. Hurry!

Free Ice Cream for a Good Cause

2011-09-22T15:35:00.021-04:00

I'm not sure if we have a Cold Stone Creamery near us, but I'll be sure to find out soon (just checked, we do!). September is Make-A-Wish month, and Cold Stone is doing their part to help out. They're accepting donations for the foundation all month long, and on September 27 from 5pm - 8pm, they're hosting the World's Largest Ice Cream Social, offering a 3 oz. sample of a special creation (sweet cream ice cream, brownie, rainbow sprinkles and fudge). Head on over here for all the cool details. Donations to Make-A-Wish + free ice cream = win-win for everyone! Go support and enjoy!

Free Sample - Vitamin Gummies

2011-09-21T20:30:00.000-04:00

Head on over here to score a free sample of vitamin gummies in either Cars or Princess shapes. We're constantly looking for coupons and ways to save on kid's vitamins --- those things aren't cheap! Thanks Coupon Pro Blog!

Kids Meal Deals

2011-09-20T12:45:00.017-04:00

Because school's back in session now, Cub Scouts and soccer are evening events for the kids. Since they take place in a town about 25 minutes from our house, sometimes Buppy has to do dinner at a restaurant, like it or not. There simply isn't enough time in the day to come home, eat dinner, then head out for the activities.

With that being said, I happened upon a link a few weeks back that's been helpful in our search to make eating out with kids as affordable as possible. My favorite one thus far is Kids Meal Deals. I've made a few phone calls to confirm that restaurants listed are in fact participating, and it's been accurate. I also love that I can enter a city/state or zip and then the specific day of the week I'm looking for, which really narrows my search and yields only the results I'm seeking. Doesn't get much easier than that. Give it a try if you have little mouths to feed and a busy schedule (or just don't feel like cooking tonight).

On a totally separate side note, I've been getting a lot of freebies and coupons in the mail lately. I think Buppy's favorite came today --- a coupon for a free candy bar as part of the Random Acts of Chocolate campaign. Sweet!

Castrol GTX $7 Rebate

2011-09-19T20:40:00.001-04:00

Here's a quickie since my papa reads my blog (and can tell my brother about the deal, too)!

Castrol is currently running a promo where you can score a $7 rebate after purchasing 5 or more quarts of Castrol GTX, Castrol GTX High Mileage or Castrol GTX SynBlend between 9/1/11 and 12/31/11. It doesn't make 'em free, but $7 back is still $7 back. You can redeem 2 per household, address or person. All the other fun rules and regs are detailed here, where you need to go to print the official mail-in certificate. Enjoy!

Now? Off to bed. Buppy and I are both exhausted. Today, 2 of my coworkers were out, leaving all of their responsibilities (emails, walk-ins, RFPs, voicemails, etc.) to me. Plus, it was a Monday. I'd planned to head to the gym, but the only other coworker in the office offered me a pound of fresh ground chicken, which obviously couldn't stay in my car for the hour plus that I'd be working out. I came home instead, made some pretty fabulous chicken meatballs for dinner (recipe to come very soon, promise!) and am ready to call it quits for the day.

Kitty Sitting - Day 1

2011-09-17T10:55:00.001-04:00

As I said in the previous post, Buppy and I are kitty-sitting for a week or so for my boss. I brought her home last night after we lost (then finally found) her in our sales office. Yikes! A little kitty cat lost in a 240+ room hotel with over 32,000 sq. ft. of meeting space --- not an easy job to find her!

She was very lovey-dovey and wanted constant attention at our sales office, which my boss said is her normal nature. She did not appreciate the 45 minute commute to my house in her carrier. Sorry Olivia, not my fault. And since she got here last night, she explored the house, slept in the papasan chair for while, slept in another recliner, then moved back to the papasan. As we speak, I picked her up and moved her to the couch with me, but all she wants to do is sleep. No lovey-dovey. No need for attention. Her attitude is more of an "eh, whatever" than a need for human contact. Not at all what I was told she's like. Strange.

Well, I have things to do, so we'll see how she progresses over the next week. Adios!

Temps Are Fallin'

2011-09-15T19:45:00.000-04:00

I love that we went from a high in the mid-80's yesterday to it currently being 55F at 7:30pm. No, seriously, I'm lovin' it. Fall is my favorite time of year, followed closely by Spring. I get to use my oven again (without feeling guilty)! Bust out the sweaters, breakout the knee-high boots and settle into some flannel sheets. The forecast looks as though we're in for some more 70's within the next 10 days, but I see no more 80's in sight. Ahhhh.

On a separate note, work has been crazy busy this week. The county public schools just came back into session, and we're contracted to hold all the staff meetings at work. It really tickles me pink when they call the day prior and request numerous changes to set up, food and beverages and AV. I realize I can't complain though; I have a job I enjoy for the most part when many others are much less fortunate. I just constantly have to remind myself of that fact this week as I seem to be surrounded by stupidity.

This weekend we have no major plans. I'm looking forward to keeping busy in the kitchen, and we're also kitty-sitting for my boss. I haven't had a kitty in so long; I'm really looking forward to it. Buppy? Not so much as he claims he's allergic. Whatever. He has plenty of allergy meds I've scored for free, so he should be fine for the next 10 days.

Alright . . . off to finish my movie!

Super Duper Weenie

2011-09-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

I was really hoping our trip to Super Duper Weenie would be . . . more impressive. While in Connecticut over Labor Day weekend for a wedding (which was lovely, I might add), I suggested to Buppy that we check it out. It's been featured on Food Network, and since I have my bucket list of places to eat for foodie reasons, how could we not stop by? Plus, we had nothing better to do during the day on Saturday.

Buppy and I both tried their New Englander, which comes topped with sauerkraut, bacon, mustard, sweet relish and raw onion; I requested mine without the relish. There were a lot of onions on both of ours, which suited me fine since I pretty much love all things onion. But here's my thing with dogs --- I can open a can of sauerkraut and put some on a dog at home. I can chop up some onion and throw on some bacon. What needs to impress me is the dog itself, and these didn't. My friend who got married said they deep fry their dogs, but from what we witness, they didn't. They split them down the middle, slap 'em on a griddle and then use a press to get them to open up a bit. I'm not quite sure why this is done; it seemed to make eating them all the messier.

Looking at this pic now, all I can think is, "Thank goodness we don't eat this stuff on a regular basis!" But it was a mini-vacay, and a spot featured on Food Network, so that means it's alright to indulge, right? Yup, that's my story.

I got a 2nd dog (I was really hungry, ok!?) and asked for onions, chili and cheese. Again, I can add onions and cheese at home. I think the cheese was a white American single placed in the bottom of the bun before the dog, so the heat helped to melt it a little. The chili was alright; would I eat a bowl of it? No. Was it better than canned. Yes.

The dogs at both of the "famous" joints we've now tried are all skinless, which might be my problem. Growing up, my papa loved and always got us skin hot dogs. These puppies have such a wonderful snap when you bite into 'em. They actually mail them to me from Wisco, I kid you not. Buppy's not that impressed with them, but they're by far the best dogs ever in my opinion.

We shared a small order of fries, which were good but appeared very, very greasy. I enjoyed the salt and pepper they sprinkled on them before handing them over.

Apparently the place has a massive following, despite my opinions. It was packed the entire time we were there. You order in a little area with 8 seats at a counter, and there's extra seating in a room next door. Counter seating? All full. Room next door. Totally full. There's almost a line out the door to order, but then the guy cookin' the dogs yells to close the door, and somehow everyone crowds in a little more. Buppy and I took our tray outside and ended up eating next to the sign out front. Good thing there's extra parking, because the 6+/- parking spots in front of the building just don't cut it.

I'm glad I can say I've been there, but I have no urge to go back. *sigh* We did find it interesting that they're not open for dinner; I think they close at 4pm. Perhaps such a small dwelling couldn't handle that rush? Who knows? Odd nonetheless.

Never Forget

2011-09-11T11:10:00.010-04:00

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I can easily remember where I was and what I was doing, as I'm sure most of us can. I am praying for those who have and are fighting. I am praying for those who have been lost. I am praying for peace.

I will never forget.

Today is my Grandpa's birthday as well --- an amazing person who is greatly missed. I love you Grandpa.

It's Never Boring

2011-09-07T22:00:00.003-04:00

Just when I was about to ask the question 'what else?' to Mother Nature, she threw more at us here in the land o' the merry. Did I mention it's all been within a 2 week span!?!?!

Earthquake? Survived.

Hurricane Irene? Check-check.

Now? Flooding.

I'm pretty sure I can't take my normal 'back way' to work tomorrow; I almost didn't get through today due to high water. That means hitting the beltway. In rush hour traffic. In the rain. Oh help me now; might as well call out sick tonight.

If this is any indication of some crazy winter weather we're going to experience, we're in for a doozy. Hopefully that doesn't mean us getting more snow than Wisco (again!), but only time will tell.

Now? I need to go collect more wood.

Labor Day Steals & Deals

2011-09-05T18:35:00.007-04:00

Today was a decent day to snag some steals and deals at local stores. Thanks to Coupon Pro Blog for pointing them out. I love that site!

Here's the mayo I picked up from Walgreens. It's normally $7+ (which is an insane price) at their store, but with the in-ad coupon, it was down to $2.99. I had a $1 Walgreens coupon that was going to expire this week, so after using that too, I paid $1.99. Good thing too; we just ran out of mayo.

Here we have the few things I picked up at Rite Aid.

Renu contact solution - $8.99 (on sale)
- $2 off coupon
= I paid $6.99
+ $7 UP reward
= FREE

Crest complete toothpaste - $3.99 (on sale)
- $1 off coupon
= I paid $2.99
+ $3 UP reward
=FREE

Reese's peanut butter pumpkins - 2/$1
- $.50 off coupon
= I paid $.25 each

Lastly, I stopped at CVS.

Sensodyne toothpaste - $4.49 each (on sale)
- $2.50 off 2 coupon
- $3 off 2 CVS coupon
= I paid $3.50 for 2 (which is STELLAR for Sensodyne)

GUM Periobalance lozenges (30 count) - $15.99 (rain check price)
= I paid $15.99
+ $16 ECB
= FREE

Hershey Air Delights candy bar - $.99
= I paid $.99
+ $.99 ECB
= FREE

Dove candy bar - $.79
- Free Dove candy bar CVS coupon
= FREE

Skinny Cow candy (2 of them) - $.99 (rain check price)
- B1G1 free coupon
= I paid $.99
+ $.99 ECB
= 2 for FREE

Carefree liners - $1
- $.50 off coupon
= I paid $.50
+ $1 ECB
= + $.50

I also had $13 in ECBs to spend at CVS, which helped to bring my total down. Always a good thing, right?

As I said, it was a pretty good day for deals. Overall I spent around $24 at the 3 stores and received $29 back. I love making money while shopping! Anyone else have any great deals I forgot to take advantage of?

Alright. Off to unpack from our weekend in Connecticut. A blog will follow shortly about our trip. Suffice it to say, the town we stayed in was bizarre. Weird. Ghetto. More of that to come. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Visiting Connecticut

2011-09-03T10:30:00.004-04:00

Hello from the great state of Connecticut! This will be a short post as I am only waiting on Buppy to shower and shave before we head out to explore Bridgeport. Not the nicest area one could pick for a mini-vacay, but we're here.

Super Duper Weenie, which has been featured on several Food Network shows, is just one town over, so I see a trip there in our future. Possibly tomorrow on our way down to Jersey or later this afternoon.

The trip up wasn't too shabby. We made unbelievable time until we hit NYC, then things slowed a bit. All in all though, we can't complain. We were smart enough to pick up several books on CD (thanks Buppy!) before departing, and those always make the time fly by.

At 7pm tonight, one of my bestest best friends is getting married on a beach in Fairfield. A cocktail reception will follow, which I'm sure will be amazing because I found out last night that the bride made all the food (minus the cake) herself. Plus the couple recently bought a house, both have full-time jobs, and we all survived a hurricane. That's a lot to take on!

Ah yes, dear Irene. She seems to have knocked out power at the pavilion where the reception is taking place, so hopefully the generator is enough. It's going to be a small, intimate wedding with approximately 75 guests. I'm so happy for my girl!

Pictures will follow soon, along with more posts. August was a super busy month for Buppy and I, but we did some really fun and interesting things. We still have free Six Flags tickets to use as well as discounted tickets to Hershey Park; it's great to know people who are connected!

Here's hoping everyone has a safe Labor Day weekend; get together with friends and family and enjoy! I know we're going to!

Free Movie Night

2011-08-25T12:35:00.005-04:00

Tonight, redbox is kindly granting anyone and everyone a free movie rental. All one has to do is 'like' redbox on Facebook and bam --- they generate a unique code valid today only, Thursday, 8/25/11. I've actually had my free code jotted down and in my car since Monday when I learned of the deal.

Buppy and I love redbox, but we both find it interesting that when they offer free one-day only codes, they're usually for Thursdays, which are Buppy's overnight shift at work. No loss here though; I plan to rent a free movie and redeem my coupon for a free dip at Ruby Tuesday. I also have to run to CVS as I have some coupons that expire tomorrow. Free + free + coupons --- can't beat that. Thanks redbox, Ruby Tuesday and CVS!

A Birthday, An Earthquake & A Hurricane - Oh My!

2011-08-24T21:56:00.008-04:00

First of all --- a HUGE happy birthday to my wonderful mother today. Love you much, all the way up in Alaska! So glad we were able to chat, and just to let you know, you're my hero!

Now, a quick update to say that we all survived the random earthquake that shook, rattled and rolled us yesterday, Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011.

I was at work, as was Buppy, when it struck just before 2pm EST. Apparently the epicenter was Mineral, VA, and since Buppy is about an hour south of my work, he definitely felt it stronger than I did. He got much busier (working for a fire department in an emergency situation can do that to a person), while my coworkers and I simply decided to chat it up for the rest of the afternoon.

No damage to our home or my workplace, although there was some structural damage where Buppy works. A coworker near my hotel said her house shook enough to break some dishes displayed in a hutch. Didn't feel strong enough where I was to cause that, but who knows.

I thought it was the first quake I could say I survived, but Buppy correct me, pointing out that we were hit by a small quake a year or so. At that time, I was sleeping and woke to the bed shaking, leading me to believe Buppy had fallen out of bed (how funny would that have been?!). Truth be told, he was in the bathroom and nowhere near the bed when it happened. Regardless, I can now say I've survived 2 earthquakes. In Maryland. Sweet!

This weekend, Irene is a potential threat as well. I think Mother Nature is having fun with us here on the Eastern Seaboard. The dedication of a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. is currently scheduled to take place on Sunday, and tens of thousands are expected at the National Mall in DC. Here's to hoping for a safe weekend.

Freebies (Or Close Enough For Me)

2011-08-16T21:55:00.003-04:00

I know I repeat myself often, but who doesn't love free? I had a Walgreens coupon for $8 from a previous purchase that was set to expire today. After losing $1 coupon to expiration last week (eeekk!), I wasn't about to see my $8 beauty go to waste. Heck no! So . . . I checked with Buppy this afternoon and as I suspected, we needed cereal. I don't eat it, so I never know unless he tells me. Not my style, ya know? Anyway, it happened to be on sale for 2/$4 (limit 4), and I happened to have a $1/3 coupon that matched these brands (how handy is that?!). The cereal came to $8 total, but with my $1/3 coupon, I knew I needed another dollar item. I almost snagged a turkey sausage stick, but then the prunes I'd been meaning to buy cried out, conveniently priced at $1 per box. My total rang up to $9, I handed over my cereal coupon, then my $8 Walgreens coupon and walked out with what's pictured below for absolutely nothing. Not a penny. Free! Have I mentioned I'm a fan of that?

Next up is mainly what Staples has blessed me with over the past few weeks with the exception of the package of 8 Paper Mate blue ball point pens, which was free at CVS several weeks ago. While I did have to pay a bit out of pocket to begin with, when all is said and done, what you see below will have cost me a total of $1.50. The 500 count multipurpose paper will end up costing me 50 cents, while the 100 count 4"x6" Kodak photo paper will be $1 after rebate. The highlighters (Bic, brite liner Grip, yellow, 5 count) and the other package of pens (Zebra, Z Grip, 7 count, black, retractable) will be 100% free after I receive the rebates from Staples. Oh yeah, I also scored 100 free business cards, just in case I hit that unemployment line again any time in the near future (knock on wood). Pretty much free office supplies? Where the heck were these when I was in college? Oh wait, I'm sure I merely didn't know to look for them. Oh silly me! But really, what college kid knows there are such fab deals out there? No one I knew at that point in my life, that's for sure. I've come a long way baby!

Ah, I'd say I'm satisfied with how my steals and deals have been treating me lately. Anyone else have some fun ones to share?

Menu Plan Monday - August 15, 2011

2011-08-16T08:00:00.012-04:00

Last week went rather well as far as sticking with our menu plan goes, and this week . . . well, there's not really even much reason to plan. Oh well, here's what we're looking at. Or more to the point, what I'm looking at.

Monday: Broiled and shallow pan-fried crab cakes with canned, seasoned corn.

Tuesday: Possibly alone if Buppy gets to work overtime. If not, we'll grill some kielbasa and make some oven-roasted and seasoned fries to go along with it.

Wednesday: I'll be alone for dinner as Buppy has his Hogs and Heroes meeting. I'll likely hit the gym, then come home for a sandwich or boiled eggs or something.

Thursday: I see a repeat of Wednesday in my future. Nights alone can be boring, but they also allow me to be lazy and eat whatever I want without giving a thought to anyone else. That sounds selfish, but really, after work and the gym, it's kind of nice sometimes.

Friday: As of right now, we're supposed to meet up with a co-worker after work to see her husband's band play. It sounds as though they play on a blocked-off street and there are food vendors there. We'll see what the weather looks like come Thursday and then decide if I need a back up plan for us for dinner.

Saturday Lunch: Something simple, like tuna salad sandwiches.
Saturday Dinner: Since we missed our last opportunity to hit up Boordy Vineyards due to rain, we plan to make another attempt this Saturday. I'll pack up some blue cheese-stuffed olives (yes, I stuff my own and my fingers stink for days), some Kalamata bruschetta and some other tasty sounding appetizers that'll pair well with wine. Again, that's if Mother Nature cooperates.

Sunday Lunch: Again, something simple, like a deli meat sandwich or . . . well, something easy.
Sunday Dinner: There is a jazz festival in the town I used to live in when I first moved here, and the park where the concerts take place is beautiful. If it's not raining and I'm not too burned out from this week/Saturday's outing, we plan to head there for the festival. I'm not sure if I'll pack some things for us to eat or if we'll grab something at one of the cute little shops that line the historic district, but we'll figure something out. Come to think of it, I think we still have 2 restaurant.com gift certificates left for places in the city. Sounds like fun to me!

Enjoy! Now to go see what everyone else is making this week . . .

Crab Cakes - Absolutely Delish!

2011-08-15T19:40:00.006-04:00

Tonight's dinner was one of the best I've made in a long time. I was a little skeptical due to an unfavorable past experience trying to make homemade crab cakes, but Old Bay’s recipe didn't disappoint. It was super quick to make and they were all easy to cook.

Crab Cakes
Slightly adapted from from the recipe on the Old Bay can

2 slices bread, crusts removed
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. lump crab meat

Tear bread into small pieces. Mix in mayonnaise, Old Bay, mustard and egg. Stir in crab meat. Shape mixture into 4 equal-sized patties. Broil 10 minutes on low, then another 2 on high for the broiled version. To shallow pan-fry them, heat approximately 1 inch of canola oil in a skillet. Once hot, add patties to the pan and fry for approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Enjoy alone or with cocktail or tartar sauce. I recommend alone.

Buppy prefered the fried version, while I'm torn between the two. The broiled version I think would win for me, except that I should have flattened it a bit more so the bready-mixture would have cooked just a tad more. We both agree that next time we'd use either 2 1/2 or 3 tsp Old Bay simply because we both love the seasoning.

While this wasn't an inexpensive meal by any stretch of the imagination, 4 crab cakes for basically the price of 1 lb. of lump crab meat was a steal compared to what we would have paid in any restaurant. Plus, they were better than quite a few I've tasted in restaurants, so it's a win-win. Enjoy!

One of the shallow pan-fried puppies. Hello crispy goodness!

One of the broiled cakes. Look at that lump crab meat and crispy top.

Note: this post is linked up to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for her Full Plate Thursday, 8/18/11 edition. Hope you all enjoy!

Safe Travels

2011-08-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad I was able to make it home to see most of my family this summer. While my brother couldn't make it, my mom, dad, sister and I all had a great time. We went to Door County (tourist trap, but fun nonetheless), went swimming, went out for prime rib and just hung out. Oh yeah, and they grilled me brats --- yay brats!

Anyway, my mom leaves to head back to Alaska for another school year tomorrow. She flies out of Green Bay about 15 minutes after the entire Green Bay Packer team is scheduled to fly out of the same airport on their way to DC. Ugh. I hope the wait and security aren't too much of a bear for her.

Point of this story: my mom is an amazing, smart, funny, talented and giving person (who can really cook, too!), so I want to send her a huge shout out for her trip tomorrow. I think it takes about 22 hours or so for her from start to finish, and I wish her nothing but clear blue skies, no delays and no baggage lost. Love you mom --- travel safe and I can't wait to hear from you when you land safe and sound in Marshall.

Menu Plan Monday August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Time sure flies around here when we're busy. How we got to the 2nd menu plan for August already, I don't know. Since I just joined the gym and prefer to go after work (since then I don't have to pack my entire wardrobe, hair stuff, make up, etc. to get ready for work), Buppy will have to do most of the cooking for dinners and I'll eat when I get home. This is the plan, although without me around to be a pain in the neck, we'll see how closely he follows along.

Here we are, a plannin' I will go . . .

Monday: Grilled hamburgers and (raw or oven-roasted) broccoli. We found some great-looking blue cheese slices (never seen it sliced before), so we're excited to try it on the burgers.

Tuesday: Buppy will take the kids to some bad-for-them fast food restaurant between school and soccer practice for Tiny Tot #1. We know we have to come up with a plan since he can't do that every single Tuesday, but this is the first experience with soccer practice and he's going to play it by ear this week. He and I will eat together afterwards since we'll likely get home from soccer practice and the gym at around the same time.

Wednesday: Asian chicken breasts and rice noodles. Didn't get to this one last week, but we love-love-love this recipe, so we're already thawing the chicken for it. Super yummy.

Thursday: My night alone, as usual, so likely a salad, hard boiled eggs or tuna fish. I'm boring when it's just me. Blah.

Friday: Chipotle. I received a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free, and since they have some relatively healthy options, I plan to pick up dinner for us on my way home after the gym on Friday. Why not spoil ourselves a bit at the end of the week, especially if we have a BOGO coupon?

Saturday Lunch: We hope to go tubing and do it up brown-bag lunch style. It's at the same general location we went a month or so ago, but much cheaper. Some special they're running, so it's only $10 per person. It runs from 10am - 3pm, so we'll likely do drinks and sammies in a cooler. And gummi candy. Gotta have some gummi candy!
Saturday Dinner: Grilled Polska kielbasa with sauerkraut (which I plan to cook in the slow cooker all day with dill and beef bouillon). Something easy after a long day on the water.

Sunday: Buppy's co-worker's party! It runs from 12pm or 1pm until whenever, so I'll make a dish to bring with us and no menu plan will be needed.

There we have it. I did pretty well sticking with our menu plan last week, and I'm confident this one isn't too labor intensive. Plus, as I said, Buppy will be doing a lot of the cooking. Hope he's up to the challenge!

Steals & Deals, Costly Repairs & Joining the Gym

2011-08-07T19:30:00.002-04:00

Not that I needed any more contact solution, but it was 100% free, so why not? The stuff doesn't go bad, right? So . . . I got 3 bottles of Pampered Hands Softsoap (2 tangerine, 1 raspberry scented), a 5-count package of Allegra (for Buppy's allergies) and a 12-ounce bottle of contact solution for 46 cents out of pocket. Then I received $12 back in coupons for CVS, plus I mailed off a rebate for $7 for the Allegra. Talk about a great shopping day: 46 cents out of pocket with a total of $19 back in the end. Yes please!

Thank goodness, too, because it slightly lessened the blow of the rest of the day. We were scheduled to hit up Boordy Vineyards because we have free concert passes that get us in to see a band and go through their entire wine tasting (a $20 value per person). Yeah, rain did away with that plan. Now I have an entire batch of cold spinach dip to eat. We plan to try again in 2 weeks for the British Invasion concert, and then I'll again make some appetizers, stuff some of our giant green olives with blue cheese, and bust out the still-unopened Kalamata bruschetta. Hopefully.

Then there was the real kick in the teeth. I dropped off my car to get new front tires, and turns out my rear brakes were basically gone. I could tell something was a bit off, but I'm no mechanic. When all was said and done, I picked up my car with new front tires, new rear brakes and some other minute stuff tweaked for $850+/-. Thank goodness for well-funded emergency accounts. I feel safer driving now, and I guess that's what really counts, right? Right.

Lastly (for today's blog anyway), I joined a local gym. I haven't been a member since I lived in Frederick in 2008, and it's about time. Time to get serious about getting in shape, especially since my eating habits have vastly improved for the most part. Their normally $75 enrollment fee is only $1 during the month of August because they're celebrating their birthday, and the monthly fee is only $25 with no contract. Can't beat that around here, that's for sure. Their hours work for me, they have a lot of the equipment I enjoy working with and the staff seems friendly. An hour of cardio and an hour of lifting today might have been a bit much for my 1st day back in action, but I feel great. I'm sure the soreness will kick in just in time for me to roll out of bed for work tomorrow. Now to just stick with it . . . Wish me luck!

Menu Plan Monday - August 1, 2011

2011-07-31T19:00:00.001-04:00

It's that time again. This coming week will be relatively easy because Buppy and I have a lot going on, so I actually don't have to plan for 3 nights. Let's get to it.

Monday: Taco salads (lettuce, tomato, olives, green onions, cheese, cilantro and taco-flavored ground beef with Mexi-ranch dressing)

Tuesday: Buppy has to work late, so I'll do something simple like breakfast for dinner or a sammy

Wednesday: Reubens (I stocked up on corned beef roasts right after St. Patty's Day, so I'm currently thawing one and will cook it all day in the slow cooker while we're at work. We picked up sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and rye bread today at Aldi, so we're set!)

Thursday: My customary 'alone' night, so again, something simple (maybe a garden salad)

Friday: Pizza (I think I'm going to give the timer on my bread machine a shot; I've never used it before but will test it out with pizza dough.)

Saturday: Wine festival with friends! (We can take our own food, so I'll be sure to pack some fun light fare.)

Sunday: Asian chicken breasts with rice noodles

There we have it. Sounds tasty to me!

Recovering From Vacation

2011-07-28T20:25:00.001-04:00

Well, vacation is officially over (has been since Sunday evening when I landed back in Bmore) and I'm almost completely settled back into work. Good thing, too, because I've taken over duties for our social catering sales person for the entire week, plus those of our corporate catering sales person for today, tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday. Between 3 emails to monitor, 3 voicemails to check, my normal work load, incoming phone calls, non-appointment clients and an insane RFP (request for proposal) I have to complete by Tuesday, I'm almost wiped. Almost. By the time the bid (proposal) is complete, I'm pretty sure I'll be 100% spent.

It didn't take long to break back into the swing of things work-wise. It's definitely taking longer to unload my suitcase and do/fold/put away laundry. My toiletries still aren't in order, but I don't care. Honest. As long as I can find my deodorant, brush and perfume each morning, I'll survive.

Saturday is the fundraiser for the charity organization I belong to (where Buppy works). It's unfortunately slated for a day where there are several other large events in the area, so we have no idea what type of crowd we'll draw. We're hosting a beer pong tournament, but no, it's not simply a drunkfest. We actually put water in the cups for play, not beer, per official beer pong tourney rules. Yes, there is an official beer pong tourney organization --- crazy, isn't it? Well, anyway, Buppy and I will both be working the event, along with 1 other person, and we have to take the kids too. Should be an interesting day. I'm taking the camera and will hopefully have some fun shots to post next week.

Other than settling back in, there isn't much new here. I have to menu plan for next week this weekend; my mom helped me come up with some fun ideas while I was in Wisco, so thanks Mom! I already made the sloppy Joe's, and they were a hit. It's one of the first recipes she ever taught me, and it's as delish as ever! Oh yeah, not mention super simple, so I'm all for it.

I have a few vacation pics, a few new recipes/pics and some random posts I need to work on soon. I've been a slack-a-saurus again blog-wise. Shame on me. Off I go now to try and finish the arduous process that is unpacking. Wish me luck folks!

Missing - Mary Hilliard

2011-07-14T19:10:00.002-04:00

UPDATE: Mary was found safe & sound on Thursday evening after the flier was released. Whew. Prayers answered.

I may not have a million readers, or a hundred, or even ten, but this girl is missing, and she and her family are very near and dear to us. She lives in the Glen Burnie, MD area and has been missing since Sunday, 7/10. It takes just one person in the right place at the right time to bring her home, so please, if you see her, call the number on the flier (or me, if you know me personally). There has been talk about the company she is keeping and if they are gang-affiliated, so we're saying prayers that we find her soon. Thank you to all for even taking the time to read this post.

Summer Partypalooza 2011

2011-07-10T19:25:00.001-04:00

Our annual slip 'n slip - crabfest - partypalooza was yesterday. It was amazing, awesome, fabulous and stellar, all rolled into one. I save money all year for it, everyone looks forward to it and Mother Nature has cooperated for the past 4 years (the ones I've been to). What more can a person ask for than great weather, yummy food and super friends? Love it!

The slip 'n slide. EPIC, especially when we throw some dish soap on it for maximum lubrication.

One of our guys woke up with this bruise. We assume it's from the slip 'n slide but have no real idea how he got it.

Crab table. I found ones that were reasonably price (thank goodness 'cause we got a bushel and a half!), and they were super meaty and large. Awesome.

On the left, we have the chicken fajita dip a friend suggested I make. Shelly, it more than lived up to our expectations. Well, that's what I hear, but I didn't actually get to taste it; it was gone that fast! On the right, a guest brought homemade mac 'n cheese with bacon, stewed tomatoes and Velveeta. I don't even like mac 'n cheese (probably because I'm not really a pasta person), but this was really, really tasty.

Beer pong and flip cup in the garage. First year, and it worked out really well!

A guest brought this super cute "sand" cake in a sand castle bucket. She actually took flip flop cookies on sticks and carefully pulled the sticks out to get the cookies for the top (knowing how crazy I am about flip flops and all). She always makes the cutest things for our parties!

The beautiful crabs. Yummy!

Me and a friend of mine. We've been friends since 8th grade, and her family comes up for the party every year. This was Friday night --- food prep time!

Ugh. Here be the kitchen this morning. Thank goodness a friend of mine did a lot of cleaning last night. You can't tell from the way it looks here, but she did a lot. This though? This is all me. And it's still not all cleaned up as I write this. Gotta save somethin' for Buppy to do tomorrow since he took the day off, right? Right.

We grilled some hot dogs for lunch, then I got sleeeeeeeeepy. And yet I still managed to have a wine cooler in my hand. Yes, I'm always exhausted the day after the party, but it's always 100% worth it. The countdown is on --- only 363 more days until the next one!

July Already?

2011-07-01T18:40:00.005-04:00

Can someone please tell me how the heck we got to July 2011? Great, thanks.

Man, time sure flies. I can't believe our annual party is only a week away. I'm excited, don't get me wrong, but there is still a lot of shopping/cleaning/prep that needs to be done. Luckily, I have a beautiful 3-day weekend to get most of it taken care of. I already hit up the liquor store last night (and spent $100+ on booze) because as of today, the liquor tax in Maryland went up to 9% (from 6%). I figured I might as well get it when it's a little cheaper, right? And I love the store I shop at most of the time; they pay me to drink! They track your spending by your last name if you join their club, and every time you spend $100, they give you $5 in cash. Not huge, but hey, no other liquor store in my area gives me anything back. I received $5 back yesterday after my purchase and was told I'm $3 away from my next $5. How nice of them.

I think I know where our crabs will be coming from and plan to order them sometime this weekend. I'm sure everywhere is swamped for the holiday weekend, so maybe on Sunday or Monday I'll give 'em a ring. If I heard correctly when I called to price them, they're by far the cheapest I've found. They're the same price I paid last year per bushel ($175), which was expensive at that time. However, this year, that price is a steal. Thank goodness I have a nice paying job now and have been able to save up money for this party. Crabs at this price wouldn't have happened if unemployment was still payin' my bills. Now Buppy and I just have to decide if a bushel will be enough or if we'll have to get one and a half. I'm not doing 2 bushels regardless of how many guests we have because I refuse to have leftover crabs to pick. Nu-uh. Not this girl.

On a totally unrelated subject: we had the strangest visitors stop by our office on Thursday evening (5:15pm). They said they were there for a tasting with the woman I work closely with. Uh . . . she doesn't do tastings and she already left for the day. Our social caterings sales manager is pretty much the only person to do them because really, only weddings get tastings. Anyway, come to find out they drove up from Annapolis in rush hour traffic to taste . . . . . wait for it . . . . . . . box lunches. Yup. They honestly thought they were going to taste a turkey club sammy and a chicken salad sammy. What's wrong with people these days?!?!!

Tonight is my last night home alone. Buppy's been gone to NY all week with the kids; they left last Saturday around 10am to head up to spend time with his family. From what I can tell, they've all been having a great time. Anyway, they'll be home tomorrow afternoon/evening, then the kids go to their mom's house for the week on Sunday morning. Super, 'cause that means I then have Buppy to help me with our long list of party prep tasks. Whew.

Well, happy 4th of July weekend to all. Mine will be busy, but I'm positive I'll make some time to relax outside by the pool and soak up some sun. Oh, and I'll make time to grill some brats too, because really, it can't be the 4th without 'em. Have fun and stay safe everyone!

Coupon Ninja 6/26 (Making $$ Again!)

2011-06-27T08:45:00.000-04:00

The Coupon Ninja (read: me) had a pretty good shopping day on Sunday. I'm still waiting to fill a few rain checks from last week and the week prior, but no one was out of what I wanted today. Hurray! I scored these 2 items at CVS. The Zyrtec alone sells for $6.99 (for the 5 count, I know, it's outrageous), and the tampons for $6.99 as well. Me? I paid $6.78 out-of-pocket total (with my Dove DISCOVER card!) and received 2 coupons for future purchases, 1 for $6 for the Zyrtec and 1 for $6.79 for the tampons. Do the math, and I made $6.01 on this sale. Score 1.

These goodies came from Rite Aid. The tea was 100% free because I had a coupon, as was 1 of the toothpastes because I had a rain check from last week. I paid $5.50 out-of-pocket total for these items, and between +UP rewards and a Single Check Rebate for the hairspray, I will eventually get back a total of $11.37. Once again, that math means I made $5.87 on this sale. Score 2.

Lastly, I hit up Walgreens.The Chex Mix was 100% free because I had a coupon from the manufacturer for a free bag, any size. I decided their new flavor, Italian Herb and Parmesan, looked like a good one. My parents and were talking about my stomach issues earlier in the day, and what do you know? The Ultimate Flora (a probiotic supplement) was on sale for $20 with a $20 mail-in rebate offer. I paid $22.65 total out-of-pocket for these items (when the Ultimate Flora usually sells for $24.99 alone), received back a $2 Register Reward coupon good for a future purchase, and I already have the $20 mail-in rebate sealed and ready to go. The $22+ out-of-pocket total seemed high (compared to my normal out-of-pocket amounts), but in the end it'll work out fine and hopefully I'll have found a new product to help my unruly tum-tum. Score 3.

In the end, I spent $34.93 today and will eventually wind up with coupons/rebates totaling $46.16. Anytime I eventually make $$ while shopping is good day, right? For sure. Anyone else have any stellar deals this week? Good luck!

Employee Luncheon

2011-06-26T17:30:00.001-04:00

Hmmmm. A person never knows what to think when they first hear the term 'employee luncheon' at a new job. Apparently my hotel used to have them monthly, but they've been few and far between so far this year. I think we're blaming the economy and busy schedules. Anyway, while I wasn't sure what to think leading up to it, it turned out to be a welcome break in Friday's work day.

There were 5 game stations and we played as teams. My team came in 2nd, and if I'd nailed my challenge, which was stacking chapsticks with chopsticks, we'd have won. I was definitely leading the pack (thanks to my love for sushi) until someone next to me (on a different team but at the same table) bumped our table and I lost one in my stack. Oh well. All I can say is: it's a lot harder than it looks, and it looks hard!

There were a wide variety of prizes to choose from, and the majority of the winning team chose the booze. Two of the vodkas were types I'd never tried, but I can't say I walked away empty-handed, or even with a lesser prize. Once all of team 1 had chosen their prizes, my team was called up to the table to see what we wanted. There was an over night stay at a local hotel, tickets to the zoo, tickets to a local dinner theater (definitely decent prizes!) and several restaurant gift certificates. As I was reaching for a $25 one, I glanced over to see a $50 envelope for the same restaurant. Which do you think I scored? Yup, I now have a $50 gift certificate for Basta Pasta, which is located right at the intersection next to the hotel. I figure it'll be nice for a night when Buppy can shoot up from work and we can check it out. I've browsed their online menu, and it looks very appetizing. Chicken Oscar, chicken piccata, spaghetti carbonara --- I think I'll have one of each, thank you!

The lunch itself was a nice change of pace, too. The hotel actually provides us with lunch every day; I don't have to pack anything for myself if I don't want to. Talk about a huge money saver if a person isn't really health conscious! However, you never know when they'll serve something loaded with fat, calories and/or salt, among other things. I've had decent and I've had not so good. The day after Easter I was ambushed by what I thought was beef but turned out to be lamb. Who would ever think work would provide you with lamb as part of your free meal? Not I. My dad would have been in Heaven, but for the girl who doesn't like lamb, it was a rough shock. Anyway, our meal on Friday consisted of a mixed green salad, crab cakes, fried chicken, steamed broccoli, mac 'n cheese, a fresh fruit display, beverages and brownies. Yes, the crab cake/fried chicken combo is strange in my mind too, but I'm told it's a Baltimore thing. I guess I could see that since, depending on what part of town a person is in, you see a crazy amount of restaurants advertising 'chicken and fish' or 'chicken and trout'. I find it odd, but so be it.

Oh yeah, they also gave out 3 prizes for 'employee of the month' for April, May and June at our luncheon. I've only been there 2 months, so I obviously wasn't expecting anything, but it was nice to see the reward for winning, which is added incentive to do one's job even better --- $100 cash. For doing my job. Yes please! Here's a big thank you to work for a nice lunch, fun games, useful prizes and a little time away from my desk!

Onions Anyone?

2011-06-25T09:45:00.002-04:00

My dad and I were having a conversation the other day about onions and how none we find nowadays are mild. Whenever we discuss produce, I always have to mention the produce market I visit here weekly and how outstanding their prices are. I realize that onions aren't something that are going to break the bank, but I had to snap these pics for my dad when I was at the market a few weeks back. Hmmm, do I buy the "cheap" onions or the "expensive" ones? Oh decisions, decisions.

Razors, Hair Products & Gum

2011-06-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a decent shopping day, but I definitely had to pick up a few rain checks for things CVS and Rite Aid were out of. Seems to be the case a lot lately, and nothing is coming in in a reasonable amount of time. Hmmm. Oh well. No sense getting worked up over steals and deals, is there? No, I thought not.

Below are the few things I picked up last night. I got 2 Schick razors (with 2 blades each, which I appreciate), a can of Suave hair spray, a bottle of LA Looks hair gel and 3 packages of Stride gum.

Funny story about the hair products ---- I used to use higher-end salon products. Not super expensive, but $15-for-a-bottle-of-gel expensive. That is, until my college roomy and her sisters (with hair like mine, quite wavy/curly/unruly at times) told me the cheap stuff works better. I wasn't a believer, but decided to give it a try anyway. What did I have to lose? Truth be told, they were right. I have no idea why and couldn't explain it for the life of me, but it's true. So hello to the Suave and LA Looks!

Anyway, I digress. I paid $4.12 for everything below out of pocket, which isn't too shabby considering the razors were supposed to be $9.99 each. I also received $3 back in coupons to use towards future purchases, so all-in-all, I did alright. And I was even a good girl and came home for dinner instead of picking up Dominos pizza (2-for-Tuesdays) or Chick-fil-A (which also definitely crossed my mind).

DISCOVER

2011-06-21T08:05:00.001-04:00

To be honest, I don't really remember signing up for this one. I mean, I kinda vaguely remember the mention of Spa Cash, but I guess I wasn't really paying too much attention that day. Regardless, my day brightened when I opened my mail yesterday afternoon and found a $15 DISCOVER gift card. Yes, I received $15 for doing absolutely nothing, and I can spend it anywhere DISCOVER is accepted. Dove, you rock my socks!

Menu Plan Monday - June 20, 2011

2011-06-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

There've been a few weeks in a row now where my menu planning and/or menu plan following have been out of whack. Ah, c'est la vie. Here's to trying again this week. Buppy swapped his overnight shift from the usual Thursday to Tuesday, and he and the kids leave for NY for a week of vacation on Saturday afternoon. That means I technically have 3 'alone' nights, which makes for a pretty easy plan.

Monday: Boca burgers, baked beans and corn on the cobb

Tuesday: 'Alone' night for me, and I'll grill a leftover pork chop from the large pork loin we cut up and marinated for Sunday night's dinner. Probably have some left over stuffing with it.

Wednesday: Asparagus and pasta (a recipe I found in the May 2011 Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine)

Thursday: BBQ pork on buns and Southwestern onion rings

Friday: Tacos and refried beans

Saturday: Another 'alone' night, so we'll play this and the next 7 days by ear

Sunday: By this time, hopefully I'll have a few meals planned for lonely me that won't create a boatload of leftovers (since I'm not great at eating leftovers)

A few groceries are needed for this week, but not a lot, which is nice. Hopefully asparagus won't be completely outrageous at whatever store I hit to pick it up. Now to go see what everyone else is munching for the week. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:10:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to the best Papa ever. While we aren't even in the same state, at least I was able to talk to him on the phone. Sounds like he's have a wonderful day with my mom, and I couldn't be happier for them. Love you!

A Visitor!

2011-06-18T18:45:00.004-04:00

Guess who's coming to visit tonight? My sissy! She flew into Connecticut last night to pick up the new car she bought and is driving down as I type this. We'll do dinner out somewhere (depending on what she's in the mood for), come back here and veg out, then she'll drive back to Ohio tomorrow. Since I rarely see my family, this will be an awesome (albeit quick) visit. Yay!

Making $$ While Shopping

2011-06-17T17:00:00.001-04:00

Remember a few posts back when I mentioned how I made out like a bandit last week when shopping? Well, here's the pic. For everything seen below, I paid $11.12 out of pocket. As you can see, I got 2 bottles of Veet, a large Crest mouthwash, 2 Gillette body washes, 2 Gillette deodorants, a SoBe beverage, a Gillette razor and a bottle of Blink eye drops. It's a stellar deal at that, but then . . . guess what I got back to spend on future purchases? Try $21.50 in coupons! I made $10 on this trip! Um, pretty sure this is one of my best catches so far. Love it!

A Little Thank You

2011-06-16T19:25:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I received a nice thank you gift from one of my clients. It was her first meeting at the hotel, and only a small one at that (10 people). The client said she appreciated my attention to detail throughout the planning process as well as the friendliness of the hotel staff. Turns out it's a package of 150 note sheets with my initial on them and cute little decorative tray to place them in. Little gestures like this are so thougthful!

Fundraiser & Tubing Saturday

2011-06-11T21:10:00.005-04:00

I’m pretty sure we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to go tubing, so here’s a big shout out to Mo’ Nature for that. Around 5:20pm or so (on our way home), we passed a display saying it was 89F. It probably hit 92F or so during the day today, and we lounged on the river from 1:30pm ‘til 3:30pm or so. It was a beautiful ride down stream, the water was moving at a decent pace in most areas and there was a pleasant mix of sunshine and shade. Met some cool tubers, observed a slew of lost flip-flops and didn’t flip our tubes once! We’ll definitely be tubing in that area again, but we’re going to check into purchasing our own tubes since we now know where to drop in and where to leave a vehicle down stream.

Prior to heading to Monkton, we headed over to our local Elks Lodge to visit a good friend of ours and support the scholarship fund she created after losing her daughter in a car accident several years ago. I got a pit beef sammy (medium-rare, of course) and loaded that puppy up with horseradish and raw onion and devoured it. The beef was extremely tender, which was really appreciated because a lot pit beef is tough, and when a person tries to take a bite, all the meat pulls out of the bun. Not with the one this morning though! Buppy had a pit ham sammy with BBQ sauce; woulda been a good sandwich without that darn sauce --- the ham was tender and moist. We split an order of fries which were cooked perfectly (although they needed a lot salt) and lunch was just dandy. Well, more of a brunch I guess, ‘cause it was only 10:30am or so. Eh, whatevs.

While at the flea market, we scored a $3 glass chip/dip tray (in perfect condition) and a $2 Boyd’s Bear firefighter figurine for Buppy. Sweet!

Now I'm relaxing and making a to-do list for tomorrow. Buppy’s going on a ride with his H&H chapter over to the Howard Co. fairgrounds, so I’ll stay here and do some cleaning, menu planning, possibly run to CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid, give myself a pedi and . . . well, I’m sure I’ll find plenty to keep me occupied. I'll most likely hit up the mall for some new work clothes, and spend my long-lost recently-found $30 VS gift card on some new perfume, too. Hope everyone’s having a good weekend! Oh yeah, I scored some wicked-crazy deals yesterday that I’ll post about soon. I actually made approximately $10 or so making the rounds. Woot!

Planning for Good Times

2011-06-08T16:40:00.001-04:00

Whew. Where does the time go? I’ve been asking myself that for the past few weeks now, maybe because it’s gotten nicer outside and I’m spending more time laying out on the deck with a book or magazine. Or maybe because I’ve taken on more projects at work. Or maybe because I have a great (for the most part) group of coworkers who I actually want to do things with nowadays. Thursday happy hours are becoming a ritual!

Speaking of things to do with coworkers, I got it in my head last week that I want to plan a tubing trip. Sounded simple in the beginning, but it’s more work than I thought! Working with multiple schedules (between my coworkers and Buppy’s), the distance for everyone to drive, fees, after-party destination, alcohol in the tubes (which most places don’t allow in MD) . . . it’s a lot to coordinate. Oh yeah, let’s not leave out trying to work with Mother Nature, too. One of our friends volunteered his apartment as our party spot because he lives right by a river, but it’s been so dry here, the water level is too low to tube in that area. Bummer. I have a back up in mind though, which is the place I was originally shooting for. My only concern now: my coworker’s husband said the Gunpowder River (where we’d be going) is ‘snakey’. Not ‘snakey’ as in ‘windy’, but ‘snakey’ as in ‘lots of snakes’. I hope he was kidding. Or lying. Or just has no clue what he’s talking about. Well, whatever the case, I’m going to find out this weekend. Several of us are planning to head there, although this trial run might ultimately end up just being Buppy and I. I want to see if it’s a fun spot so we can plan a trip where the majority of us can make it in July or August. The river is running low and slow and float time is at it’s max, so I’m sure we’ll have fun regardless of how many or few of us there are.

On that note, I can’t believe it’s already almost the 2^nd weekend in June. Our annual Slip ‘n Slide / Crab Feast is less than a month away, and we really need to make the FB invite and get it out. Last year I saved money from every paycheck to use for the party, but that didn’t work from Jan. through mid-April this year since I was unemployed. Lucky for me, my current paychecks allow me to put away plenty, so I’ll still have at least as much as I had last year. Not to say that I hope we spend it all because we’re hoping to get a better deal on the crabs, but since we’re expecting more people, we might have to get an extra half bushel. I’m almost giddy with excitement that I get to plan a menu of mostly appetizers; should I be a snob and call them hors d’oeuvres? Ha --- only at work! We’ve decided to go with the tried and true grilled burgers / hot dogs / sausages for the main stuff; the fajitas last year just weren’t a hit. Oh yeah, if anyone out there has a stellar app recipe that holds up well in the heat, shoot it my way and I’ll happily give it a try. I’m psyched!

Menu Plan Monday - May 23, 2011

2011-05-22T18:00:00.003-04:00

Time to menu plan again. This past week went pretty well menu-wise --- always a good thing.

Monday: Oven-fried whiting fillets and pierogies

Tuesday: Baked garlic Parmesan chicken and Suddenly Salad

Wednesday: Reubens and potato chips

Thursday: My night alone, so, as usual, breakfast for dinner or leftovers. Or toast. I've been having toast for dinner lately on Thursdays. Good stuff, and just the right amount of food.

Friday: Sloppy Joes and potato salad

Saturday: BLTs and easy Waldorf and raisin salad

Sunday: Leftovers, or we might pull something from the freezer to grill. Since it's Memorial Day weekend and I'm still not sure what we're doing, I'll leave this open.

Sounds like a tasty week, doesn't it?

Winding Down on Tuesday

2011-05-17T21:45:00.000-04:00

A quick bit about work here this evening. Finding employment under my old supervisor has been stellar thus far. The fact that they pay me quite well (for my industry --- I'm not making millions here folks) is huge. A new perk: a bonus structure has just gone into place. My commute is beautiful, although I'll most likely call it treacherous once winter hits. I pretty much love going to work.

Today my supervisor asked me how I'm liking things, and I told her exactly how I feel. She found me minutes later (on our way out the door) to tell me that the owner of the property recently called me "a breath of fresh air", and the general manager said they "upgraded" when hiring me, which says a lot because everyone loved the girl whose spot I took. I don't think there is a sincerer compliment, and I beamed as I pulled out of the parking lot.

Enough of the gloating. Onto more important matters, like what to do for Memorial Day weekend. I think, although I'm not positive, I have Monday, 5/30, off for the 3-day weekend. No kids that weekend (praise the Lord), so both Ocean City and Atlantic City have been thrown on the table. Gambling? Beaches? Six Flags (oooooh, already thinking that will be swamped)! Going to see my sister in OH? Hmmm, come to think of it, I wonder what she's doing . . . that has potential, although gas is outrageous. We could even hit up NYC, and possibly do lunch with my bestie bride-to-be Rhi-Rhi in CT. Oh pooh, now I've given myself so many options I have no idea how to make a decision. I need a coin with more sides! Or, as Buppy so kindly pointed out, a dice. What to do . . .?

Heathe Trim Update: The End of Week 3

2011-05-17T08:00:00.006-04:00

Quick update on the Healthe Trim front. As of Sunday, 5/15, I've lost exactly 10 pounds (to the tenth of the pound even). I exercise daily (or at least 5 times a week), eat pretty much what I want, get full quickly and . . . here we are. It's odd, because the first week I lost 4.6 lbs. Then, by mid-2nd-week, I'd gained back 2 lbs. By the end of the 2nd week, I'd lost only 1 lb. overall. Then, at the end of the 3rd week (this past Sunday), I was down 10. Pretty happy about how that all worked out --- 10 lbs. in 3 weeks. Here's to keeping this pace!

Menu Plan Monday - May 16, 2011

2011-05-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

I menu planned last weekend, but I didn't post anything. Too busy with work and all these days. But here we are, and I have a few free minutes. Funny though, even without posting it, I did a really great job sticking with the plans I'd made. As shown in previous posts these past few days, we were rewarded with some new tastes we really enjoyed. Buppy and I just discussed some tasty meals for this week, and here's what we've come up with.

Monday: Baked potatoes with assorted fillings and eggs (New recipe that sounds and looks great, and I always love the stuff I make from her blog)

Tuesday: Pork roast in the slow cooker with sauerkraut, onion and garlic (possibly served on rolls), and potato salad

Wednesday: Garden salad with assorted fresh veggies, marinated grilled steak and blue cheese crumbles

Thursday: My night alone, so breakfast for dinner or a sammy

Friday: Baked garlic Parmesan chicken and oven-roasted veggies

Saturday Lunch: Sammies or leftovers
Saturday Dinner: Smoky corn and black bean pizza

Sunday Lunch: Sammies or leftovers
Sunday Dinner: Rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and stuffing

Sounds tasty, right? I don't see much deviation from this plan since I'm really looking forward to everything we're doing. I just have to make sure to thaw the appropriate meat as needed. Yum!

Steals & Deals 5-15-11

2011-05-15T20:30:00.005-04:00

Today was a decent day for sales. I found some Sensodyne toothpaste (the only kind Buppy can use) for $4.49 each, and Rite Aid had a video coupon for $1.50 off, so I made out at $2.99 per tube. That stuff ain't cheap! I also found Crest toothpaste on sale, $2.99 each with a $2 UP reward each at Rite Aid (limit 2), plus I had a $1/2 coupon. Not bad. The kids toothpaste was on sale at Walgreens for $1.99 per tube, and I had a $1 off coupon, so that was only $.99.

The Irish Spring 2-pack of bar soap was $.88, and the Dial 3-pack (hard to see underneath it) was $1.88 with a $1 EBC at CVS. Yay for cheap soap! The Pantene shampoo & conditioner was on sale 2/$7; I had a $3/2 off coupon, and I got a $1 RR reward at Walgreens. Pantene used to smell like gummi bears, which was why I loved it. Now? Not so much. Still gets the job done though. As for the Herbal Essence hairspray and gel (both of which I needed ASAP) --- they were on sale 2/$5.97, I had $1 off coupon and I received $2 EBC at CVS.

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor was $9.89. I had a $4 off coupon and received $5 in RR from Walgreens. Sweet! The Dove+Men Care was $3.99; I had $1 off coupon and received $3 in RR from Walgreens. Love that.

The Tylenol Precise heated wraps for back/body pain were on sale last week at Rite Aid, and I had a raincheck for the 3 pack for $5. I also had a $5 off coupon, so that was zippo out of my pocket today. How can you go wrong?

Lastly, I purchased 2 Neutrogena sunblocks for $10.49 each. I used 2 $2/1 coupons, plus the $3 off a $10 healthcare purchase at CVS, bringing that down to $13.98. Paid that and got back a $10 EBC. Sunblock is never cheap, and Neutrogena is nice and light. I'm very happy with this score.

Not pictured, we found 24 packs of Mt. Dew on sales for $4.49 each at Safeway for Buppy. I'm not a soda drinker, but Buppy loves his Mt. Dew., so we headed there today to pick some up. Also got some juicy, sweet white corn for dinner, 4/$1. Can't beat that. We tried to pick up some more chicken (I picked some up yesterday) for $1.49/lb. (boneless, skinless breasts), but they were completely out. They had a totally full bin yesterday, but the store was swamped today at 5pm. Who knew today was 'everyone and their grandmother goes to Safeway at 5pm Sunday'??

So there we have it. Hopefully some of you scored these deals, too!

Chicken with Lemon-Onion Pasta

2011-05-14T16:30:00.003-04:00

I recently snagged a copy of Cooking Light magazine from the library with the intention of reading it on my lunch break at work. Truth be told, I generally work through my lunch (my anal retentiveness and all with trying to catch up on old projects), but I managed to skim it here at home.

There are several great-looking recipes I want to try, and I already have almost all the ingredients on hand. Bonus! This is one we had for dinner earlier this week, and we both really enjoyed how light it was.

Chicken with Lemon-Onion Pasta
Adapted from Cooking Light, Oct. 2010, p. 96

2 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. (+/-) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 1/2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
1/4 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 water
1 chicken bouillon cube (I prefer soup base, but this was all I had on hand)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (I used bottled with great results)
Hot cooked pasta (I like angel hair)

Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt & fat. Drain and keep warm.

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap or in a large, sturdy ziplock bag. Pound flat with a heavy skillet or meat mallet.

Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess.

Heat 1Tbsp. butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 (+/-) minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and a light sprinkle of salt; saute 4 minutes. Add water, bouillon cube and lemon juice; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the pasta to the onion mixture; toss well to combine. Serve chicken over the pasta mixture.

Ok, so I definitely deviated from the original recipe. It called for leeks instead of onions, but I forgot to pick some up at the produce market and refused to pay $2.99 for 2-3 of them at the regular grocery store. Besides, anything from the garlic/onion family makes me happy, so I subbed the onion in with no problem. Also, I was lazy and didn't pound out the chicken breasts. I deeply regretted this early on when I realized that I'd have to add water to the chicken pan and cover to steam the breasts because they just weren't going to cook through without burning the outside. A nice crust formed on the outside, but I lost that when I added the water. It would have been even crazier-tasty with the crust still intact, so I don't recommend skipping the pound-out stage. Also, the original called for 4 breasts, 6 ounces each. I used 2 very large breasts, which could have easily been enough for 4 people had I pounded them out. Actually, I ate about half of the breast I'd made for myself and Buppy had the rest of mine for lunch with the leftover pasta the next day.

This recipe was pretty simple to make, and I loved how 'Spring-y' it tasted. Light and fresh from the lemon juice, and the sauce was barely there. Enough to lend flavor to the pasta, which we both thought would be bland, but it wasn't a heavy sauce that weighed me down after I was done. Next time, I think I might add some artichoke hearts when I start sauteing the onions. How delicious does that sound? Enjoy!

Sorry about the picture quality. I have my new fancy-schmancy camera but have yet to figure out exactly what type of lighting I need for the best quality shots. I'm working on it though!

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy

2011-05-11T18:20:00.004-04:00

Man, it seems like forever since I posted a new recipe. Well, here's a beefy-mushroomy-noodley dish of goodness that both Buppy and I think is a keeper. I found it on myrecipes.com, and it's originally from Cooking Light. Even better.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy
Slightly adapted from myrecipes.com

2 c. uncooked egg noodles
Cooking spray
1 lb. rib steak tips, cut into 3/4" pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lg. onion slice, diced
10 large white button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. beef soup base (Orrington Farms is my fav, but bouillon will do)
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Blue cheese crumbles, optional garnish

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak, season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Melt butter (in the pan used for the meat) over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; saute 8-10 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture ; cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until a paste forms and no white from the flour is visible. Add beef soup base, then water gradually and stir constantly. Add pepper, thyme and salt (if necessary, but be sure to taste to check). Bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Return the beef to the pan; cook 3-5 more minutes to cook beef a bit more and heat through the center. Serve beef mixture over noodles and top with blue cheese crumbles.

Buppy and I were pleasantly surprised by this dish on Monday night. We went for a nice walk around our neighborhood, then I got busy with dinner and Buppy ~~took a nap~~ watched some TV. With his eyes closed. Anyway, he offered to help, but cooking puts me in a relaxed zone, so I declined his offer.

When I tasted the sauce as I was adding the meat back to the pan, I was amazed at how much flavor it had with such little effort and seasoning. Other than the beef soup base, the only real seasoning was thyme, which I generally find overwhelming and unwelcome. Truth be told, I don't care for a lot of spices, but that's a whole other blog topic. Back to dinner . . . I don't generally eat egg noodles either, or noodles of any sort. I'm a mashed potato kinda gal, but I figured, why not? Turns out the beef/mushroom mixture and the noodles combined very nicely, and the sauce wasn't too thin or thick for the noodles, which had originally worried me. The beef was cooked perfectly too, which always makes my day. When Buppy ~~woke up and~~ tasted the sauce, we both knew I'd be making this again. Enjoy!

*This post is linked to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday for 5/19/11.

Grocery Shopping

2011-05-05T21:20:00.000-04:00

Those readers who keep track of exactly what is spent on groceries each month will appreciate this quick post more than those who don't. With that being said --- what the heck!?!? Sometimes grocery spending just gets away from me in a way I can't comprehend. We were doing so well for the month of April, all the way up until the 29th or 30th. I did the math; we were actually $20+ under "budget" and all was right.

The I got a ~~stink~~ bug up my patootie and decided I couldn't live without a trip to the produce market. I've sung their praise enough on here, so I'm sure you're familiar. Fresh produce, cheap prices, other crazy ingredients (that aren't labeled in English so I have no clue what they actually are) . . . good stuff.

Trip there would have been fine, in and of itself. But noooooooo. I had to run to Alid too, because, well, I was so close and it's like a 15 minute drive from my house and well, since I was already in the neighborhood, why not?

Because that gets my tush $50+/- over "budget", that's why. It's not like we don't have the money, but I have no clue how month to month can vary so much, especially with a freezer full 'o meat! I mean really people?! I spent about $45 more than April 2010, and about $50 more than March of this year! Sometimes I just shake my head at my ridiculousness, 'cause that's all I can do.

May will be better. I demand it of myself (and Buppy)! There's no reason to spend as much as I we did. Ah well, on the plus side, I still have a stocked pantry and freezer to work from. Wish me luck peeps!

One last note here: how can I be so darn good at getting stuff for free (or at least super cheap-o) at CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid and still overspend on groceries? Who knows. But happy Friday tomorrow!

HT Update - Week 1

2011-05-01T10:30:00.001-04:00

Quick update here on the healthe trim front. I biked on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday this past week for 45 minutes to an hour each time. Took the healthe trim as directed, and it's true --- it makes a person feel full much faster than normal. Now I'm adjusting and trying to get used to taking less food in the first place and packing smaller lunches. I still eat the same foods I always have, just less of them, and I drink the same insane amount of water I always have. Easy-peasy.

I lost 4.6 pounds between Sunday morning last week and this morning. If I can keep this pace, or even lose 3 lbs. a week, my summer body is going to make me happy.

On to week 2 now. It's not hard, but wish me luck anyway!

The Coupon Ninja Struck Today

2011-04-30T17:10:00.001-04:00

I had to go out for several reasons today. First, I had a coupon for a free spray tan that expired today. Second, I had several other coupons that expired today as well as several things to pick up that were on sale through today only.

First, the spray tan. My first time. I called ahead (so I wouldn't look like a complete schmo when I got there) to find out if this place was nude or bikini-necessary. It's a nudie since a booth sprayed me, not a person. Pretty easy, although I think I should have gone for the medium instead of the light, being as how I've already got some decent color from laying out for the past few weekends. Oh well, it added a little glow. And seriously --- what should have cost me $30 was free, so I'm not complaining, even it I didn't get quite as much color as I wanted!

From there, I crossed the parking lot and headed over to Walmart. I pretty much despise our Wally-World because it's always swamped, but I parked far away, took my time picking up a few things and walked out happy. They had Nivea body wash (men's and women's) for $3. I had 2 coupons for $3 off (one of each) --- you do the math. I also had a coupon for a free Glade Spring Collection item (candle, spray, oil, etc.), so I picked up a lime scented candle. Shopping trip at Walmart cost me 51 cents, which was tax only on the 3 items I purchased.

Out of the parking lot and across the street, I hit up CVS. I was there 2-3 days ago but forgot to look for their Dove men's deodorant on sale. I picked up 2 of them (orignally $4.99 each) for 99 cents each, and lucky me, I had 2 $1/1 coupons that Dove was kind enough to send me with my trial-sized items. I also found a 2-pack of Bic lighters, which I leave all over the house to light candles. I had a coupon for a free lighter (up to $4.99) and found the 2-pack for $3.99. CVS total: 30 cents, which again was tax alone.

The total for these items was 81 cents. All items were totally free, I just paid the tax. Woot!

The picture below is from a few weeks ago. Between sales, manufacturers' coupons and store coupons, I paid 7 cents for 3 boxes of stuffing and a Gold Bond body wash (that smells very refreshing!). Can't beat that!

Is It Possible . . . ?

2011-04-28T21:00:00.002-04:00

That I don't hate my job? It's feels strange to enjoy my new job as much as I do. Without a doubt, there are stuggles in the hotel, but as long as I do my job well, the blame never falls back on me. While I'd prefer there be no blame at all (if all events went as they should), it's nice to know that I won't be the scapegoat for someone else who didn't feel like doing their job that day. I actually wake up every morning wanting to go to work, and that's a feeling I haven't had since I bartended in college.

Speaking of work --- the biggest accomplishment for me after only 2.5 weeks of time there? I've already snagged 6 accounts away from my 'supervisor' that are now all mine, start to finish. Can we talk about how happy I am that her paws will be nowhere near these darlings?!

Tomorrow is Friday, and I think I'm slightly over where I should be time-wise (can't have overtime!), so I think I have to leave a little early tomorrow. Awww, poor me, having to leave early on a beautiful Friday afternoon! Please, pity me.

I plan to go tanning this weekend, which I haven't done in eons. It'll be my first experience with spray tanning (tanning beds are bad for me but I used to love them!), and I'm excited that it's free. Thanks to one of the blogs I read, I found out one of the tanning salons (a nation-wide chain) in my town is offering a $25 tanning session free to anyone who has never used (or hasn't used within the past 12 months at least) their services. Yes please! Plus, it should be perfect weather to lay out on the deck, too. Bring on that deep bronze-y glow!

Buppy has to work Saturday morning and early afternoon, and I'm hoping (provided I get my butt in gear and try to make an appointment tomorrow) I can get my hair bleached that day. No doubt I'll be too late in calling, but maybe I'll luck out and they'll have a cancellation. I can't wait to see blonde again!

Other than that, not much else planned for the weekend. We're going on a leisurely ride on the back roads on Sunday with some friends (most likely), and if all else fails, we'll head to Frederick to walk along their precious little creek and shop their new olive oil and vinegar store. Good thing it wasn't there when I lived there; I'd have spent a small forture on their wild mushroom and sage olive oil. I might even splurge and head to my old place of employment for a bowl of their divine lobster chowder. Honestly: out of this world. Ah, how I miss Frederick sometimes.

I'll do some laundry, clean a little, menu plan and most likely make some good eats this weekend. I also have to do a little homework and try to map out in my head (or on paper, if I'm that ambitious) some tricks to getting organized at work. My predecessor worked in panic mode all the time, which is completely not my style. I'm organized from start to finish, so I need to come up with a new filing system for some of our frequently-used forms, as well as an easier way to assemble the weekly packs of info I distribute. Ah, I love being able to do things my way.

2011-04-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

Sunday marked the beginning of my venture with healthe trim. I've been biking like a mad woman since January and although I've lost some weight, I'm not where I want to be. It surprises me, but hopefully the biking and the addition of the pills helps shed a few pounds. Buppy's thinking about trying it too, but it'll be much harder for him. I already drink an insane amount of water, which is required, and he thinks water is the nectar of the devil. How that can be is beyond me, but so be it. He thought he could just continue to drink Propel, but it specifically states that beverages like that will negate the effects due to the artificial sweetener. I don't drink much other than water, so this shouldn't be hard. I think the hardest part for me is going to be making sure I eat something 2-3 hours after taking the first capsule in the morning. With an uber busy job, that's going to be easier said than done.

I weighed in today and am going to try to only weigh in once a week, but since the scale always calls my name before I hop in the shower every morning, I can't guarantee this'll work.

Maybe I can have that polka-dot bikini body for at least part of the summer! Well, technically I don't like polka-dots, but you get the idea . . .

Menu Plan Monday - April 25, 2011

2011-04-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Time for a menu plan again. With me returning to work, it's imperative I plan so I can thaw appropriate ingredients. Truth be told, I usually suck at that part, and that's when we get in trouble and turn to convenience. Knowing that, I already have everything thawing in the fridge that I'll need to cover us through Saturday night. Since we're doing a cookout for friends after our ride on Sunday, the only thing I'll need to thaw later this week is hamburger. Praise the Lord, we're going to get rid of some hamburger!

Monday: Spaghetti carbonara and a garden salad

Tuesday: Leftovers from Sunday night's meal (rotisserie ribeye roast, loaded mashed potatoes and carrot coins)

Wednesday: Baked pork ribs, which we'll grill at the end to form a nice crust, and homemade coleslaw

Thursday: My night alone, so leftovers, a sammy or breakfast for dinner

Friday: Grilled pork loin chops (marinated in something we have in the fridge already) and stuffing

Saturday Lunch: A sammy most likely, and some type of fresh fruit/veggie. Buppy has to go to work from 8am-2pm or so, so I'm on my own.
Saturday Dinner: Domino's pizza, since I have 2 more Groupon coupons that are already paid for that I have to use by 5/19.

Sunday Lunch: Sammies and fresh fruit/veggies
Sunday Dinner: A cookout with friends, so there'll be burgers, probably BBQ chicken and assorted salads/sides. Yum.

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-24T14:30:00.003-04:00

It's an absolutely beautiful day here, and we are all healthy, happy and thankful. Happy Easter everyone!

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.
-Robert Flatt

Thursday in a Nutshell

2011-04-21T20:30:00.002-04:00

Thank goodness today is Thursday, because if it weren't, I'd seriously have just given up on my week a few hours ago.

Work was decent. Very busy, but I enjoy that as the day seems to fly by. What I don't love is cleaning up after my immediate supervisor. I was actually told today that I'd need a bigger shovel to clean up after her than previously thought. Super. Oh well, I love the detail involved in what I do, so I'm sticking with it for now.

I got home and was ready to order pizza for dinner since I just snagged 3 Groupon coupons for a large Domino's pizza for $8. Couldn't find the right link or how to order, so I called the local Domino's to ask if they could help me (since it's their promo and all). Guy on the phone was a jerk, and when I asked to speak with a manager, he was it. I hung up on him after he told me he had no clue how to utilize my coupon. Oh yeah, the Groupon customer service office was closed too. Did I mention that? Whatevs. I had a turkey bacon, cheese and lettuce wrap for dinner. Healthier and cheaper, so I guess it all works out, right? Something like that.....

Then, once I've accepted that my Thursday is completely blase, I unload the dishwasher and what do I find? My Henckels paring knife in the silverware tray. Turns out that while Buppy's dad and mother-in-law were here the past few days, one of them tried to be helpful and load the dishwasher. Highly irritated. I just have to keep repeating, "They were trying to be helpful, they were trying to be helpful......"

At least my new Capital One card arrived. While leaving work last week, I returned a phone call from their office. Apparently someone in the UAE decided to go shopping on me, but luckily their fraud dept. caught the charges and called. No real harm done unless this eventually goes on my credit report. Guess I'll deal with that if it happens.

So there we have it. I sound insanely pessimistic today, but in reality, I'm sure tomorrow and Easter weekend will be better. I need to figure out what meal to make for Easter (so I can thaw whatever meat I need), and I need to make an appointment to have my hair dyed --- my reward for finding a good job.

Wooooooozza.

A Tentative Change of Heart (At Least a Little)

2011-04-20T21:50:00.001-04:00

Maybe I did find my niche, more so than I thought at the beginning anyway. *knock on wood* While I don't agree with the way half the things are done around my office, I'm luckily in the best position to change them. My trainer's last day was yesterday, and today went much smoother. I think a lot of times when a person is training and getting ready for their new job at the same time, too much garbage gets crammed in. I can almost find the majority of my desk, my voicemail actually has my message on it, I correctly handled several clients today and everyone in my office is very helpful. On the home front? We were surviving with my unemployment alone for the past few months, but this move provides me with more than my base salary plus commission from my last position. That's a lot that I can hopefully save up! Plus, the drive is shorter --- always a bonus.

What have I again reminded myself of this past week? Not to give up on myself and others so quickly, especially when it puts me in a better position both career and salary-wise. That, and to be thankful for all the opportunities that come my way. Amen.

Making Decisions

2011-04-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

This week, I found a job I anticipated enjoying. Interviewed one day, started the next. Now? I'm not 100% sure I made a great decision by accepting. Without going into major detail, the person I depend on most in my position has been with the company over 35 years and is not changing the way she does things. If things worked as she did them, I'd be all for "no change", too. However, they don't. Day 2 is under my belt and I'm already completely frustrated by the vast majority of those I now call coworkers. Wish me luck.

Chaps Pit Beef

2011-04-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Ah, I can check another one off my Baltimore foodie bucket list. The morning after the bull and oyster roast back in mid-March, Buppy and I decided to head into Bmore to hit up Chaps Pit Beef, which was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network. Guy's sandwich looked jam-packed with meat, which, to me, is like heaven on a bun.

We tried the Jennie Special sub, which consists of pit ham, turkey, sausage and cheese. It was good, but I think I prefer both subs without the sausage. It wasn't as flavorful as I'd hoped and got somewhat lost in the other ingredients. Truth be told, it was in my way. As for the cheese? No real flavor there either, so I'd nix that next time, too. The pit ham and turkey combo? Very moist, meaty and satisfying.

We also ordered Guy's Triple D, which came loaded with pit beef, corned beef and sausage. Like I just said, nix the sausage here folks; it's not needed and doesn't add to the overall taste of the sammy. At first, before digging in, I commented on how crispy the ham had gotten and how the outer browned edges looked perfect. Then Buppy bit into it and realized it wasn't ham but a very ham-colored corned beef. He didn't seem to care for the corned beef as much as I did. I thought it had fantastic flavor; I don't really remember his issue with it.

We split both sandwiches and a small order of fries, too. The fries came in a styrofoam container that they had to jam shut with a fork because they piled in so many. While good fries, I was definitely there more for the ~~meat~~ sandwiches than anything else. We also got 1 large soda for Buppy, and a cup for water for me. Our billed totalled $21.62, and I felt like we received a great value for our $$. The sandwiches were less expensive and seemed much larger than the ones we purchased from Edmart deli. Both delis were excellent and deserve their spot on Food Network, but Buppy and I agree that we'll frequent Chaps Pit Beef more often than Edmart in the future. Interestingly enough, this restaurant sits in the parking lot of a strip club. Didn't see that coming on Food Network!

*Side note: Picture quality is horrible because my camera died early that morning from its prolonged use at the bull roast, so these had to be taken with my phone.

Menu Plan Monday - April 11, 2011

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

For this past week, I'd give us a B- when it comes to following our menu plan. No food went to waste, and we didn't head out to eat instead of any of the meals, so we're all good. This week sounds tasty, although Tuesday might end up being a night out for the charity Buppy and I volunteer with, which is work-related for him. We're not quite sure yet, so I've planned a tentative 'easy' meal where nothing has to thaw and there's little prep required. We'll see how that goes.

Monday: Asian-inspired marinated grilled steaks, healthified crunchy Asian salad and *hopefully* fried rice (I need a good recipe since my last attempt bombed)

Tuesday: Fried eggs and toast

Wednesday: Pork carnitas (that didn't get made last week but sound awesome)

Thursday: My night alone, so a sammy or breakfast for dinner

Friday: Lemon-dill whiting fillets and cucumber-onion salad

Saturday Lunch: Out --- we're going on a ride to benefit a charitable organization Buppy belongs to
Saturday Dinner: Grilled sausage or brats (whatever I end up pulling out of the freezer) and oven-roasted potato wedges

Sunday Lunch: Sammies and fresh fruits and/or veggies
Sunday Dinner: Rotisserie chicken, canned corn and loaded mashed potatoes

Faidley's Crab Cakes

2011-04-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

Wow, neither of us looks happy to be there, do we?

While in Baltimore during my sister's visit, we decided to hit up Faidley’s, a restaurant known for having stellar crab cakes. They were a contender (against Gertrudes) on Michael Symon's Food Feuds; I can't remember who won the battle, and Google is no friend of mine today in my search. Who knew it'd be that hard to find out!? Moving on . . . I thought it'd be fun to pick crabs with my sister, but every time she visits, we always get side tracked doing other things or going to other restaurants. The friend that accompanied her on this visit showed no interest whatsoever in picking crabs (I used to feel the same way, until I realized it's a social experience, not just a meal), so why not try crab cakes instead. We were down on the Inner Harbor, and Lexington Market wasn't too far to walk. Turns out, it was worth it.

The jumbo lump crab cake, which was $12.95.

We tried 2 to compare; the jumbo lump is on the left, the backfin is on the right (we had already started to eat that one, which is why it looks like it does).

The backfin crab cake (partially eaten), which was $8.95.

There was absolutely no contest as to which one was better. While the backfin one was definitely delicious, we could still taste some mayonnaise and filler. As for the jumbo lump . . . just luscious lumps of crab meat, barely held together. Very delicate in both flavor and stick-togetherness.

The 2 crab cakes and a medium soda (plus tax) totalled $24.80, and I'm glad we paid them a visit.

On a side note: Lexington Market is weird. It's like 50 small restaurants all jammed into one closed building, with few places to sit down. It had a funky smell and pretty much every food/ingredient you can imagine. We had a hard time actually finding this particular restaurant, and there were tables to stand at to eat, that's it. We crossed the street after we'd eaten and headed into another building, an extension of Lexington Market if you will. The further in we walked, the more desolate it became and the worse it smelled. Buppy was almost jogging to get out by the time we reached the back door. I'm really not sure what to make of the place, but the crab cakes were good.

Cherry Blossoms & DC

2011-04-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

The blossoms were gorgeous this year, with many more still on the trees than 2 years ago when my sissy and I headed down to DC. Actually, there were almost none on the ground this time around. The weather could have been a bit nicer; possibly less wind and drizzle, but we all still managed a good weekend nonetheless. As an added bonus, my sister sold me her old camera, so I had a new play toy to test out. I love it so far, and I don't even know what half the buttons and dials do yet! Here are a few of my favorites from Friday's venture to DC.

Couldn't go without hittin' up the White House.

The sky got super dark, but the anticipated down pour never materialized. Beautiful with the cherry trees in the foreground, no?

This was one of the few intensely pink trees we came across. Most were much paler pink this year, or even white. We're not sure if this has to do with the maturity of the blossoms or the weather. Or both. Or neither.

Interesting old gnarly trees. Oh if trees could talk . . . I bet this one would have quite the story to tell!

Hands-down the worst drinking water ever. Note to self: when in DC, splurge and buy water.

The Charlie Brown sad-poor-pathetic cherry tree.

Lovely pale cherry blossoms all around the Tidal Basin.

Fun with the zoom and macro mode of my new ~~toy~~ camera!

Personal-Sized Calzones

2011-04-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

Last Monday night's dinner was supposed to be a pizza braid, but that morphed into personal calzones since I was working with sticky dough and wasn't sure I could pull off the cuts and braiding. No worries, mate, it was still a tasty meal, and the best part was being able to personalize the fillings in each one. Tiny Tot #1 wanted cheese only, Tiny Tot #2 wanted pepperoni and cheese, and Buppy and I each had sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, sauteed onions, black and green olives and cheese. Lets just say the kids' calzones were much easier to seal than the adult ones.

The hardest part (if you can call it that) about this recipe is sealing the edges of each calzone. The dough didn't really want to cooperate, but I showed it who's boss, and only a little cheese managed to escape from one of the lesser-filled ones.

I used this pizza crust recipe made in my bread machine (does it get any easier?) to start with. Once it was done, I plopped out the dough, kneaded it a little (with oiled hands because it was sticky), then divided it into 4 equal portions. I rolled each portion out as best I could to look like a little mini pizza, then topped with sauce, each person's requested fillings and cheese. For a calzone, you basically just fill up half the mini pizza with your toppings/cheese, fold the empty half over and do your best to seal the edges. Hence Tiny Tot #2 calling dinner 'pizza folded over'. I did the 2 for the kids first, and while they were baking made mine and Buppy's. I made sure to poke a few holes in the first batch to allow some steam to escape, but that was unneccessary in the bigger ones because I tore the dough a bit. I'm gonna say I did it on purpose so I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of poking the holes. Believe what you want.

The first pan (which had 2 calzones on it) baked for 15 minutes. They were just slightly undercooked when we cut them in half, so we let the larger ones on the 2nd pan bake for 17 minutes; they were perfect.

Give calzones a try sometime. They're a nice twist on the original pizza and could easily be stuffed with whatever you want. Be careful with super wet ingredients though, because if too much water cooks out of something (i.e. raw veggies), your dough will get soggy. I suggest sauteeing fresh veggies before cramming 'em in.

Lastly, to those of you who have asked about finding inexpensive bread machines --- there were 3 at my local Goodwill last time I checked (2 weeks or so ago). Good luck finding one in your area!

*Linked to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday, 4/28/11.

bareMinerals

2011-04-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love winning fun freebies, so here's a shout-out to bareMinerals for pickin' me as one of the recipients for their gift packs. I received:

1 Purifying Facial Cleanser
1 Purely Nourishing Moisturizer
1 Firming Eye Treatment

Thanks bareMinerals!

Steals & Deals 4/4/11

2011-04-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Monday, 4/4/11, was a decent day for steals and deals. After perusing Coupon Pro Blog for the best deal match-ups, I headed out to run errands. Eight stops later, I was back home and exhausted. I have a severe pinched nerve in my back that's really acting up, and the getting in/getting out of the car all those times definitely took it's toll. Luckily, Excedrin and Aleve were 2 of my purchases. Funny --- Excedrin was purchased at my 3rd stop, but it took me until my 7th stop to realize, "Hey smarty, maybe you should take some Excedrin to help stop your back pain." Yeah, real smooth of me. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the items I wanted actually stocked. I picked up a rain check for what wasn't. Here's what I got:

1 roll of Mentos (the fresh maker!)
1 Complete multi-purpose contact solution
1 Crest rinse
2 Oral B Advantage toothbrushes
1 Right Guard body wash (that smells really good!)
1 18-pack (plus 2 free) Scunci elastic hair bands
1 125-count bottle of Excedrin
1 5 oz. bottle of Lindsay green olives
1 50-count bottle of Aleve
2 18-count boxes of Kotex tampons (not pictured)
2 Hershey Easter bunny candies

I paid $27.26 out of pocket total. I also received $21.46 back in coupons to use towards future purchases. According to my receipts, I saved a total of $38.03, which doesn't count the $21.46 in coupons I received for future spending. Not too shabby for a day's work.

As I was knee-deep in toothbrushes in CVS, a woman came up to me after noticing my detailed list of deals/coupons. We got to talking, and she's really quite a savvy lady. She donates a lot of her steals to charity, and adopted a 6-child family for Easter. She told me her fiance loves what she does because of the system she's worked out: all the money her receipts tell her she's saved any time she goes shopping is transferred to her savings account. It's basically money she would have spent to purchase the items anyway, so she feels it should be set aside like it had been spent. In the past 4 years (since she started doing this), she's set aside just over $10,000. While I haven't adopted this system, it's still an impressive sum to have to spend on whatever else she chooses. Kudos to her!

Menu Plan Monday - April 4, 2011

2011-04-05T11:15:00.003-04:00

Whew, I'm back from my short break from the blogsphere. My sister's visit was jam-packed with fun, keeping me out of the house and away from the computer for a few days. Now? Back to the grind, a.k.a. menu planning (done yesterday, but I'm just getting it up now).

Monday: Taco mac 'n cheese and garden salad

Tuesday: Turkey ham and roasted asparagus quiche with a shredded potato crust (using this recipe as a general guide)

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner, so either savory waffles or stuffed crepes (haven't decided yet)

Thursday: Alone time, so leftovers or a sammy most likely

Friday: Panzanella salad (from my newest Taste of Home mag)

Saturday Lunch: Sammies with fresh fruits and/or veggies
Saturday Dinner: Steak and veggie kabobs

Sunday Lunch: Sammies with fresh fruits and/or veggies
Sunday Dinner: Pork carnitas (a slow cooker recipe, also from my new TOH mag)

Nothing too wild and crazy, but a few new recipes are mixed in. I've never made panzanella salad before, and this recipe adds beans for some bumped up protein; perfect for a meatless Friday night dinner. The carnita recipe sounds super tasty too, so I'm excited to give it a whirl. I love that most of these recipes contain mainly ingredients I already have on hand, which is always a bonus. Enjoy!

Steals & Deals 3/31/11

2011-03-31T15:35:00.003-04:00

Savings is just plain fun. It's like a competition to see how much I can save every week so more can go into savings or towards something more fun. Today was a fab day for grabbing some great steals and deals.

2 Edge shave gels
2 Snickers cream eggs (Easter basket filler)
1 Clean and Clear body wash
1 Reach toothbrush
1-8 pack Bounty paper towels
1 Snickers peanut butter squared candy bar (EB filler)
2 Twix peanut butter candy bars (EB filler)
2 M and M plastic Easter eggs (EB filler)
2 Snickers plastic Easter eggs (EB filler)
1 Old Spice deodorant
1 Old Spice body wash
1-12 pack Quilted Norther toilet paper
1 travel-sized Vaseline lotion

For all this, I paid $7.11 out of pocket. I also received $4 back in coupons for future purchases, so yay for that, too!

What great steals and deals have you scored this week?

Experimenting with Philly Cooking Creme

2011-03-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, I decided to experiment with some Philadelphia Cooking Creme. Kraft First Taste sent me 2 coupons for the stuff, one for a free container and one for $1.50 off another container. I found them on sale for $2.50 each at a local grocery store, so I basically paid 50 cents for each one.

I decided I wanted to do a chicken, veggie and pasta dish, so I started off by roasting up some fresh broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and celery. The veggies were tossed in EVOO and seasoned lightly with some Mrs. Dash Herb and Garlic seasoning. I roasted everything at 425F for about 10 minutes.

For the chicken, I pounded out 2 boneless, skinless breasts and cut them into slices. I put 2 spoonfuls of flour into a plastic bag, seasoned it with garlic salt, black pepper and dried basil and added the chicken . . . then I shook it all around. I did the Hokey-Pokey . . . Oh wait, back to the chicken. I poured a tablespoon of canola oil (give or take) into a skillet and heated it on medium-high. I cooked the chicken in 2 batches (adding more oil as necessary) and removed to a plate (with a paper towel on it to absorb any excess oil).

I cooked up about 3/4 of a box of penne rigate per the instructions on the box, then combined the chicken, roasted veggies and pasta in a large skillet. I added 3/4 of the container of Italian Herb cooking creme, stirred it all together and heated through over medium heat until everything was warmed. Note: the pasta was cooked extra al dente because I knew it would continue to cook while I heated the mixture in the skillet. I added a little stock to the pan with the cooking creme, just because I wanted to thin the mixture out a little.

Overall, this was a tasty meal. I don't think I'll purchase any more of the cooking creme though. The convenience was nice, but the calorie count isn't great. Plus, I'm confident I can make similar sauces from scratch ingredients. I might change my mind when I taste the Savory Garlic one we still have unopened in the fridge, or when I go back to work and learn to again appreciate ingredients that make speedy dinners an option.

Thanks again to Kraft First Taste for allowing me to give it a try for free!

Oven-Fried Whiting Fillets

2011-03-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

I wasn't excited for this meal. When I opened the frozen package of whiting fillets to pull a few out to thaw, they smelled fishy. I contemplated skipping this meal, leaving the fish in the fridge long enough to go bad, then throwing it out. We even went out to eat on Friday night to avoid this one. But Saturday night rolled around and I made myself cook the fillets. Surprise! They were actually pretty good and didn't taste fishy at all. Silly me for being a scaredy-cat!

Crispy Oven-Fried Fish Fillets
Adapted from allrecipes.com

7+/- whiting fillets (skin on is fine, but they need to be boneless)
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. dry Italian bread crumbs
Cooking spray
Tartar sauce, optional

Preheat the oven to 450F. Place a baking rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Rinse fish fillets, then dip into milk. Coat with flour, dip back in the milk, then coat with bread crumbs. Place fillets on the baking rack; spray with cooking spray. Bake 10-15 minutes or until they're done. Serve with tartar sauce if desired.

While they were good fillets and not fishy, I don't think I'd like them without my homemade tartar sauce. Something about the breadcrumbs. The original recipe called for crushed up croutons, not breadcrumbs, but I used what I had on hand. I think next time I'd try it with croutons or crushed up crackers or potato chips.

Both kids ate the first fillet we put on their plates, and Tiny Tot #1 even asked for a 2nd one. Buppy, Tiny Tot #2 and I all ate the fish with the tartar sauce; Tiny Tot #1 preferred his fish plain even though he said he liked the tartar sauce. I honestly wasn't sure they'd eat the fish because they weren't 'fish sticks', but Buppy and I were very pleasantly surprised. They're generally good eaters, so I guess we shouldn't have been.

There is no recipe per say for the tartar sauce I made because I added everything to taste, but here's what went into it: mayo (I'd like to have used 'light', but all we had open was regular), chopped up dill pickles, lemon juice, seasoned salt, garlic salt, black pepper, pickle juice and dried dill weed. I'm not a fan of restaurant or store-bought tartar sauce because they're made using sweet pickles, which I can't stand. This tartar sauce was good enough to eat by the spoonful (in my humble opinion), but I didn't because of the darn calorie content. It really jazzed up the fish though. I highly suggest making this at least a few hours prior to eating so the flavors can meld and the dill weed can rehydrate. Enjoy!

*This post is linked to Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap for Thursday, 5/19/11 --- fish!