Time for some cookin . . .

Getting started on some Superbowl dishes for the big game (party) tomorrow afternoon. The Boyle's family is hosting this year so we are all bringing something. It will be GREAT! to see the tailgater's of Beaver Nation, we haven't seen everybody since the Civil War get together, a few of us got together for the Bowl game. I'm sharing some recipes I'm taking tomorrow, thought maybe you would enjoy them too. I'm going to try to keep that "diet" mentality on the most fabulous food day of the year, and apparently I need to be monitoring my expanding hip size as well, hmmpffff, stupid doctor. It's going to be a challenge. Portion control is the key! so what happens if I have about 30 small portions (nibbles or munches) spread over 6 hours?? Guess I will find out! GO CARDINALS!!!

Yummy Hamburger Dip

1 1/2lb. of hamburger

taco seasoning (desired amount)

1 can (lg) of refried beans

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 bottle - Green taco sauce (select mild, medium or hot, whatever you like)

2 c. shredded cheese (mexican blend)

Cook hamburger, drain fat, combine desired amount of taco seasoning with a little water, stir until taco consistency. Layer in a 9X13 pan the following, hamburger mixture, refried beans, sour cream, taco sauce, shredded cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Veggie Pizza Squares

2 pkgs. Pillsbury crescent rolls

2/3 c. Best Foods mayonnaise

1/2 c. sour cream

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 envelope Uncle Dan's zesty Ranch dressing

red pepper, broccoli, carrots, cucumber (chopped into small pieces)

Spread crescent roll dough on a 11X17 jelly roll pan. bake 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees or until lightly browned. Cool. Combine mayo, s. cream, cream cheese and ranch dressing. Spread on crust. At this point you can either combine all the vegies together and spread over the top OR square off cheese mixture and place each vegie in a square (I think this looks cooler). Cover with plastic wrap and press vegies gently into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate and cut into squares. This can me made a day ahead.

Taco Salad

(from the old "Mr. Food" show on Channel 8)

This makes a huge salad so you may want to cut in half sometimes for smaller get togethers. Serves 10-12

1 lb hamburger

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 medium head of lettuce

2 c. cheedar cheese (shredded)

1 16oz can dark red kidney beans (I use black beans instead) drained/rinsed

2 large tomatoes (dices)

2 cans (2 12oz) sliced black olives

1 bag Cool Ranch flavored Doritos (crushed)

1 bottle of Catalina or French Dressing

Brown hamburger, drain, add seasoning mix and cook through. Set aside to cool a bit. Tear lettuce into bite size pieces. In a large salad bowl, layer as follows: 1/2 lettuce, 1/2 cheese, 1/2 beans, 1/2 hamburger, 1/2 tomatoes, 1/2 olives. Repeat.

At this point you can cover and store overnight if needed.

Before serving add crushed Doritos to top of salad and toss. Add dressing and toss lightly again. It's really good!

Oh great . . . it's the "A" word . . .

So my knee has been bugging me for awhile now. Awhile meaning . . . a little over a year. I seem to remember on one of my walks that at sometime I turned my leg the wrong way and ever since then it's felt funny. Well, not funny ha.ha. but funny ouch. I have just been ignoring it, but lately going up and down stairs, getting out of a chair, even turning over at night causes a knife pain in my knee. I think my tolerance to pain is pretty high, but it's just really been annoying me lately. So I made an appt. to see an Orthopedist today. I explained to him my symptoms and said, "I really hope nothing is torn, because I probably won't have any surgery done unless it's a simple arthroscopic procedure, otherwise I can put up with it." "Well, I'm glad to hear that" he says, and he sends me down the hall for about 5 different Xray views of my knee. Have you ever had to wear paper shorts before? oh verryyyy attractive . ha! Anyway . . after he does some twisting, turning, pushing and pulling of my leg and knee area, he looks at the Xrays that were taken and begins his diagnosis. "I am happy to tell you that nothing is torn so no surgery is going to be required" . . . . "Well, that's great news!" I say, then he goes on "Can you see this area in the Xray??" "Yes?" "Well, it looks like you have a bit of arthritis developing in the knee area and your kneecaps are slightly out of place" WHAT??? how did that happen? I sit Indian style (or yoga as they call it now) all the time, my kneecaps should be in great shape? then he says, "Now this is the part you won't like, but women at your age begin to develop . . . ." At that point I didn't like this doctor anymore . . . WHAT DOES HE MEAN WOMEN MY AGE and WHY am I hearing that so much lately?? "because a womens hip size pulls the muscle near your knee and that muscle needs to be strengthend so your kneecap aligns properly" . .blahblahblah . . WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT I HAVE FAT HIPS??? (I'm thinking with a fake smile), "So you would benefit from a few physical therapy sessions to learn some stretching exercises to strenghten the muscles around the knee and feel free to take some Motrin if it really feels uncomfortable". . . "Oh thank's, good to know." I say, thinking (I would rather you have told me it was badly torn and I need surgery, instead of "I'm OLD and that's just the way it is so GET OVER IT, and apparently my HIPS are a problem too"). I think I will just self medicate with a glass of wine and try to feel good about myself again! ;)

Nothing a little Don Henley can't cure . . .

Hey . . what's your bid? . . .

Time again for "drumroll please" . . .the annual Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Auction and Dinner. So one of the baskets I am putting together for the auction this year is again (after last year's popularity) a TRAIL BLAZERS BASKET.


Contents include: 2 FABULOUS tickets to the Blazers vs. Utah Jazz on March 31st, Portland Trailblazers car flag, Blazers lanyard, Brandon Roy Bobblehead, Brandon Roy size large #7 Tshirt, RUDY Ferrrrrnaaanddezzzzz Bobblehead (going for over $100 in Spain!), and big #1 Blazer hand for the #1 FAN!!!

The second basket is called "Ladies Night" contents include: 3 current Best Selling romance novels, 1 Sugar Cookie scented candle, 2 Martini glasses, 1 kitchen towel saying "Real Women Drink Martini's", 1 fifth Smirnoff Pomegranate Martini Cocktail, 2 - DVD's Grease & 20th Anniversary Dirty Dancing, $50 gift card to McMenamin's (food, spa or hotel), small photo album (to brag about your kids or grandkids), lotions AND a 8X10 glossy photo of Brad Pitt ... woo hoo !!!!


Come to the event, tons of great items to bid on as well as the silent auction!! Saturday, February 21st, Tuality Health Community Center . . .

Back to where I started . . .

I made a decision after the first of the year to do some kind of volunteer work. We use to help alot when our kids were younger for things mostly related to their school or sports. So I don't know . . . lately I've felt a bit like I haven't been doing my part by volunteering like I should, especially with no kids at home anymore. I considered a few organizations like: The Oregon Food Bank, Medical Teams International, Washington Co. Domestic Violence Resource Center and St. Vincent's Hospital in Portland. Since my volunteer time can only be on either Saturdays or Sundays that sort of narrowed down which organizations I could help. After contacting the first three, I've decided that St. V's would be the best fit. I really enjoyed the 18 years I spent working there and look forward to giving back. So on Wednesday there is an orientation so they can decide where to best utilize me, either in surgery scheduling, gift shop, information desk, working in the nursery or helping to wheel out discharged patients. I told them whereever they need help just let me know, this is going to be fun.

At least you have a job . . .

Doom and gloom is the economic picture on a daily basis these days. Headlines detail the different industries impacted by the recent layoffs. In Oregon and everywhere companies are making big/huge reductions in the workforce. Locally Intel and other manufacturing companies are laying off and closing their doors. At our school district in late November we were told that there would be department budgets & program cuts with an $800,000 reduction predicted to the budget for the remainder of this school year. Now we are told the budget reduction is much higher than originally predicted with it being closer to $1.5 million instead. We are suppose to be given the final numbers in about 2 weeks after the Governor presents the 2009-2011 budget. No matter who got us into this mess . . Republicans (with de-regulation and overspending) or Democrats (adding more and more government) at this point it doesn't really matter, so get over the finger pointing and get to work. We just really need to get out of it. There are more kids in our school than ever with a Mom or Dad or both without a job, and that is worrisome. The kids are stressed, they are being expected in some households to now work more hours at their "fastfood" jobs, making their education take a backseat to helping the family pay bills and put food on the table, the staff is stressed waiting for the other shoe to drop about what's going to be cut next, it's not good. Alot of the emotions are for things completely out of our control, and occasionally people need to be reminded of that.

A timely love story . . .

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love. Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible. He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us." She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome. Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mind set. That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with. A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids. So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl?

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person. It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

So after hearing this story and not really having a special team going to the Bowl this year . . my cheering will be for the Cardinals, where a great guy is the quarterback . .

Here is another find . . .

Tomato Juice. My Mom would drink it occasionally when we were growing up, I tried it and thought it was gross. She made the suggestion that I might like V8 instead of regular tomato juice, I tried it and found it even grosser than tomato juice. I wasn't a huge fan of vegetables but I tolerated them growing up, but to drink the juice of them . . . eeewwww, no thank you. Shortly after I started dating my husband his Mom was a big fan of Beer & tomato juice. "Oh you will really like it she said, it's especially good for hangovers the morning after". . hhmmmm. . .really? . ."Ok, I'll try it then . . . . well YUCK . .what are you people thinking???!!?" So needless to say TJ has not been a part of my beverage selection . . . Until now . . . and only because I can get it SPICY Hot ;). I bought some of this a couple of years ago when it first came on the market to "try again" since tomato juice is suppose to be so good for you and I absolutely LOVE the spicy hot version!! I have also used it in a number of recipes and it always adds great flavor. I've added it to chili, meatloaf, pot roast, spaghetti sauce, Bloody Mary's, spicy lentil soup, shrimp cocktail mix and spicy pork chops. So here is my grocery find of the week, see if you like it . .

Great!! time in Vegas . . .

Sunny and 68 degrees on Las Vegas Blvd. . . woohoo! It was great for walking up and down the strip. Just to feel the warmth of the sun again was wonderful! The Beatles show "Love" at the Mirage Hotel & Casino was a HUGE hit! It was unbelievable, the music was soooo good and the performance was spectacular, I would highly recommend going to see it, especially if you enjoy Beatles music.

At the Mirage following the show we did have to make a stop in the Beatles "Revolution" Lounge, of course. All of the barmaids and bartenders are dressed in outfits from various Beatle movies ie. Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour, etc. Drinks were waaay over priced of course, but hey!! it's Vegas!

Lucas was getting concerned about his upcoming part in Stephanie & Brian's wedding. Even his daddy's encouragement wasn't enough to get him to walk down the aisle with his cousins Ella & Taylor. Oh well, he still looked cute in his mini tux anyway.

Stef looked so beautiful as she walked with her Dad, the weather was perfect.

OH now!! he wants to be the life of the party of course, after the procession is over and there is no pressure to perform anymore!! ha . ha!

After all the excitement of the wedding, the reception, the food and dancing, we looked over and Lucas was crashed with his Mommy.

Needless to say, the 777's didn't appear on my payline, the Wheel of Fortune song didn't chime in for a spin, the Harley Davidson, Mustang Convertible or Red Ferrari that I played for are not currently being parked in my driveway, nor did any bells and whistles go off indicating that I had just won any number of Progressive Jackpots that were available . . so in a nutshell . . . that means I'm back at work tomorrow. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted anyway!!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

To all my . . .

I hope this works . . .

Good thinking on my part to begin my serious dieting 2 weeks before we are going to Las Vegas, only the buffet capital of the world (next to Reno)!! But I am determined . . I was surfing the web and found tips on staying on your diet while approaching the buffet table . . some of these suggestions I will probably use.

• Choose a small plate - seems obvious - but a large plate typically means lots of food and all hope of appropriate portion size is abandoned, research has proven this (I can validate personally based on the size of my holiday plates . uh large . . ha!).


• Memorize what a "healthy plate" looks like - Try filling up your plate with salads and vegetables first - whatever is left can go to the other foods.


• Check out the buffet before loading up the plate - Some people start at one end, and by the time they've finished loading the plate it looks like Mt Everest. Take a minute to walk around the foods before you grab your plate. Make a mental list of the best foods (lean proteins, salads, vegetables, etc). When it's time to grab your plate - you can bypass all the other foods.


• Avoid crisp, crunchy, batter dipped foods, foods that have been deep fried. Creamy textures equal high calories: gravies, soups, sauces. Dessert counter should be considered very carefully when trying to avoid high sugar, high calorie foods. (Oh . . I hope I can do this).


• Find the slowest eater - Know someone who eats really slow? Sit next to them. It'll help you pace yourself properly - and you'll soon know if you've been stuffing yourself.


• Drink wisely - Alcoholic drinks are surprisingly high in calories. If you're after something a bit more exciting than plain water then go for a soda water (aka seltzer water or club soda). A dash of lime juice in it can make it a tasty drink. (this may well be where I fall off of my plan)


• For many people, a buffet meal should be avoided completely - the temptation to get your money's worth is too strong. Research has demonstrated that the more variety on offer, the more we tend to eat.

With these tips I will be prepared to enter the buffet line . . I hope . . oh man . . this is going to be a challenge. Well, once this hurdle is complete, no worries, soon after I return home I will have 2 weeks to prepare for all the delicious foods facing me at the Super Bowl Party . . . AAAArrrgghhhh!

WooHoo . . Vegas! . . .

A trip to Vegas is coming up very soon and I'm really looking forward to it. We are actually going to a wedding for my daughter-in-laws sister SO there is a real purpose to our trip other than to sit at the card table. As everyone knows I am a fan of the slot machine so I imagine that in some free time I will find my hiney sitting in front of one or two (or 3,4,5 etc.) machines. You'll find me at either the nickel, dime or quarter machines, you see I am and extremely high roller . NOT. About a year ago I heard about a show that is being performed at the Mirage Hotel and Casino called
The Beatles "Love" Cirque Du Soleil. It was featured on some talk show during it's opening night performance because Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney attended. They both gave really positive comments about how their music was used as it related to the performances of the Cirques Du Soleil acrobats. So when we decided we were going to the wedding I started checking online about the show. We have never been to a fancy show in Vegas or Reno ever so I told/asked hubby, "I am going to look at getting tickets for this show, ok?" "Well, how much is it?" he says "Oh just don't worry about it . . yes, it's gonna be spendy but what the heck, we won't ever go to another show again, and I think we'll really enjoy this one, it's all performed to Beatles music." His next question to me is "So are there any naked women in it?".....aaarrrghhh "NO, I kind of doubt it"...."Oh . . Yeah, I guess we can go anyway. "So I will let you all know how it was . . . minus the naked ladies >: / http//www.mirage.com/entertainment/love.aspx

So the new year diet begins . .

Monday -
Breakfast - Green tea, 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Lunch - 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Dinner - Shrimp salad
Personality - Excited about starting new diet

Tuesday -
Breakfast - Green tea, 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Lunch - 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Dinner - 1 piece of Jamaican Jerk Chicken, salad lite dressing
Personality - this isn't so bad, but I miss my Diet Coke and Lattes

Wednesday -
Breakfast - Green tea, 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Lunch - 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Dinner - 1 chicken enchilada, salad lite dressing
Personality - Beginning to think about food too much, but happy with the couple lbs I've lost.

Thursday -
Breakfast - Regular tea, 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Lunch - 1 can chocolate Slim Fast
Dinner - 1 Teriyaki chicken breast, salad lite dressing, 4 garlic fries
Personality - Getting crabby .. I can tell, hubby is cutting back his eating during the day too (he won't resort to Slim Fast though . .it's a guy thing) and we are running to the kitchen to start dinners in the evenings when we walk in the door . . ha!

I don't know it just happens, you are an OK weight then all of a sudden a couple years later . . well . uuhhh . . how did I gain those 20 lbs??? I don't remember . . a little too much of this . . . a bit too much of that . . . not enough exercise, probably all of those things?? But it's starting to bug me so we are determined to shed a few pounds this year, so if we appear distracted, short tempered or crabby, it's because we are (sorry, it's temporary) until we get over the hump of beginning to diet. Just hand us a glass of water with a lemon slice in it and we'll be OK . . maybe!

Ha! that was fun . . .

Great to be back at school again, even a number of the kids commented on getting tired of being home with the family, which was surprising. So after doing alot of catching up between classes one of the teachers said to me, "Hey, did you see us on YouTube?" . . What?? No . . Well, it seems that one of the freshman recorded the Staff lip sync that we performed before the break on her cell phone then downloaded it to YouTube. When I got home last night I looked it up. HA!! there it was, not great quality, but that's what makes it so original. Since we were facing the senior section you are getting our backsides, the best part is hearing the kids responses to some of our moves and the songs, I dare you to find me in the masses! Enjoy!

The party's over . . .

Back to reality tomorrow. After a nice long three week break I won't complain. There are a few things I did way too much of when I was home and had time on my hands. #1 - Over clean my house, it's ridiculous. There are only two of us and I should not be re-vacuuming, wiping, dusting, mopping, washing everyday with the little bit of mess we make, but I do, when I'm home sitting around looking for things to do. #2 - I eat too much, so when there is nothing to do (after all of the over-cleaning), I start to nibble, a little of this and a little of that. Not good. #3 - Spend too much money, So after cleaning my house, and nibbling, then I go out and spend money (hey, there are sooo many great sales right now!!). Yes, some of the things are needed grocery items (I need more munchies to nibble on while I'm bored in the house), but I always end up coming home with something(s) more than I went for or needed. This year I resolve to try to clean my house less, not nibble unnecessarily and try to not buy stuff that I don't need. Will see how long that lasts! ha!

2009 ready or not . . .

Today is the dismantling of Christmas inside and out. All the decorations, lights, and displays getting boxed up for another year. The holiday leftovers are getting tossed into the garbage for a fresh and healthy start for the New Year (at least for awhile anyway) . .