I'm a big kid now!

I have a busy week ahead of me. Something every night, and a lot of cooking\baking! I was nerdalicious and planned out what i had to do every night after work in order to be on my game for the days ahead. Tonight is Bible Study, followed by grocery shopping and food prep for Tuesday night... How did I ever become so organized? It is not in my nature to be organized. I have a weekly planner, but i rarely write stuff down, I have bills to pay, and I am at the mercy of my brain to remember to pay them. I follow no rhythm, rhyme or reason and there is no method to my madness. Although this weekend, I got some dates mixed up and thought this party I was supposed to go to was on Saturday, and since i had plans I didn't go. But then I got a call on Sunday wondering if I would be at the party that night. Ooops! Instead my old roommate from my college days dropped by for a visit last night, and i still didn't make it to the party. I am not spacey, because I do have my head screwed on pretty tightly, and I am fairly grounded. I wasn't always this way. Does this mean I am mature and grown-up?
When I was little and even throughout high-school, I was always amazed at how my parents could have a conversation with anyone, including strangers. I couldn't figure out how they came up with things to say. I just had a tough time talking to adults, kids were fine, but adults, nada. So I didn't know how i would ever be an adult and make conversation with other adults. Last night was the first time I realized that I do this phenomenon all the time now, even with strangers. And then I thought, "Hey I must be an adult!" Fun!

December 9, 2007

Christmas Movies!!!

Oh what fun it is to...take all your money!

Ha Ha Ha..Ho Ho Ho! I will get to the title of my blog in a bit. Bear with me until then. Yesterday, as I was feeling much better, not too sniffly not to stuffy, i went to visit my parents. I spent the day hanging out with my mom and dad. My dad, all on his own purchased a ginormous tv and was so proud to show it off. He kept saying, "what do you think, is the color crystal clear or what? to which i would say, "hmmmm I don't know, it's a little on the small side, and the color is a little blurry and drab." just to tease him. The tv was a gift to themselves for the fire... they are so happy to be back in their house! Like a weight has been lifted!

We all hung out and wrapped presents and ate pizza, then me and my mom and my brother made a ginger bread house. This time though, my mom bought a kit where the house was pre-assembled, then you just decorate it. One year we bought a kit where you had to assemble the house yourself, and that was a total disaster! A wolf wouldn't need to huff and puff and blow the house down, all he would have to do is look at it funny! BOOM! So we did much better this year! We then watched ELF and laughed and had fun... what a great family I have!

After all that hoopla, I met my friend shannon at her most favorite weekend job (not really) which is a restaurant\golf course club. She was just getting off of work, so we sat at the bar and she counted her tips and we chatted about girl stuff. Soon all the patrons left, and everyone was finishing their shift, and it kinda felt like a movie, (ok fine, a low budget movie) where the staff at the restaurant lingers a little longer, the cook whips up some food, and everyone has a beer... and they talk about how the night went, as in who tipped lousy and other scandalous restaurant business stuff. It was fun to see these little exchanges... maybe i want to work at a restaurant now? maybe.

So the cook said, "Hey lets play some dice". Now, I only know one dice game, and you play that with quarters, and it can go on forever. But this was just a simple dice game of luck and chance and it's quick quick. Plus you play with 1 dollars so the kitty can grow pretty fast. I call the "pot" the "kitty", I don't know where i picked that up, but kitty it is. We played and laughed... I spied Jerry Garcia on tv, living as a hermit in canada with the owls. Shannon and I busting a gut laughing loud and long and unabashedly! They all thought we were loo-loo... I said, "You should've seen us in High School!" Well the fun part, is that I have extremely amazing beginners luck when it comes to games... happens all the time. And so therefore, I took home the whole Kitty! MEOW!

Too much fun for one night... dashing through the snow, with a lot of $1 dollar bills... over the roads I go laughing all the way home.... ha ha ho ho! Merry Christmas!

Question: if i use this $$ for the salvation army bell ringers bucket, is that bad, cause I won it gambling? hmmmmm.... But do you ever walk by the bell ringers and feel a smidgen guilty, but really you have no cash on you... and if you did, you would surely give it! I feel that way all the time... maybe this is my redeeming moment? But it is also a catch-22 at the same time. Oh, What would Kenny Rogers do?

Today is movie #3 on my Christmas viewing list, Miracle on 34th Street, the original version with Natalie Woods and Maureen O'Hare. The best part is at the end, when little natalie, keeps repeating "I believe, I believe"... I always think, and say that to God, when I want to trust Him, but it's really hard... "I believe, I believe". I DO BELIEVE!

December 8, 2007

Homemade Gingerbread House

December 7, 2007

Angelic Tree Topper

Home Sick Meal

Today I was home sick, with some sort of cold-sinus thing. Just on the right side of my face... all runny and watery and icky. I think though, that the title of this post is misleading. Maybe you are thinking this is a meal I make when I am homesick, as in missing my home. But alas, this is just a meal i made when i was at home, sick. I've never really been homesick (as in missing home) I was a pretty independent kid, so sleepovers and overnight camp were a blast. Even when I was living in New Hampshire for a year and I only came home 2 times, I really wasn't too upset. The only time I was a bit homesick was when i was living in China. It was just for a summer, but for some reason, I was very eager to get home. Who knows why? Maybe it was the constant stomach flu, or the psycho team leader, or maybe it was a boy i missed? Well whatever it was, I survived. I always do. No, this is a recipe I enjoyed today as I was lounging on the couch watching the Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields. Wow, I didn't realize how, um, revealing this movie was. Brooke and the boy are half naked throughout the film! But the beach scenes were gorgeous and made me want to get stranded on a deserted island for awhile. Now, one of my favorite 80's movies is on; She's Having a Baby. Oooh Kevin Bacon is the man!

Rigatoni with Italian Chicken

Original recipe yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups Italian salad dressing
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag, and pour in the Italian dressing. Seal bag, and marinate chicken 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain, discarding dressing, and dice.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with diced tomatoes.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet, and season with red pepper. Cook and stir 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese, and garnish with parsley flakes.

December 6, 2007

12 Days of Christmas