Easter Weekend....was it really only three days???

It has been a while since I have posted any pics of the kids. They are growing so fast. Here is our weekend in "photos". We had a really nice weekend. I didn't have to work on Friday. Jake went up to Cleveland to help JenF's hubby with a project. The kids and I pretty much stayed home and got a few things done around the house... (i.e. I finished the 4th Twilight book....).

That evening we went to the Looman's house to dye Easter eggs. Chrissie and Grace joined us so...needless to say....there were a lot of kids. That makes it more interesting, right?!

Avery decorating.... I did catch her eating the dye a couple of times.

Smiley Elise.

Did the eggs turn out beautiful? Probably because Sherry, Chrissie and I redyed them after the kids were done. LOL. And BTW...I left these eggs on the counter when I got home and didn't notice until the next afternoon. They ended up in the garbage. What a waste.

Jude & Jacob...sitting next to each other and getting along. Man they have come a long way!

Isaiah, Avery & Grace. Isaiah and Avery are interesting together. She bosses him around and he listens....poor guy. Just look at the look she has on her face. Pure trouble.

Saturday morning Elise had soccer. I remembered to bring the camera this time but it was so cold I forgot to use it. At the end of practice Elise was digging in my purse for gum and found it. She started taking pics. Here is one of the many just like it....

My butt....She took it then announced in front of all the parents "Mommy, I took a picture of your butt!". She also got one one of Jake's butt & Jude's butt. I guess she is a butt girl.

Saturday evening my sister made an "impromptu" stop at our house on her way home from Tennessee. Since we didn't have any hard boiled eggs I did a few more up and we dyed again...

Elise: smiling and dying...

Avery....

Reichen...

Indy...

The gang....

The next morning we did Easter Baskets before church.

Here's the loot....

Avery was double fisting the candy...

Then we got ready for church. They looked so cute.... Jude's hair was a little crazy and his mouth is blue from eating a blue sucker. I can't get all three kids to sit for a picture. Avery is too wild......

Where's Avery???

Okay we've got Avery....now if she would just stand up.

Okay, now if she could just stand still... Where is she going?

Oh...to get the light saber. Because every Easter picture needs a light saber.

Seriously...

Attack.....

Bounce...

Just add Daddy for instant results....

Then we went to church...There is a funny story that happened at church but because it involves one of Sherry's kids and the police I will let her tell you about that.....

Brian took our picture. He is a professional.... We didn't pay him today so I guess we get what we pay for. LOL.

Later the kids hunted Easter eggs....

Easter Basket Head...

Finally....we get to eat the eggs....

Here is my new facebook picture....any feedback???

Hope everyone had a good Easter!!!!!

Post 700....Wow

So, this just happened to me. I was sitting here at the computer and looked out the window. We live on a double corner of a street. Does that make any sense? We are on a corner. If you turn to the right there is one house then the road immediately turns to the left. So, diagonally across the street I see these kids hanging out. It is two boys, they are probably 12ish. The one boy was laying on the sidewalk and the other was lying in the street. Not a good place to lay. Seriously cars speed around those corners all the time. I bring the situation to Jake's attention. Mainly because I have a tendency to be a little "over protective". Jake agreed it was dangerous. He said I should call the police. I said by time they get here the kid could be smooshed. So...I get on my shoes and head over there. As I approach the kid on the side walk sits up and laughs. He says to his street friend, (while laughing) "she's a cougar!". Do you know what a "cougar" is??? An older woman (I think you have to be over 40 to qualify) who likes younger men. Funny, this week was my single friend, Sara's Birthday. On her card I signed "one more year closer to being a cougar!". Then today someone (who will remain unnamed) referred to my little "obsession" with Robert Pattinson being "cougarish". Now the neighborhood kid is saying this. He must of not thought that I knew what it meant. I didn't address it. I just told the kid to stay out of the street and told them they were making me nervous. The kid got out of the street. As I was walking away they started laughing and talking about how I am a cougar again. What the heck.... My hubby is younger....not that much younger. And I am not 40 yet.

Mom Audience....

A friend of mine started this....you should check it out.....




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Warning: Something you say will probably make me think of Twilight...

It is an illness.

Here is the deal.

The first time of ever even heard of Twilight I was at Borders with Jake. We were on a date or something....we often end up in bookstores. You should feel sorry for Jake - I've had a life long love affair with books. In college I could NEVER study in the library - there are far too many "distractions" for me with all the books, magazines.... So, we were at Border's and there were all of these teen girls - cheerleaders & goth girls flittering about all very excited about the release of the next installment of this new vampire series. Jake and I laughed at them and then got the heck out of there. I will admit I read all the Harry Potter books and I did so enjoy them. The last 3 books I bought the day they came out. I love when a good story can capture you like that. Well, in the last year I have watched many of my adult and sane women friends fall prey to this Twilight series. I laughed. I made fun of them. The movie came and went....still not interested. THEN, I was at the library one night and I ran into an old friend. We were talking about this person and that...he said he sees this one girl we used to know because she is in a book club his wife attends. Before we parted ways I asked what they were reading in the book club (I was looking for something to catch my attention). He said, "Oh....Twilight but she is refusing to read it." Hmmmmm....just like me. That bothered me for some reason (long back story I guess). Then my sister went crazy and devoured all four books in SIX days. These are not short books. Again...I made fun of her and rolled my eyes a lot! Finally, I was at church and my babysitter was talking about her obession with Twilight. That is where I decided. I think I told you about it before. I was not going to be crazy obsessed girl. I couldn't. I am too busy and too many other things going on. So, I bought the book...read a few pages. Nothing special. For the next week I read a couple of pages a day. See....I am different than all the rest of you crazies..... Then it happened. I can tell you exactly when it did....Bella was in the cafeteria sitting with her friends. Edaward was sitting across the room and with one finger he motioned for her to come to him. She did. I was hooked. That was last Thursday. Last night....well, okay this morning (at 1:30 A.M.) I finished book three. I can't really explain it. I don't think Stephenie Meyer is that great of a writer. And quite frankly she does annoy me often. The story is absolutely unbelievable. You've heard it is about Vampires but it is just as much about Werewolves. Seriously. But those things didn't stop Dracula and Frankenstien from being classics...right? It hasn't even been 12 hours and I am CRAVING book four. My sweet, sweet husband ordered it for me off Amazon this morning. I yelled at him and told him to cancel the order because I can't wait that long (3-4 days of shipping....I'll die from the anticipation). I went to the library. They have 12 copies. One rude person never returned theirs....they've been billed. Eight are checked out. That leaves 3 books that were on the HOLD shelf. I actually thought about sneaking one for myself. I know...totally irrational. I reserved a copy. 4 or the 8 were already overdue or due today. I should have it in my hands by this evening (if all goes as planned). After I am done with the fourth book and my head has cleared I plan to explain to you exactly why I feel this series has captured so many women. You know me....I analyse everything and this is NO exception. Until then.....go get your copy. Read it. Fall in love.....

Just Stuff....

Life is back to "normal" - whatever that means. Jude & Elise are both playing soccer. Jake is coaching Elise's team. That is fun. We had one practice on Saturday - not all the kids were there because of Spring Break but it was funny. I didn't realize what serious business it is. There were grandparents there to watch, cameras and video cameras! I am a bad Soccer Mom. I didn't even bring a water bottle let alone a camera. I guess I have a lot to learn. Jude has his first practice tonight. The coach called and said they are going to vote on a team name tonight so if Jude has any ideas he should tell him at practice. Jude said he was going to suggest the Blue Eagles!? Not sure where he came up with that but it sounds like an official name. Elise said she wants her team to be called the Frogs - not so official.

Work is slightly crazy. I have some clients who don't even really need me. Then I have other clients who need me all day, every day. Mostly people have no money, no jobs, no education, no car and no childcare. Now you tell me how people in this situation are supposed to "pull them up from their bootstraps?" Don't even get me started. I have a very offensive post I will write someday on the subject.....until then you'll have to wait. I almost lost friends over the last post I wrote where I said people are too judgemental. People are so sensitive. Then again I have been told I am a Rabble Rouser. So be it.

I haven't been posting my dinners for the last two weeks. Last week I was by myself so I ate the same thing pretty much the entire week. The week before I don't know what happened. Maybe I'll update you this weekend.

Until then....I have some Rabbles to Rouse (what does that mean anyhoo???). I'll leave you with this quote...

"Well-behaved women rarely make history." - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Last Day of Loneliness....

Well, the last full day. My family comes home tomorrow. I am very happy about it. It has been a very lonely week. I thought I would enjoy the time alone to get many projects done but the truth of the matter is....I didn't. I did accomplish a few things: I caulked the bathtub and shampooed the carpet but I really need to redo both. I did work quite a bit but I've found working and not have my own "normal" (to me anyways) family to counteract the craziness I deal with makes it a bit overwhelming (and tiring). I guess I imagined if I had time by "myself" without responsibilities I could do the things I "think" I usually miss out on. LOL. I thought I might catch up with my friends but the reality is they all have their own busy lives going on and just because I was alone doesn't mean they had time for me. I did go out to dinner with two friends from church this evening - Brian and Danielle. It was fun. What a mix of characters...Dani is a doctor. Brian a photographer and self proclaimed "ladies man" (well, he hasn't actually said that but that is what I think he thinks of himself). We are all different ages and at different places. It was funny and odd all mixed in one. We all went to Target to buy carpet shampoo (I ran out) but now I am too tired to redo the carpet.

I did buy the Twilight book and did start to read it - I am not very far and not yet hooked. Sorry Jake, I didn't get it done before you are home. I guess there is always tomorrow. I could stay home and read it. LOL.

So, it came to my attention today that Jake's former employers have been reading my blog (well someone from there). That's cool. If you are wondering if Jake has a job yet the answer is no. If you would like to offer him his job back - we'll talk.

Lastly...I haven't really watched any T.V. this week. Basically the time I tried to watch it I fell asleep on the couch - and I hate that. So after a few days I went to watch something and I realized my DVR is full and didn't tape half of my favorite shows. Bummer.

To Read or Not To Read.....

I am trying to decided if I should read Twilight. I had no intentions of reading it. I had put my foot down. Then at CHURCH (of all places) - someone who I consider older and much wiser than me said she thought I should read it so I can relate to my teens.... Psshaw - teens how about my adult friends who have fallen in love with EDWARD. Seriously. I already know how some of you feel (ahem...Mandy & Heather) but I am interested in some feed back here.

If you don't know Twilight is a wildly popular Vampire Love Story.

I should be in the shower...

But instead I am going to blog a little. As you may know if you follow Jake's blog: my family has gone out of town for the week. It is weird. Quiet but weird.

Friday morning Jake had an interview in Cleveland. I had left Friday open in order to catch up on my paperwork so instead of paying a babysitter I stayed home with the kids. What a crazy morning it was. I was helping Jake get all situated in his suit when Avery brought me a box of cereal. I opened it and gave her a handful but she quickly let me know she wanted it in a bowl. So, I went to the kitchen and got a bowl but that wasn't good enough she wanted milk too. I sat her down and gave her her cereal in a proper manner then went back to the bedroom area to see how things were going with the suit. A few minutes later, I guess Avery was lonely, because she came into the bedroom with her cereal in hand - spilling it on the way - and still eating while walking BTW. So, that was our first mess of the day. I was trying to pack the kids clothes for their trip. Jude wanted to help pick out what he was taking therefore the other kids wanted to help. Avery likes to UN-pack. After 10 minutes of mass chaos in Jude's room I decided I would pack the girl's things then put Avery down for a nap while I packed Jude's stuff. Jude went back to playing the DS (while sitting in the toy box). Elise was also sitting in the toy box, watching him. Avery was helping Mommy. Jude & Elise started fighting so I made them go to the living room. Elise yells "Molly puked on the floor". Jude starts gagging. I went to the hall closet to get clean up supplies and I looked at myself in the mirror....No make-up, my hair is not only NOT done but barely even combed and I haven't brushed my teeth. It was like 10 A.M. at this point. I forgot what it is like to stay at home. Oh, then Jake called me to say he forgot his wallet at home. That wouldn't be a big deal but the gas tank was almost on E when he left to drive to CLEVELAND! Great. Jude has to be at school early so I was feeding my kids lunch at like 11 A.M. I realized they haven't brushed their teeth so I have to UNpack stuff to get to the toothbrushes, brush their teeth and off to school. Jude's class was already inside - which gets him all crazy because he is anal about being on time. As he is leaving the car he realizes he forgot his back pack! What kind of a Mom sends her kid to school without a back pack? Well, I don't have too much time to dwell on it because I have to go meet my hubby at a gas station so he doesn't run out of gas. I ended up taking the car and going to work from there. I was already exhausted. Luckily, my first appointment canceled so I had a little breather.......... I am so looking forward to Jake having a job but not the hustle it is going to create in the mornings. Not fun at all. I guess once we adjust to it - then it will be okay.

Wow...Friday again???

This week really flew by. I had such a busy busy week I barely noticed it was already Friday. Next week is another crazy busy one. My schedule is so full. Today I didn't even make it into the office. I was almost to the office when I received a call from a client who needed me back in Akron ASAP. So, I turned right around and went back where I had just come from. It all turned out okay. Yesterday I got to go to court for something other than Dependency/Neglect. It was for the Crossroads program (substance abuse court). I loved it. The Magistrate totally flattered me with all sorts of compliments. I just kept saying Thank you...thank you...oh thank you. All the PO's were looking like who is that girl and where did she come from. LOL. I told my little juvi she needed to work her butt off because I didn't want her making me look bad.... Nothing like an ego boost at the end of an extra long day of working while sick. I started getting a fever on Wednesday evening. It is a low-grade yet annoying fever. I don't feel sick enough to lay in bed but not good enough to really feel normal.

Jake had an interview this morning. It went okay. After driving all the way out to Canton he was told it barely paid over minimum wage. It is heartbreaking. Like I have said before...I am confident God has a plan, I am just not 100% confident I am gonna like it.

We have a activity filled week-end ahead of us. Busy. Busy. Busy.

Wild Game....

I ended up sucking it up and going to the Wild Game Dinner. Jake wanted to go and my sister wanted to go so I got all gussied up and headed for Cleveland. When we got there I was a bit surprised. No one (except for us) was dressed up. Not everyone was wearing camouflage but there sure was a lot of it there. Mostly the people that were "dressed up" were wearing jeans and a t-shirt. LOL. We definitely stood out in the crowd! I wore jeans but had a nicer shirt and heals on. So did my sister. So, I'd bet you'd like to know how we even ended up at this dinner.... One of Heather's patients (she cleans his whole family's teeth) invited her. It just cracks me up. Anyhoo...when we walked in he spotted us and said he had saved a table for us. That was nice of him since the likelihood of us running into someone we knew was pretty much nil. We went and sat down feeling a little awkward. There was a little chit chat - and then it was time for the appetizers or "the first course". But before the eating began the guy running the event came out, all the guys removed their hats and he said a prayer. The appetizers consisted of Turtle Soup, rabbit nuggets, frog legs and roadkill pizza (I didn't eat that). It was good. I think we began to make friends with the guys when we gave them our beer tickets - everyone got six with their meal. Two other guys arrived. I was trying to read them....figured they poured concrete for a living (not that there is anything wrong with that - they just looked like good ole boys). I think the guys were trying to figure us out more than anything. I made a comment about there not being too many women there and one of the guys said "yeah and you two have more teeth than the rest of them put together." LOL. After more talking and laughing we found out the four guys sitting across from us were a CPA, a plumber, a contractor and sitting directly across from me: a Psychiatrist.... The Second course was interesting - Canadian Goose Pepper Steak (I didn't care for this), Elk meatloaf (awesome), Venison with au jus (good), rabbit stew (good) and pheasant paprikash (also good) and a salad. It was a lot of meat. For dessert: carrot cake. To me, the food was not the highlight. We all laughed and laughed and laughed. The stories these guys told... One guy was from Tennessee. He said he likes Ohio better because of the milder summer and less bugs. I said "Yeah we don't have chiggers." His eyes about popped out of his head! He said, "I've never met a girl that knows about chiggers!" The shrink told stories about his fainting goats (he also has a little farm). Seriously. It was a lot of fun and Jake said we are going to go again next year. When we were walking out to the car Ivan said "I can already see a post on the Miller Way about this". Then on the way home Heather and Ivan started telling stories about my past dating history.... Well, that was a laugh and a half. I used to have this bad habit of obsessing over a guy until I finally went out with him then I would find the smallest thing wrong with him (like nose hair or ugly toes) and then I would find him repulsive. We were all laughing so hard we were crying.... I guess you had to be there. Bottom line....it was fun and I am glad I went.

What was for dinner #4

I usually don't get to this until Sunday but since I am up so early on a Saturday I will post now. This week was another busy one. Jake even cooked one night. I won't tell you which one - see if you can figure it out.


Sunday - Chili & Lobster Pizza: a strange combo I know but I bought this fake lobster meat for cheap and Jude has been begging for Lobster Pizza ever since his little friend, Raymond, went to Red Lobster & ate it. I made a pizza crust in the bread machine, topped with alfredo, fake lobster, cheese and melted butter - a little fattening, I know. Everyone LOVED it. Not me - I can't eat it....... It was cheap!

Monday -Szechuan Noodles with Pork : I had a couple of pork chops in the freezer - not enough for a main course, so I thawed them and put them in the food processor. It worked great! The family really liked this dish but I really didn't. I've tried cooking with peanut butter several times and I am just not feeling it. I'll stick to PB cookies.... BTW...I used rice noodles in this.

Tuesday - We went out to eat to this cheap little diner close by. They have an awesome cabbage soup.

Wednesday - Eggs, fried potatoes, ham, grapes. I didn't eat the eggs.

Thursday - Chicken (made in the pressure cooker), rice, potatoes.

Friday - Whiskey Glazed Salmon, steamed/sauteed veggies, leftover rice, oranges: the original recipe called for Bourbon but I didn't have any so I used Jack Daniels. The alcohol cooked off and it was delish. I will have to say this dinner was amazing.

Saturday - Pancake sandwiches: Pancakes, sausage patties, cheese, egg... I am making that for Jake's Mens Group. I think we are still going to that Wild Game thing for dinner. Although, it is raining now - makes me want to stay home even more....

I almost forgot...Snacks: Root beer floats & Jake made peanut butter cookies.

Random, Radonmess....

- Ahhhhh....it is Friday! And it is warming up! I just love it!

- JenF told me that she gets angry when I don't post. Funny - she also told me she was going to start her own blog like a month ago but hasn't yet.

- Whatever happened to my "guest writer" who would fill in the gaps when I was too busy....she hasn't written in FOREVER.

- And speaking of other people writing blogs.....Heather (not my sis) is also planning to write a blog. What is taking so long???? You would already have a built in reader base since so many people from our old church still read mine and know you!

- This weekend, Jake and I are supposed to go to this Wild Game Dinner thingy in Cleveland. My sister sent a check for the tickets but the guy never got it so she called him and he is going to let us get them at the door. I think it is a sign we shouldn't go. I wonder if I can get out of it..... I think I'd rather stay home and eat chicken.

- This week I painted two thrones for my friend, Liz. I think they look awful. Sorry Liz. It was kinda fun though.

- I've had a good week at work.

- The allergy diet is going okay. I will admit I have been cheating like crazy this week. I ate a piece of Ho Ho cake, 2 Peanut Butter cookies, corn chips & an egg roll. Horrible. I have suffered the consequences.

- BTW....speaking of that stupid diet. I know it isn't to loose weight but don't you think I should be loosing tons of weight since I have given up bread, cake, cookies, cereal, etc? I mean I did cheat this week but before that not so much. WHY ISN'T MY ARSE SKINNY YET? Just wonderin'!?



Have a good weekend!

Remember the Rabbits???

I've noticed seveal other bloggers have been bringing back old posts. I think it is a great idea since I don't have time to write everyday & because I really have many new readers since the beginning of my blog. So....here is a complilation of some old posts from when we lived in Akron! Enjoy!

Okay, so those of you that talk to me on a regular basis know about my neighbor and his rabbits. For the others, I will fill you in with the short version... My neighbor, Archie, started out with 3 rabbits last summer. Over the year, as you may imagine, the rabbit population has, well, let's say, blossumed. I am not sure how many he has but it is close to 100. He is constantly giving rabbits away, selling rabbits and playing with the rabbits. He does things like walk around with bunnies in his shirt. I will be standing in the kitchen washing dishes and he will walk up and put a bunny in the window! He put up this big white tent right next to our sidewalk that he calls "the rabbit tent". He has cages, junk & an old car in the tent. If you don't know...we live in the city. The lots are small and the houses are close. The rabbits smell.
So, the reason for the rabbit story...today the rabbit tent was raided. The Akron Humane Society came and took the bunnies. They had badges, uniforms, cages and cameras. It was crazy. When Archie came home I tried to explain to him what had happened. I don't think he understands. He thinks if he cleans the cages he will get them back. Kinda crazy. If I can figure out how to add pics I will attach some I have taken of the bunnies and rabbit tent.


The Next Day....
Did I say there would never be a dull moment??? Well, let me tell you what happened in my life today. If you read the previous post you will know the story concerning the rabbits. Well, last night Archie was cleaning out all the cages and the rabbit tent. I guess he had rabbits in this old van in the back yard, too. So that was part of his project. This morning I saw Archie and he looked pretty upset so I went out and spoke to him. He said the Humane Society said if he cleans up the place and they approve it then he can have the bunnies back. He also said he has to take them to the vet to have them checked out. He is trying hard to get them back. He said the rabbits are his family. Isn't that sad. Well, just as I started to walk away Archie said "Will you pray for my rabbits?" Of course I said I would pray for the situation. As soon as those words left my mouth, Archie grabbed my hand and started praying a LOOOONNNNGGGG prayer for the safe return of his rabbits. I can't make this stuff up folks. I want the best outcome for all this & I do think Archie means well BUT....................What in the World???? Holding hands with Archie and praying to "Sweet Jesus" about the rabbits is something you can't really imagine happening to you unless it does. Now, let me tell you all, don't be mistaken, I am a Christian and I really believe in the power of prayer. It just seemed a little odd. Those of you that have met Archie and heard all the other stories will understand. Either way...In closing, I would like all of you to take a moment and say a prayer for Archie, who I doubt will get the bunnies back.

By the way Thanks for reading my blog. Make sure you tell everyone about it. Bookmark it. Read it often.

Love you all!

Day 3...
I wanted to keep everyone up to date on the bunny situation. Today Archie left me a note asking me to help him get his bunnies back. It seems the Humane Society is bullying him. First they told him he could have the rabbits back if he cleans the cages and pays the vet expenses. He cleaned everything. He was working on it nonstop. It looks and smells much better. He called them and they wouldn't return his calls. Finally after 3 calls he gets to talk to the person "in charge" of his case. The person says he has 2 choices...(1)he can take one bunny and pay to have it fixed and be off the hook or (2)He can go to court, face charges but have a chance of getting all the rabbits back. They told him if it goes to court it would probably be in the newspaper because the conditions were so bad. Let me tell you...the cages did need cleaned but they weren't as bad as these people are making it sound. And they are bullying him. I will be the first to tell you the man is very wierd (in every way) but, as most of you know, I have always been out to help the underdog. He isn't all there and he doesn't really understand. He is very embarassed and is afraid of everyone finding out. They are using it against him.

You need help with WHAT????

Curtains..... Well, I can't help you there sister. No way. I don't know anything about curtains. That is what I had to tell a client yesterday. Her case worker told her she needed to get some curtains. (not sure why that is so important but...okay). Later I was thinking about the conversation and all the things I have helped with in the past: I've given rides to visit probation officers, helped exterminate cock roaches, sat in a room (behind the curtain) while someone had their cervix checked and I've been to get birth certificates & SS cards. I've helped dress a newborn for the first time - that wasn't mine. I've been to court and stood up for all sorts of colorful people. I've checked for head lice and helped comb nits out of hair. I've explained in detail how to stick a pad to you underwear in the correct position. I've help teen girls tell their mothers they are pregnant. I've had to talk to teen boys about stinky feet among other gross smells. I can tell you where to go to get free food, rent & socks. And, not in this job - but in the past- I have explained puberty and all the workings of the birds & the bees to a room full of sixth grade boys. I can tell you how to save a buck at the grocery store or even how to make marshmallows from scratch. But PLEASE don't go asking me about curtains..... Because I don't have a clue!

Dinner #3

No, I am not turning this into a food blog. I have just been busy and have had very little computer time for the last few weeks. But I wanted to tell you what I made for dinner this week!

Sunday - Cuban Black Bean Soup & Corn Casserole

Monday - Honey Mustard Chicken, Rice, Green Beans

Tuesday - Out for Mexican! Thanks Mom & Dad!

Wednesday - Turkey Meatloaf, Homemade mashed potatoes, glazed carrots

Thursday - Steamed Mussels, Sauteed Mushrooms & Peas

Friday - Indian Beef Stew - I know they don't eat Beef in India but that is what I had. The spices were definitely Indian!!! It was fabulous!

Saturday - Thai Shrimp, Thai Veggies & Rice! I made it again because we had company. It was a hit!!!!

For snacks I made pudding, cookies and rice crispy treats out of coco puffs & fruity pebbles (not together). I bought the cereal for less than $2 a box and then used Extra Bucks so it ended up being "cheap free". They didn't last very long!

Our local grocery store had a sale on meat. I bought a lot of chicken so expect to see more of it in the upcoming weeks!

Stir-Fried Thai Chicken Salad

I have had several requests for this recipe. I also got this one from the Better Crocker web page! This is how the recipe is written. I changed it up a little. I did NOT add the crushed red pepper, bok choy or peanuts. I just forgot to buy the bok choy. If you can find baby bok choy - I think that would be best. Oh, I didn't use the green onions either - I used regular onions and cooked them with everything else. I also added mushrooms and extra zucchini as well. You could add anything really. One last thing...I used leftover rotisserie chicken. I made jasmine rice with it. YUM....

Let me know if you try it and what you think. BTW...did anyone try that Thai Shrimp? I think I am going to make it again this weekend!


Stir-Fried Thai Chicken Salad


Sweet-and-Sour Dressing

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Chicken Salad

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound cut-up boneless chicken breast for stir-fry
1 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips (2 cups)
1 1/2 medium carrots, shredded (1 cup)
6 to 8 green onions, cut into 1-inch julienne strips (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chopped bok choy (stems and leaves)
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


1. Mix all Sweet-and-Sour Dressing ingredients.
2. In 12-inch skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
3. Add zucchini, carrots, onions and pepper flakes; cook and stir about 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in dressing. Cook and stir 1 minute. Serve over bok choy. Top with peanuts and cilantro.


Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker® Kitchens
You can use an equal amount of spinach or green cabbage for the bok choy. To julienne means to cut food into long, thin matchlike strips. You can also cut the zucchini, carrots and onion into thin slices to save a little prep time. Time Saver Purchase preshredded carrots in the produce section of your supermarket.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 335 (Calories from Fat 205); Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat ncg); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 290mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars ncg); Protein 23g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 58%; Vitamin C 34%; Calcium 12%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 3 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat; 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: nc *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
© 2009 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved

What was for dinner #3...

It has been a busy week for me - hence, the lack of blogging. You will see it also effected our meals. Nothing too fancy this week.

Sunday - Leftovers.
Monday - Chicken Thai Stir Fry (This was sooooo good. Better than any Chinese takeout).
Tuesday - Chick-fil-a - I ended up working late unexpectedly - I took a pregnant client to the hospital. So, Jake took the kids "out to eat".
Wednesday - Pasta (rice pasta), Meat & Mushroom Sauce. Watermelon.
Thursday - Chicken Tenders, Collard Greens, Peas & Carrots.
Friday - Pizza (Donatos has a crustless pizza - it was okay. I think I will try this myself next time).
Saturday - Leftovers (we had a lot of pasta & chicken left).

I also made Rice Pudding from scratch - Amazing.

So, there you go. Not that fancy at all. Wait until next week though....I have some GOOD stuff planned. Just if I can execute the plan.....

Check out what Steph had for dinner.

Uh, Excuse Me....I'd like to get off this emotional roller coaster - PLEASE!!!

I could be talking about so many aspects of my life..........................

But today I am feeling a little crazy about the weather.

Tuesday it was sunny. It was cold but it smelled like spring and I heard birds chirping. How could I NOT get my hopes up?

Wednesday it was raining, gloomy and gray. Boo Hiss.

Today. Snow. Not just a little. There is enough to cover the grass and roads.

I'm just so sad about it.

What was for dinner #2

Over at Stop the Ride, Stephanie has been doing this little "What was for dinner" play along. Apparently I was the only one playing along (well, I did once) but if you want to just stop over at her blog and leave a comment with your link. I think it is interesting to see what everyone else eats.

I am an adventurous cook. I LOVE to try new recipes. In fact I am always making something new. This week was no exception. Check it out.

Sunday - Chicken & Mushroom Soup. I skipped the corn and added sharp cheddar instead of parmesan.

Monday - Chipotle Style dinner - Pinto Beans, Cilantro lime rice, avocado, sauteed onions & red peppers, sour cream, cheese, salsa, shredded, seasoned chicken & corn chips.

Tueday - Thai Seared Shrimp & Jasmine Rice.

Wednesday - Mahi Mahi grilled with onions & peppers & Quinoa

Thursday - Thai Seared Shrimp - yes I made it again because I had leftover coconut milk & curry. It is sooooooooo good.

Friday- Rotisserie Chicken, Smashed Potatoes, Green Beans & Salad

Saturday - Thin Pork Chops w. Apples, Onions & cheddar cheese, roasted sweet potatoes and collard greens.

I also made Rice Crispy treats, pudding and chocolate cupcakes (from scratch).

Now I need to get to work on a plan for this week.......

A Friday Fill In!!!

1. It seems like winter is over.

2. Put your pencils down and look up - when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you dance I'd sing you a song!

4. Birds singing & hearts floating by - is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means flowers, hearts and a bunch of pink stuff.

6. Breakfast gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up with my DVR, tomorrow my plans include maybe baking some cupcakes, doing laundry & hanging with the family and Sunday, I want to do more of the same!

More Fill-ins.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

My Poster...

In KINDERGARTEN????

As many of you know, I was planning to homeschool my children. Then life happened and it didn't seem like much of an option for our family. Since we can't afford a private school and didn't get around to signing up for "financial aide" in time, we decided to send Jude to public school. I mean it is only kindergarten....... Ha ha ha ha ha. Famous last words. I will start by saying school has been good for Jude. He has done very well. He isn't as shy and he really enjoys learning. He was always so reluctant to learn from me.... Well, he was learning but he wouldn't admit to knowing anything. LOL. Jude does like school. I have had my complaints about the public school system, but honestly I have very high expectations. I joined the PTA so I could have some say! HA. That was a laugh. I decided the PTA was not for me after I caused a little bit of a stink in a meeting which consequently caused the other PTA Mom's to look in the other direction when they see me! The meetings pretty much consisted about grown women complaining and arguing over things like: the high schoolers swearing in the parking lot (they were afraid to ask them not to swear in front of the children. My question is: When did High Schoolers get so scary???) and the teachers not having a standardized school supply list OR the prizes for some stupid fundraiser. I should just stop talking about them....my blood pressure is going up! I do volunteer in the library once a week. I went on the field trip, help with parties and even went in to do a craft with Jude's class. It was fun. I know all the kids names in Jude's class - and they all know me. So, two weeks ago Jude's teacher had a "minor surgery". She said she would be out for a week. It ended up being two. The kids were not on their best behavior. I wasn't thrilled with the sub. I met her and thought she yelled too much. So, this is a conversation I had last week with Jude:

Jude: [Boy in class] got a red card today.
Me: Why? He is usually good.
Jude: He said a bad word.
Me: Oh. What word did he say?
Jude: I don't know.
Me: How did you know it was a bad word?
Jude: The other kids told me.
Me: Grrrrrr.....

I was proud that Jude didn't know the bad word.

So, Saturday we go the zoo and as we were getting out of the van this was the conversation we had:

Jude: Mommy, do you know about the F-word? (he actually said f-word not f***)
Me: Uh, which F-word?
Jude: I don't know? The F-word that is bad.
Me: Where did you hear about the F-word?
Jude: Aaron told me.
Me: Why was Aaron talking about the F-word?
Jude: I don't know but [a different boy] called the teacher a bad word.
Me: Oh. Did she hear him?
Jude: No, Ian whispered it in her ear.
Me: What did she do?
Jude: She made him go talk to Mrs. Burris (the other kindergarten teacher), that is what she does every time someone says a bad word.
Me: Oh, what does Mrs. Augustus do?
Jude: I don't know! People don't say bad words when she is there!

Apparently, they only cuss at the sub.

Saturday....

Yesterday we went to the Akron Zoo. I've mentioned before how much I love that Zoo. It is close (only a few miles away). It is small and manageable - it doesn't have to be an all day event. AND the animals are always so close up. I love it. They may not have some of the bigger (& smellier) animals but the kids always love it. In fact, Elise asks to go to the zoo every night before she goes to bed. Since the weather was (what people in ohio call....) nice yesterday - we took advantage of it! Here are some (well a lot) pics from the day!

The Search....is still on!

Some of you may have heard that Jake had a big interview last week. He had to buy a suit....he was told to "dress to impress". Suits are not cheap. He looked cute but not very comfortable. I think I'd rather see him in his camo shorts and a pair of hiking boots. LOL. He went to the interview and he felt pretty good about it. Over the weekend he kept talking about ideas and I could tell he was very excited. I was already feeling relief...thinking things we would be able to do with the gazillions of $'s he was going to be making. Unfortunately the company called on Monday and said they decided they weren't going to go forward with the project. Phooey. We were both very disappointed.

Currently we are doing okay... We are keeping our heads above water BUT his unemployment will be running out. We don't really have a plan. We have cut the expenses that we can. I could sit here and list them all but it makes me want to cry. Every day I listen to the news and it is so depressing. As I am typing I just heard PNC bank is cutting 5800 jobs - mostly from National City Bank that they just purchased - which is based in NE ohio. With my job I have contact with ODJFS and I see how backed up they are...things that used to take 2 weeks is taking 2 months because they are overwhelmed by the amount of people who need assistance. Jake looks every single day for a job. I see him pouring over job postings and sending out his resume. He isn't getting much of a response. It is very stressful.

I know God has a plan for us. I trust him. I just don't trust that I will like the plan.

Obama...

Okay, you might remember I criticized Sarah Palin during the presidential campaign. I also let you know that I voted for Obama...much to the disappointment of many of you. LOL. Well, it has been nice watching history and I think Obama has a lot of wonderful things to say. BUT...today I am mad at him. Back in May Obama said this:

We can't drive our SUVs and, you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on, you know, 72 degrees at all times, whether we're living in the desert or we're living in the tundra and then just expect every other country is going to say OK, you know, you guys go ahead keep on using 25 percent of the world's energy, even though you only account for 3 percent of the population, and we'll be fine. Don't worry about us. That's not leadership.

Last week it was reported that Obama has set the thermostat at the White House at 80! Are you kidding me?

I was already a little annoyed that the Obama inauguration cost $160,000,000! I know it was history making and there was cause for celebration but COME ON people....even if it wasn't tax payers money - it was still extravagant and wasteful.

Then on the radio today, Howie Chizek has been talking about the Obama's only eating some special and very expensive beef. Some type that costs like $200 per pound.

I don't know. He worked hard and he is the President of The United States of America. I think he should get some perks. But he has preached the message of "lead by example" that I feel seriously betrayed. I am not giving up on him yet but I am mad.

High School Creative Writing Class....

The first half of my senior year I took a Creative Writing Class. It was one of my most memorable classes. One of the things we had to do was keep a journal. I had tried to keep a diary or journal in the past but was not very good at it. I had to do it for this class. Recently I was digging up old photos from back in the day and came across this journal. I had found some other old journals a while back and they were just awful....I'm tellin' ya. But this one...well it is a little better. I will say this - I remember being a little boy crazy but NOT like the journal tells it. Wow. That is mostly what I talked about. But there are a few other things I thought I would share. It is funny because it has been so long I forgot a lot of it but I really haven't changed much at all. And here I thought I had!? Well, enjoy a little "younger" version of Delilah.....

8/29/1990 Well, this is my first journal entry. How exciting. I'm not really sure what to write so - I'll just tell about my first day of being a senior. Well, I wasn't happy to get back. I dread the hard work. We realeased balloons this morning. It was nice but, I'd prefer not to litter. I saw a lot of my firends and I was surprised how different they looked. I had a lot of homework. My sister helped me carry my books. My schedule was missing my independent study. I came home and all heck broke loose. Me & my boyfriend got into a fight. I had to go to work, etc...

8/30/1990 Today went by too fast. I am in yearbook. Mrs. Blackburn is talking. I am the Editor. I am home now and (I'll leave his name out) is standing in my doorway. He bugs me. He has a VHS Frosh Jersey on & grey semi-tight sweats. It's gross. They are tight at the top & it squishes his cellulite to the top and it overflows. I hate to be mean but, he is so dorky at times. He's telling me a story about EHOVE. Sometimes he lies to "impress" me. I hope Mitch calls soon. He was at softball practice. Whe he calls late I always get a nervous feeling inside. I hate it. Sometimes I can't stand it so much that I call him. It's because of stress.


I'll type more tommorow.

Wordless Wednesday...Is this against the law?

Wordless Wednesday

Kamikaze & Freshman Gym Class.

It is strange when I think back to my high school days. There is so much I can't actually remember. The main things I remember about high school are: my older boyfriend (he was around for most all of it so I can't really separate those memories), my youth group (he was there too), my friend Stephanie (partners in crime - LOL) and crazy stuff like this freshman gym class I was in. In our school we had to take gym our freshman and sophmore years. You had to have those two gym credits to graduate. I am not sure why the school scheduled it this way but half of the girls in my class were freshman girls and the other half were sophmore girls who had flunked gym the previous year. Those girls were scary! I can't remember everyone in the class but it is crazy how many I actually do remember ( Stephanie Norris, Debbie Rowe, Brooke Benedict, Heidi Morrow (rip), Dee Speckheart, Stacey Webb, Sandy Mills...) I know there were a bunch of other people I just don't remember who. Either way...it was a cut throat kinda class. I feared for my life. Seriously. When we played basketball I went home with bruises and scratches. It was full body contact basketball. The teacher was this nice lady we called "Winnie". Her husband was a math teacher and she was what you would expect of a woman gym teacher. (I can't believe I just said that). I never saw her as very feminine but thinking back it would be difficult to be girly in a gym suit. Anyhoo....in this class we would play this game called "Kamikazi". Let me explain. They put us in the "wrestling room". It is a smaller room with wrestling mats. I don't know if all schools have a special room for wrestlers but ours did. A friend of mine did dirty things with her boyfriend in that room (that is a story I don't need to share). The mats were rolled up and off to the side. I can't give you even an estimate of what size the room was but it was probably the size of a classroom. So we were put into teams and divided on either side of the room. Then the games began. I forget how many balls we were given - I think 2-4. We played "dodgeball" at close range with multiple balls. Isn't that insane? Do you know how bad it hurt when a ball hit you? I can still feel the sting. I HATED it. Looking back I am not sure why I didn't just try to get out right away but I didn't. I always tried so hard. I wasn't very good at it. The mean girls were great. I think they liked it. They would look at the freshman girls and point at who they were going to hit the hardest. Okay, maybe that is a slight exageration but that is how I want to remember it. There was this bully in the class. She had been a bully back in middle school too. She was always threatening to beat me up. I was so scared of her. I went out of my way to avoid her because she was out to get me. No matter what I did she hated my guts. Well, she was always yelling at someone in that class. Each week she would pick someone new to threaten. One day she was yelling at one of the girls in the class. I remember I was looking at a Sassy magazine with Debbie Rowe and I heard the bully just yelling at this girl while she was getting dressed. My blood was starting to boil. So...I stood up and I yelled at her. I told her I was sick of hearing her pick on someone new every week. I figured my week was coming up soon so I might as well get a head start. I said, "you have been threatening to beat me up since I was in 7th grade and you have never done a thing about it - and you are always threatening someone. So, either do it or shut up!" She was so shocked that anyone (especially me) would stand up to her. I heard someone say, "Winnie - Delilah is going to beat so-in-so up" so I decided to leave the locker room. When I turned the girl hit me in the back - with a girl punch at that.... I was a little stunned and turned but the teacher was already there (at that point I thanked God because I still didn't want the girl to beat me up). She ended up getting suspended. I got nothing. She never bothered me again. I don't even remember her later in High School. She may have moved for all I know. But I have thought of her over the years. I wonder what was going on in her life that made her so angry. Now that I am all grown up - I know she did not have a charmed life. She acted that way - always picking on someone - for a reason. I kinda feel sorry for her.

What have I been eating????

As you all know I have had to change some of my eating habits. I thought it was going to be dreadful but it really isn't that bad. I had already given up Fast Food for New Years (well, I did eat a salad at McDonalds on Monday) so I had a few weeks of "lunch planning" under my belt. It is really easy right now since I don't have many appointments during the day. I am not a big bread eater...I am, however, a snacker...most of my "snacks" contain wheat, corn or eggs. I have been eating a lot more fruit, veggies and yogurt (the kind w.out corn syrup). I do miss pizza (already). As I am typing I have a wheat free, corn free, egg free pizza in the oven - made from scratch of course... I'll let you know how it tastes. The dough definitely had a different consistency. For me the sauce is the most important part of a pizza and I make the best sauce so it should be good.

Anyhoo...over at Stop the Ride, Stephanie is doing this "What's For Dinner" thingy (meme? - I don't know what to call it: maybe "weekly event"). I will join in...here is what the Millers ate for dinner this week....



Saturday- Leftovers (I made a big pot of Oatmeal with toppings for Breakfast)
Sunday - Baked Potato Bar (sour cream, salsa, cheese, broccoli, homemade butter...)
Monday - Pan fried, thin pork chops, steamed cabbage w. dill, fried potatoes (leftover from the baked pot. the day before) & glazed carrots.
Tuesday - Pinto Beans & smoked sausage
Wednesday - Chicken breast & Bean Salsa (leftover pintos w/ tomato & cilantro).
Thursday - French Onion Soup (Homemade - I skipped the bread on mine), Salad & Fruit.
Friday - Brie Cheese (softened in the microwave) on Apples. (It was just me & Avery so we mostly snacked....)

Can I just say...French Onion Soup is the easiest thing to make. If you like it I highly suggest trying it at home. My kids even liked it and thought it was cool they got to eat out of coffee mugs.

To see what Steph and others had for Dinner go over to Stop The Ride.....

A Friday Fill-In fer ye...

1. Oh, I am so craving a thin crust, veggie pizza from Donatos!

2. I laugh in the face of changes, big and little.

3. During Grey's Anatomy, I cried, last night.

4. I can't eat WHEAT!!!!; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be on a beach in the Virgin Islands (someone please send me there).

6. My pressure cooker is currently my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching movies, tomorrow my plans include working on Scrapbooks and reading a good book and Sunday, I want to stay warm (it is only going to be 15 degrees)!

For more Friday Fill-ins Go HERE.

Facebook and me....

Work has been dreadfully boring. As it turns out our new contract does not start until Feb. 1 so......I am sitting around doing nothing. Well, not really. I have been sitting in front of a computer for HOURS this week. God love the people that do this all the time. I'd rather do MANY, MANY other things...including scrape cock roaches off someones kitchen counter than sit in front of this computer for another minute. This morning I did get out and helped someone move some stuff from one shelter to another. That was short. Then I came back to Kent and there was a donation of Christmas gifts here....an odd thing on January 23rd. Regardless, I spend 1/2 hour or so opening gifts. That was fun, while it lasted.

So, last week I decided to hook up with facebook. Sherry signed up and I thought it was time for me to join the rest of the free world too. So, with the extra time on my hands and my new relationship with facebook.............well, it has been out of hand this week. I have looked up and searched and poked around and talked to SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many people I haven't heard from in YEARS. It is really cool. In fact, it may be inspiring some new blog posts about the past. My. Crazy. Past. When I have talked about the past I usually talk about the college years but I think it is time to jump back to High School. I may have been wild in college but in High School I was sweet. I was a good kid. I had a few incidents but overall I was good. I will work on some new posts this weekend!

A Love Story....

I have been meaing to write about this....

I have mentioned before that my Dad has 9 brothers & sisters. He is the second youngest. His oldest sister, Carmel, was already married and had children when he was born. I am really sad to say, my Aunt Carmel passed away on January 4th. She had alzeimers. She was married to her husband, Clint, for 68 years. Man, that is a long time. Jake and I would have to live to be 95 to be married that long!!!! Well, if you read her obituary you will see you was survived by her husband. Right after her funeral he became ill and he passed away 6 days later. How horrible for the family but what a sweet love story.

It's the end of the world as you know it.....

A long time ago there was this radio station in Cleveland that was changing formats and they played the song "It's the end of the world as you know it" by REM over and over for 24 hours. For me it hasn't been a full 24 hours yet but last night I got a phone call that will change my life forever. I will start by saying I am not dying or anything....I won't keep you hanging on that. But as many of you know, for quite some time I have had MANY ailments that can't quite be explained. Thinning hair, bad nails, unexplained rashes, extra heart beats, brain fog, tiredness, oh the list can go on and on. I have been going to the doctor for years complaining of this and that. I fired one doctor and moved on to another. I was given diagnosises without adequate testing and when the medications haven't worked it is forgotten about until I feel the symptoms are unbearable and I go back to the doctor. Pretty much I have felt like somewhat of a hypocondriac because of the way I have been treated and looked at strangely. So, in October my doc gave me a paper for some blood work. I am embarassed to say I didn't get it done until recently. Mostly it was for normal cholesterol and such but there was another test for allegies. Back in the day they used to have to do that scratch test but now they can do it with blood. There are hundreds of these blood allergy tests. When I got to the place to get the bloodwork done the woman at the desk had to call the doc to see which allergy test he wanted me to have. He said for Food Allergies. I was disappointed because I felt like it was a waste of a test. Anyhooo..... A couple of weeks have gone by and I haven't gotten the results. In the mean time I was taking this long hot bath and reading a magazine that has an article in it about childhood food allergies. I immediately thought Elise has an allergy to wheat. I called her doc and he said he thought it may be possible and to take her off wheat for the next 10 days. When I started researching the allergy I starting thinking....wait a minute....I think I am allergic to wheat. Wheat is a tough thing to avoid. Well, last night, after dinner I got a phone call from the doc's office and they confirmed I am allergic to wheat. But there is more. I am also allergic to CORN. Do you understand corn is in everything! Oh, and I am allergic to EGGS! Wheat, corn and eggs. What will I eat? Every last one of my symptoms can be explained by these allergies. Amazing. They are bad enough I will give up these foods. I am not sure how I will do this. I can be stubborn and I do have willpower...I just don't like to use it. All I do know it...my life is changed. No pizza. No cake. No brownies. No coffeemate creamer. No chips and salsa. No beer. No cornbread. No doritos. No warm crusty bread or soft buttery yeast rolls. No lasagna. No spaghetti. No cookies. And don't even get me started on health and beauty aids.....everything has corn & wheat in it. I guess that is why certain shampoos have always made my hair fall out.

Instead of dwelling on what I can't eat or use, I will cling to the hopes of finally having thick, lush hair, clear skin and a skinny arse. Oh, and this my bring Make it from scratch up to a new level for me.

I will keep you updated but please keep me and (especially) Elise in your prayers.

666

This is my 666th post. I am not that superstitious but I am going to skip this post. Stay tuned for 667....I am working on it.

Now you can get hooked too.......

Junkies always want other people to be junkies too! As you know, I am a talk radio junkie. I listen to WNIR all the time. I don't always agree with everything they say but I think they are great! But don't let me convince you....now you can listen on your own! After months of saying they are going to be streaming....they finally got all the bugs worked out and you can listen from your computer!

This is NOT a paid advertisement....I really am this big of a nerd. Check it out for yourself!

Under Pressure.....

No, I am not talking about stress. I am practically stress free this week! I am speaking about cooking. A couple of years ago I got a fantastic deal on a pressure cooker. I snatched it up and brought it home. I didn't use if for a long time. Then I tried cabbage rolls. It was awesome....they took about 1/2 hour! Isn't that just crazy? Well, again I didn't use it for the longest time until recently. I have been using it all the time. It is great. I cooked chicken breast on the bone in 10 minutes. A roast with veggies only took Jake 40 minutes. I am so in love with this gadget! I have great intentions with planning my meals...it is the execution of the plan that troubles me. The pressure cooker is my answer! The crock pot is great but it takes time in the mornings, which is always chaotic for me.

For those of you worried about the thing exploding - I will admit I was a little nervous at first - they are practically fool proof these days! All the latest pressure cookers come with safety devices that won't allow them to explode. Seriously I encourage everyone to try cooking this way!

For those of you concerned....

I have just completed my notes. I have been extrememely behind and although it has been causing me a large amount of distress.........I have been procrastinating like CRAZY. My desk is clean, I've posted how many times in the last three days, I've talked, I've made phone calls, I've organized and cleaned out.................finally I just finished my last one!!! Yippy!

Lost Friends....

I have been thinking lately about friends. I have been blessed throughout my life with great friends. No matter what stage I was going through or where I was I always got to know intersting and fabulous people. I could sit and tell you stories all day long. I have shared a few with you along the way....so you already know a little. Anyhoo. There is a reason for this post. Although I have had many people touch my life I have lost many friends through the years. Many times when my circumstance changed or when I moved I lost contact with friends. A great example of that is work. I have worked jobs and befriended a many coworker. I have taken a few friendships with me when I was no longer employed but many times people I saw on a daily basis and even spent time outside of work with just got lost. That is really the only way I can explain it. Sometimes you just take for granted a person will always be there and then you loose touch. I do have friends that even if we don't talk for a very long time - when we do it is like time never passed between us. I love that. A few months ago Jake and I were out to eat and I saw this girl who I thought looked familiar. I asked if she used to work at Allstate. She was so shocked and said "Yes, like forever ago." She was pregnant at the time. She had a young teen girl sitting with her. I said, I am Delilah. She was suprised to see me and she laughed and told the people she was with....I was just telling you a story about her! Funny. We exchanged cards but haven't spoken since. I'm not sure why.

When I first went to Kent I worked at Toys R Us. I met this girl named Lisa. She was from Struthers or Poland Ohio. She went to the University of Akron. We immediately clicked and started hanging out all the time. We dated guys that were best friends. LOL. She went to Columbus with me to visit another friend. I still have pictures of her. Well, after hanging out with me for one semester she, unfortunately, flunked her fisrt semester of college and didn't make it back for a second. We kept in contact for a while but I have no idea where she is now. I can't even remember her last name.

So, many of you know my story of my "best friend" who basically dumped me after I got married and then got pregnant. I haven't ever blogged about it because I honestly, don't even really understand what happened. Funny, thinking about it many of you were dumped too. Regardless....I tried to talk to her about it a couple of years later and she told me she wasn't interesting in my "negativity". Still....a little in shock about that, since I still don't know why she went from being a friend to a foe overnight. Maybe it was coming for a while and I just didn't see it. So....she and I work in the same field. A couple of years ago my sister ran into her dad and come to find out - she lived only a few short blocks from me. Later Jake was looking at the property transfers in the newspaper and saw she bought a house not quite as close but in the same city....on the same side of the tracks! I have never run into her anywhere. I had just said a couple of weeks ago, that if she saw me she probably wouldn't talk to me or she would avoid me. Well, a couple of Sunday's ago I got to put that very theory to test. Jake and I went to the grocery store after church. He dropped me off at the door so he could get gas, then he was going to meet me inside. I got out and went on my way. When we were leaving the store, Jake said..."Did you see Tiffany?" I said, What???? He said she was right behind you when you got out of the car! Are you kidding me? Sure enough right then we walked past her car. He said there was absolutely NO WAY she could not have seen you. Maybe she didn't. I can't know for sure because I didn't see her - she was behind me. I am really at a loss...... I guess it isn't meant for me to ever understand. I used to think, "Someday when I talk to Tiffany again I will tell her I ran into this person or about this happening." I don't think that anymore. If she had talked to me in the store I would have been friendly, smiled, asked her how she was...... I don't think we will ever be friends again. Too much...too long... Ya know?

Well, lucky for me occassionally I will run into an old friend and reunite....although at times it is brief. I love when that happens. Myspace, my blog, Facebook, Classmates....I love 'em. Maybe next time I will post "Lost Friends Found"!

Free Hugs...

I just found this on Youtube. I was at Toys for Tots when this guy was there. It is a great video. I am not fond of the full on body hug but I think it is a great message.

Kids Say the Silliest Things.....

Last night the kids were coloring with these markers on this shiny cardstock paper. It was making this high pitched squeaking noise - sorta like nails on a chalk board.

I said, "Will you stop that sound is making me crazy!"

Elise said, "Crazier?"

I know, Christmas is Over!

Well, it has been some time hasn't it???? As always I have been in fast forward buzzing through the holidays. The Miller family is always on the go. I won't bore you with all the details but we've made trips, had company, shopped, baked, delivered, created, ate, played and even relaxed a little. Whew....now I think I need a vactaion. Too bad for me - I am back to work today and should be working on my notes. Yikes! I had court first thing this morning and despite a lengthy delay in the proceedings the case made a turn around and everyone was given a Monday morning suprise when my clients baby was returned to her. I love those joyous moments. On the other hand on the way to the office three hours later I got a call that- another client started disclosing stuff that will honestly probably end up on the evening news. What I am trying to say is.....no rest for me. We haven't even taken our tree down yet. We had planned to do that yesterday but never got around to it. Maybe tonight. If I am not here doing notes too late. LOL.

So, I made a New Years Resolution. Last year I wanted to be more healthy - and I think I started out real strong but after going back to work I really fell off that wagon. So, this year I want to make it something a little more "concrete". I have decided to give up fast food. With my job it is so easy to run by a drive though and get something to eat. And honestly, I can do it for pretty cheap. But....it is so unhealthy. Yuck yuck yuck. So, I am going to do my best. Today I packed leftovers and they were delish.

I am going to attempt to get back on track with daily blogging. Lord only knows I have a lot to tell ya about........