What's on the menu?

Yesterday and the day before were spent preparing for Super bowl Sunday. Saturday I bought and ran around to three different stores making sure I had everything to make our evening a success. Sunday morning bright and early we prepped the turkey for roasting made queso dip, homemade salsa. Then we took a break, headed to church, skipped out early and came home to prepare the rest. So what was on the menu? Here's our list.

Turkey, rolls and condiments to make a sandwich if you wanted.
Cubed steak bathed in barbeque sauce and wrapped in bacon.
Chicken walnut lettuce wraps, vegetable and fruit tray.
Queso sauce with taco seasoned hamburger meat mixed in and tortilla chips along with fresh salsa. Plus two bags of sun chips and barbeque chips
Black bean salsa, stuffed mushrooms, potato skins dripping with cheese and bacon bits.
Artichoke heart and spinach dip with whole wheat crackers (The whole wheat part makes me feel better) Garlic hummus and toasted pita bread.
Baked fresh French bread cut and slathered in butter and mozzarella cheese to dip into marinara sauce.
Now for the baked goods; We had a sheet cake from Costco, chocolate covered marshmallows, rice krispie treats, mini chocolate bars, sand dollar cookies, Oreo’s, jolly ranchers, pretzels covered in white chocolate and ice cream.

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the most watched game on TV or should I say commercials. We had over thirty guests to our party and loved every minute of the game and spending time with our friends and loved ones. The goal of this blog was to actually figure out the calorie count for each item, but now that I've listed what was on the menu. I'm down right frightened of what it might be. So suffice it to say, I think maybe Super bowl Sunday over took Thanksgiving on the calorie index by a lot. If we were talking in boxing terms I'm pretty sure it was a knock out for the Super bowl.

So whether your team won or not -- I hope you had a good time eating and spending time with the ones you love.

February 4th Thank your Mailman Day.

When : Always February 4th

Thank a Mailman Day is your chance to say thanks to the guy, or gal, who delivers your mail. After all, they are there six days a week come rain or shine. The reliable postal worker is always there doing their job, regardless of the weather.

Did you Know? Pony Express riders were the most famous early American "mailmen". Their motto was " Neither rain, nor snow, nor death of the night, can keep us from our duty". This motto is believed to be taken in part from a motto dating back to ancient times. Among the most popular variation is "Through rain or snow, or sleet or hail, we'll carry the mail. We will not fail".

I know I am completely grateful when they do there job. Aren't you?

Make it a point to catch your mail carrier enroute today and say thank you or if your like me I have no idea what time my mail carrier comes around so put a thank you in your mailbox for them. Give him or her a great big smile if you happen to see them or visit your local post office. But try and acknowledge those who serve us faithfully. Everyone likes to be noticed and thanked for a job that most people take for granted.

Then and Now.

I love the movie Pride and Prejudice like every other girl on the planet. And I don't know why hearing these lines come out of Kiera Knightly mouth gives me such great joy, but it does.
The scene that I have chosen is when Lady Catherine shows up late at night. To ask Elizabeth if she has accepted a proposal of marriage from her nephew. I decided to show you the real dialogue and then show you my interpretation of how it would be said today. I'll let you read and see for yourself. Enjoy.

``I will not be interrupted. Hear me in silence.'' Lady Catherine said, ''My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended, on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the father's, from respectable, honourable, and ancient -- though untitled -- families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid. They are destined for each other by the voice of every member of their respective houses; and what is to divide them? The upstart pretensions of a young woman without family, connections, or fortune. Is this to be endured! But it must not, shall not be. If you were sensible of your own good, you would not wish to quit the sphere in which you have been brought up.''
Lady Catherine: "You do not belong on the same planet as my nephew."

``In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal.''
Miss Bennet: "Oh, I believe I am." That's none of your business."

``True. You are a gentleman's daughter. But who was your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts? Do not imagine me ignorant of their condition.''
Lady Catherine: "Pleassse."

``Whatever my connections may be,'' said Elizabeth, ``if your nephew does not object to them, they can be nothing to you.''
Miss Bennet: "If he doesn't mind...then why should you."

``Tell me once and for all, are you engaged to him?''
Lady Catherine: "I want to know...are you engaged to him?"

Though Elizabeth would not, for the mere purpose of obliging Lady Catherine, have answered this question, she could not but say, after a moment's deliberation,

``I am not.''
Miss Bennet: "No"

Lady Catherine seemed pleased.

``And will you promise me, never to enter into such an engagement?''
Lady Catherine: "Promise...you won't."

``I will make no promise of the kind.''
Miss Bennet: "No, I won't."

``Miss Bennet I am shocked and astonished. I expected to find a more reasonable young woman. But do not deceive yourself into a belief that I will ever recede. I shall not go away till you have given me the assurance I require.''
Lady Catherine: "I am not leaving until you tell me you won't marry him."

``And I certainly never shall give it. I am not to be intimidated into anything so wholly unreasonable. Your ladyship wants Mr. Darcy to marry your daughter; but would my giving you the wished-for promise make their marriage at all more probable? Supposing him to be attached to me, would my refusing to accept his hand make him wish to bestow it on his cousin? Allow me to say, Lady Catherine, that the arguments with which you have supported this extraordinary application have been as frivolous as the application was ill-judged. You have widely mistaken my character, if you think I can be worked on by such persuasions as these. How far your nephew might approve of your interference in his affairs, I cannot tell; but you have certainly no right to concern yourself in mine. I must beg, therefore, to be importuned no farther on the subject.''
Miss Bennet: "Get the hell out of my house."

``Not so hasty, if you please. I have by no means done. To all the objections I have already urged, I have still another to add. I am no stranger to the particulars of your youngest sister's infamous elopement. I know it all; that the young man's marrying her was a patched-up business, at the expence of your father and uncles. And is such a girl to be my nephew's sister? Is her husband, is the son of his late father's steward, to be his brother? Heaven and earth! -- of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?''
Lady Catherine: "I am not through here. don't think I don't know about the affairs of your family."

``You can now have nothing farther to say,'' she resentfully answered. ``You have insulted me in every possible method. I must beg to return to the house.''
Miss Bennet: "I'm done. Get out!"

And she rose as she spoke. Lady Catherine rose also, and they turned back. Her ladyship was highly incensed.

``You have no regard, then, for the honour and credit of my nephew! Unfeeling, selfish girl! Do you not consider that a connection with you must disgrace him in the eyes of everybody?''
Lady Catherine: "You are a tramp and not worthy of him."

``Lady Catherine, I have nothing farther to say. You know my sentiments.''
Miss Bennet: Crosses her arms against her chest and glares.

``You are then resolved to have him?''
Lady Catherine: "I know you want him?"

``I have said no such thing. I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.''
Miss Bennet: "I will do whatever I damn well please."

``It is well. You refuse, then, to oblige me. You refuse to obey the claims of duty, honour, and gratitude. You are determined to ruin him in the opinion of all his friends, and make him the contempt of the world.''
Lady Catherine: "So your just going to ignore everything I've said. You will ruin his life."

``Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude,'' replied Elizabeth, ``have any possible claim on me, in the present instance. No principle of either would be violated by my marriage with Mr. Darcy. And with regard to the resentment of his family, or the indignation of the world, if the former were excited by his marrying me, it would not give me one moment's concern -- and the world in general would have too much sense to join in the scorn.''
Miss Bennet: "Don't concern yourself.I'm pretty sure the worlds population won't die if we choose to get married."

``And this is your real opinion! This is your final resolve! Very well. I shall now know how to act. Do not imagine, Miss Bennet, that your ambition will ever be gratified. I came to try you. I hoped to find you reasonable; but, depend upon it, I will carry my point.''
Lady Catherine: "I thought we could talk, but I was wrong."

In this manner Lady Catherine talked on, till they were at the door of the carriage, when, turning hastily round, she added, ``I take no leave of you, Miss Bennet. I send no compliments to your mother. You deserve no such attention. I am most seriously displeased.''
Lady Catherine: "Go ahead and ruin both your lives."

Today's speach is alot shorter, but it sure lacks the luster of the way people spoke back then. What do you think?

Little tips and things you might want to know.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.



Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.



To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away

It's National Popcorn Day!

For National Popcorn Day, I thought I would share with you my favorite popcorn recipe. It's called marshmellow popcorn.(Fancy name, huh!)

1 cube butter melted in sauce pan(you can use margarine)
1 bag of small marshmellows(you can use big marshmellow if you want)

Mix together until the marshmellow soften and make a gooey sauce in the pan and then pour over air popped or microwave popcorn. Both are good. The microwave popcorn is more salty and the air pop is fluffier. So it's whatever you prefer, but both work great.

Also before you mix the marshmellow with the popcorn make sure you pulled out all the kernels that didn't pop. It a waste to use the marshmellow on hard kernels you can't eat, so I pull them out. They sink to the bottom making it easier to find them.

Try it! It's easy and the family will love it without a lot of effort.

Okay...so I got a rejection letter.

Hopeful, opthomistic and truthfully maybe a little over zealous, but still what were they thinking. They've met me. Could they not see how articulate, compelling, intellegent and extremly goodlooking I am. Seriously...

Seriously, I got my first rejection letter. I will admit it hurt. Mostly because I had recieved a very positive email saying that I had made it through the first round of reviews and that my book had an appealing voice. Yay! And then they lowered the hammer. When I recieved the next email eight weeks later it was a form letter. I believe, quickly my fingers found the key board and I typed back a request asking for some constuctive feedback. Three days later there was another email in my box with an explanation.

So yes I've been rejected. Its not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last. However, I'm actually going to look at this as a positive instead of a negative. Why? Because, I may have been told no, but I learned some very valuable lessons, which hopefully will make the next time I submit easier. And who knows maybe next time I'll get an email saying, "We loved your book, you are one highly talented momma, come join our team and we will pay you millions. Okay, maybe I got carried away at the end, but hey, it could happen...right.

So one rejection and one lesson learned.

Thanks for teaching me.

Take care of you friends.

The other day on the Today Show they posted a study about the kind of friends we need to have to have a healthy and happy life.

1-Childhood Friends. They know the essence of you. They have been there through all the growing pains each and all of us go through. If truth be told, they also are the people who have enough information on to black mail you with most likely. I know mine do.

2-A new friend. New friends bring new experiences and along with those experiences they help us learn and grow, which makes life more interesting.

3-A spiritual friend. When times are tough and things go a ry. It's nice to have someone who believes the same things you do. I find that marrying someone with my same faith has made my marriage stable and has given it a firm foundation on which to raise our children on.

4-A workout friend. I don't have one of these. I have at least twenty in the classes that I teach, but I know for many people they can't do it alone. And let's face it. It’s always funnier to have a buddy to talk to and share with while you sweat.

5-A younger friend. I truly believe in this one. Having a younger friend keeps you younger. They also look at things differently and show you new ways to see life. I think this is very important.

6-Make your partners best friend yours. This is hard for some. I've heard plenty of women complain about their husbands friends. I can't relate. My husband’s friends have always been my friends. In fact I share with them as much as I do my own girlfriends.

So I asked myself do I have the kind of friends I need and want. And now I’m asking you. Do you have the kinds of friends who enrich your life, make it easier, not harder, are they there when you need them and do they make you feel valuable? I truly hope so. I have some of the best friends on the planet. There has not been a time in my life when they would not have willingly been there for me and helped me in any way they could. Friends make life easier.