Ashley Simpson is not my favorite singer, but this new song is just too catchy to miss! I love the whole 80's throwback vibe! And Timbaland produced it, and we all know that everything he touches turns to gold!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Birthday Care Package Mother-Load!!!!
This morning, I enjoyed a fabulous Valentine's themed brunch at Kyle & Kelly's. Complete with Asparagus Stratta, Heart-Shaped Lemon Poppy seed muffins and some laughs from their nephews, Drew & Ben. (Do you know that they call their school mascot not the Mustangs but the Buttstains? That was sooo funny!!) After brunch, I helped Kyle haul dry wall into his house. I don't think he actually thought I had it in me to lift and carry dry wall, but alas I am one bad mamma-jamma when it comes to lifting things! Then Kyle changed my oil on the Legacy. Awesome & Appreciated!I headed home and what did my wondering eyes appear, an awesome care package that brought me lots of cheer!!! 
My Aunt Lori sent me the most fabulous birthday care package ever! Complete with all the things i love! Heart shaped muffin molds, valentine cookie cutters, assorted sprinkles and icing, soap, and candles! Basically, a girly-girl like moi's dream package!! I am so thankful and happy for this sweet birthday surprise!! Thank you Auntie Lori!! You are awesome!! Check out the fantastic stickers and greeting on the outside of the package, now this is how you do it up right people!!! 
My Aunt Lori sent me the most fabulous birthday care package ever! Complete with all the things i love! Heart shaped muffin molds, valentine cookie cutters, assorted sprinkles and icing, soap, and candles! Basically, a girly-girl like moi's dream package!! I am so thankful and happy for this sweet birthday surprise!! Thank you Auntie Lori!! You are awesome!! Check out the fantastic stickers and greeting on the outside of the package, now this is how you do it up right people!!! St. Paul's Finest
Last night Ellen and i went to the heart of downtown St. Paul, which is about 1 mile from my home. I was saying to Ellen, "Downtown St. Paul is smaller and closer to me then Downtown Minneapolis, but I know my way around MPLS way better." I do know my way around DT St. P, but somehow i always get confused! Maybe Jesse Ventura was on to something when he said the roads in St. Paul were all made by drunk Irish men! Remember when he said that? So Ellen and I went and ate at my most favorite place, Babani's Kurdish Restaurant.
My roommate Holly Wood and I fell in love with this place about 7 years ago, and we can't stop raving about it. Babani's claims to be the first authentic Kurdish restaurant in America.... I believe it, how many conversations do you hear that go something like this, "Honey, how about we go eat some Kurdish food tonight!" Kurdish people are an ethnic group found in the middle east, over the years have gone through some very serious trials of anti-Kurdish ethnic cleansing. Very sad! Babani's, is a wonderful, delicious place to eat. I love the warm bread with feta, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes. The Dowjic lemon-yogurt soup, and any of the entrees are amazing!
It is the quaintest hole-in-the-wall restaurant you could ever stumble upon. I could eat there everyday!
After that, I took Ellen to another SP establishment that she had never been to, Candyland! "Isn't that a children's bored game?" she asks. Well it is, but it is also a yummmy meow candy store. They have bulk candy, chocolates and flavored popcorn! It was a great night of the local hot spots.
Here is my list of top things to do in Down Town St. Paul:
1.Sitting in the St. Paul Cathedral
2.Slice of Pizza At Cosetta's
3. A movie at the Science Museum's Omnitheatre theatre
4. Wild Game at the Xcel Energy Center
5. Musical at the Ordway
6. A walk around Rice Park
7. Dinner at Babani's
8. Treats at Candyland
9. B-3 Organ Night at the Artist's Quarters
10 Late night fries at Mickey's Diner
Sawatdee, my favorite Thai place is back in DT St. Paul!!! Hurray!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
RICEing and Knitting
I am home from work today. Why you ask? The Flu? No! Allergic to the Library? I Wish! Mental Breakdown? Possibly. Truthfully, last night as I was doing my exercise thing, I think i jacked-up my knee. I didn't know until the middle of the night, when I woke up in pain. This morning I could barely walk on it and sitting down was painful. SO I popped some acetaminophen and promptly RICEd my knee... Except I can never remember what the "C" stands for? Compress? All I know is Rest, Ice and Elevate. I am feeling a lot better, not 100%, but Lord help me if it something more serious! So I am on couch rest, so i decided to knit some mittens. Which it has been about 4 years since I've made mittens, so i was a little shaky getting started... but I am trying my best.
I can knit lots of things... although i have yet to knit a sweater, which will be my final gift to the world. I knit hats, scarves and mittens. Don't ask me about baby blankets. They are my arch nemesis. I have made 2 baby blankets and i have yet to finish either of them. One child is already 2 and the other is turning 1 in a few weeks. (Seth baby don't give up on me yet!) See, I like quick quick results knitting. Blankets take time and I am too distractable! Well, I took a mitten knitting class at Depth of Field in Minneapolis about 5 years ago. The teacher was great and helpful, especially when you are using double point knitting needles. The best way (in my opinion) to knit mittens is to use the double pointed needles and 4 of them at once! It sounds complicated, but once you get started it is a breeze. I swear!
I can knit lots of things... although i have yet to knit a sweater, which will be my final gift to the world. I knit hats, scarves and mittens. Don't ask me about baby blankets. They are my arch nemesis. I have made 2 baby blankets and i have yet to finish either of them. One child is already 2 and the other is turning 1 in a few weeks. (Seth baby don't give up on me yet!) See, I like quick quick results knitting. Blankets take time and I am too distractable! Well, I took a mitten knitting class at Depth of Field in Minneapolis about 5 years ago. The teacher was great and helpful, especially when you are using double point knitting needles. The best way (in my opinion) to knit mittens is to use the double pointed needles and 4 of them at once! It sounds complicated, but once you get started it is a breeze. I swear!
I have been Susie Homemaker the past few nights, as I also finished the final touches on my pillows. I'm just trying to be more creative this year and less of a tv watcher... we'll see how that goes. 
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Giving Food a Complex
I frequently read Andrew Zimmern's blog on MSP MAG's website. He is a local chef\food critic\blogger here in the Twin Cities. You might have seen him on Leno or The Today Show. If you watch the Travel Channel, you would have seen him on his tv show called, Bizarre Foods.
Anyway, today on his blog he has a link to the hottest foods nominated by chef's through the National Restaurant Association. Anyway they do an annual "What's Hot What's Not" chef's survey. I know that these are food items that chef's are using to serve to the growing palete's of Americans, but it made me think about how the food feel about all of this. So right now if you are a pomegranate you are top dog if you are let say a lowly orange you're nada! Or let's say you are the new uber-trendy edamame, you're feeling pretty swell coming in at #7 on the veggie list, but what about good ol' brocoli? How does that make him feel? Or imagine if last year you were at the top of your game and this year, due to food snobs everywhere, you didn't even make the list! You ask what is the hottest food right now, Bite-sized desserts! Hello petit-fours! However, are you giving grandma's homemade apple pie a complex??? Pie did make the list, albeit at a loser 185 on the list. What was their last pick, the one that barely made the list: Soda\Carbonated beverages. Hello people, it's all about flavored water! DUH!
Anyway, today on his blog he has a link to the hottest foods nominated by chef's through the National Restaurant Association. Anyway they do an annual "What's Hot What's Not" chef's survey. I know that these are food items that chef's are using to serve to the growing palete's of Americans, but it made me think about how the food feel about all of this. So right now if you are a pomegranate you are top dog if you are let say a lowly orange you're nada! Or let's say you are the new uber-trendy edamame, you're feeling pretty swell coming in at #7 on the veggie list, but what about good ol' brocoli? How does that make him feel? Or imagine if last year you were at the top of your game and this year, due to food snobs everywhere, you didn't even make the list! You ask what is the hottest food right now, Bite-sized desserts! Hello petit-fours! However, are you giving grandma's homemade apple pie a complex??? Pie did make the list, albeit at a loser 185 on the list. What was their last pick, the one that barely made the list: Soda\Carbonated beverages. Hello people, it's all about flavored water! DUH!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
No shopping for a year?
After sitting down and looking at what i spent last year... i found that i spend so frivolously at times. And yet, I don't think anything of it, because it is just a lipgloss here, or a funky pair of socks there. What is $3 in the grand scheme of things? Actually it adds up to a lot! I try not to think that I buy into the whole consumerism thing, but I really do in little ways. Yes, I am good at shopping the clearance sections of Target, and I try to never spend full price on clothes and misc... it really is those darn little things that i purchase in a moment of weakness. So I was thinking about stopping and maybe taking a break from it. Ok, so stop freaking out, you will all get your stinkin' birthday presents! But I mean shopping for myself. However, shopping for others, making homemade items, freebies and bargains are all on the OK list.
Funny thing, on the front page of the Star Tribune there was an article all about No Shopping for a year, or really, not buying anything new for a year. People have made a pact not to buy one new thing this year, except for food, underwear, personal products and misc household supplies. They can still buy things, but not brand spankin' new. Sounds good to me! But even then, for me it's not about buying new, i mostly shop sales anyway, but it all goes back to those $3 mini purchases that add up for goodness sakes! Oh and this also includes fast food for me. I find that on most days, its quick and fast to get a cup of chili at Wendy's than it is to pack my own lunch. Or maybe just a burger at burger king once in awhile. What is $2.00 here and there? What is a subway sandwich or some chipoltle when i'm lazy... well it's a lot of money over a year! Yes, I went through my itemized bank statement just to see how much I spent last year on take-out.. and it added up well into the hundreds! It really does add up, and I had no idea until now. So this year will be fast-food take out free! The exception is eating out with friends, that is ok. But lattes and bagels and double decker taco's are off limits! I think this will also make a dent in my debt reduction and my waist line!
Well ok, I forgot one thing. When St. Patrick's day rolls around, I be slurping my Shamrock Shake at McDon's... That I will not say NO to!
Funny thing, on the front page of the Star Tribune there was an article all about No Shopping for a year, or really, not buying anything new for a year. People have made a pact not to buy one new thing this year, except for food, underwear, personal products and misc household supplies. They can still buy things, but not brand spankin' new. Sounds good to me! But even then, for me it's not about buying new, i mostly shop sales anyway, but it all goes back to those $3 mini purchases that add up for goodness sakes! Oh and this also includes fast food for me. I find that on most days, its quick and fast to get a cup of chili at Wendy's than it is to pack my own lunch. Or maybe just a burger at burger king once in awhile. What is $2.00 here and there? What is a subway sandwich or some chipoltle when i'm lazy... well it's a lot of money over a year! Yes, I went through my itemized bank statement just to see how much I spent last year on take-out.. and it added up well into the hundreds! It really does add up, and I had no idea until now. So this year will be fast-food take out free! The exception is eating out with friends, that is ok. But lattes and bagels and double decker taco's are off limits! I think this will also make a dent in my debt reduction and my waist line!
Well ok, I forgot one thing. When St. Patrick's day rolls around, I be slurping my Shamrock Shake at McDon's... That I will not say NO to!
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