tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44848561238320962282024-03-13T05:41:32.065-05:00Bay Area² PeegeThe scattered ranting and raving of a quasi-crazy mother and wife...PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-38854977411420026682011-07-10T09:27:00.004-05:002011-07-10T09:41:41.378-05:00Begone, Fatso!!!So, I am a die hard foodie who is sick and tired (literally) of being fat. I have been fat MOST of my adult life! It is most undesirable. I would like to live long enough to see grandchildren grow up. But, for now, I would like to be able to walk up my stairs without my knees screaming in pain!<br /><br />Over the last 6 or 8 weeks I have been significantly working on intake quantity and quality... plus a little exercise tossed in here and there. I am proud to say I have lost 20# so far. I still have 85 to go, though. I have been using a free program that is extremely amazing. It is called <a href="http://mynetdiary.com/">MyNetDiary</a>. A good friend told me about it a couple months back. Those of you looking into losing weight, I suggest it, highly. There is a more extensive program you need to pay for but I have not. The free one has been fine for me. It also has a free iPhone app that syncs with your account (I say account and you think $$ but I mean a free account, still).PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-78416006280040262952011-04-17T15:42:00.005-05:002011-04-17T16:21:16.716-05:00Mitchell's Fish Market inTampa - Lunch - 4.5 starsToday, our children are with their Bubby preparing for tomorrow night's event, Sedar 2011. <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">The Mup</a> and I decided to go to a nice lunch at a new place, get some <a href="http://i1.expansys.com/img/b/216293/apple-ipad-smart-cover-grey.jpg">accessories for his new toy</a>, and dilly-dally since we cannot often do that comfortably with the kidlets. A Facebook friend, who is also a teacher at the kidlets' school, posted about her outing last night at <a href="http://www.oceanprimetampa.com/">Ocean Prime</a> for her anniversary. Unfortunately, they do not open until 4PM on Sundays. Back up plan in full effect, we decide to go to <a href="http://www.mitchellsfishmarket.com/index.cfm?selectlocation=23">Mitchell's Fish Market</a>, a place we have been wanting to try.<br /><br />First Glance: It looks a little ritzy. Inside is clean, moderately upscale, staff is friendly, raw bar (oysters) seats 4 and has an impressive mound of fresh oysters on ice for your viewing (and slurping) pleasure, a fish display like you would see at a deli/meat/fish monger counter beautifully displays their wares, and more than one room accommodates larger, private parties.<br /><br />First Bite: Being a San Francisco Bay Area native, sourdough is my favorite starch, bar none. Tampa is hardly the place to find decent sourdough. Much to my surprise, fresh, hot sourdough baguettes are served as a precursor to your meal. The tartness was spot on, too! Impressed so far.<br /><br />The Meal: <a href="http://www.mitchellsfishmarket.com/cmr/files/content/Tampa_Lunch.pdf">Blackened Salmon & Spinach Salad</a>. $13 is a little pricey for lunch, I will admit. However, the salmon was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The salad got and A+ for portion size, was fresh and had the exact amount of dressing needed. The dressing was obviously made in house and had the perfect amount of sweetness for a spinach salad. The pecans were chopped (which I prefer in a salad) and the apple slices were cold, crisp and juicy. The red onion was sliced extremely thin so it did not overpower the salad. However, the goat cheese could have played a bigger role.<br /><br />Overall: Why 4.5 instead of 5? The lack of goat cheese and the price. You pay for good food, but if I am paying $13 for a 3oz salmon and a salad, toss a little more goat cheese in there! Other than that, I will not complain. We will definitely be back.<br /><strong><span></span></strong><strong></strong><strong></strong>PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-28586174900360977262010-12-15T10:03:00.002-05:002010-12-15T10:06:53.624-05:00Tis the Season for Bloody Noses :(Dean woke, and in turn woke his sister to "help him down the stairs", at 5am due to a bloody nose. When all was settled, the 2 kids decided to curl up on the big couch together, side-by-side and sleep out the rest of the night. I wish I was coherent enough to take a picture of the cute couple on the couch this morning!<br /><br />I never thought I would say i need a humidifier in Tampa, Florida.<br /><br />Would you like to win a Vicks Starry Night Humidifier? Enter here: http://bit.ly/hDMkKAPJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-88132007821876361172010-11-15T15:57:00.008-05:002010-11-15T16:41:45.712-05:00Dining Out With a Family of 4 - On a BudgetI love to cook... but I LOOOOOOOVE to go out! Many people ask how we are able to eat at so many restaurants so often with 2 children. Here are a few tips that we use that may also help you.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Drink water!</span> Not only is this a healthier option than most of what you would normally choose, but it will save you $6-$8 (or MORE) for a family of 4.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nix the kid's meal.</span> Kid's meals rarely impress me in a restaurant and 9 times out of 10, my 6 year old wont eat it anyway. Most options are either fried or a boxed form of mac & cheese. YUCK! Why pay $4 for something you can buy for 50 cents? Consider splitting an adult meal for the kids. It is probably more appetizing anyway! Children have palates, too. Honest! Sometimes, splitting between the 2 kids is impossible. My 8 year old usually eats a small, adult entree alone now. But getting a soup in addition to my meal is usually enough for my 6 year old.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Do not over-eat.</span> Not only is it bad for you, but it is costly! Portion sizes in most restaurants are over-abundant as it is. Is there really a need for an appetizer, regular size entree AND dessert? Perhaps there is! Maybe it is a special occasion. But you should really consider that before making your choice.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">NEVER be afraid to use coupons.</span> I sign up for every free rewards program there is. If I happen to go to that restaurant, great. If not, no harm, no foul, right? Signing up for a rewards program usually gets you on a list for extra coupons, too. So, if you like to dine out, do your research!<br /><br />Hopefully this has helped you a bit.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-46339668829578610392010-11-01T17:46:00.003-05:002010-11-01T18:17:22.360-05:00The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!Living in Florida has it's advantages! My mother flew in from California 2 weeks ago. Her cousin, Billy, from Pennsylvania joined us. My mother had been planning a trip with all of to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure for MONTHS! It was pretty cool if I do say so myself, which I have no problem doing as most of you already know! However, for those of you eager to go into the most wizard-laden spot in Orlando, I have a few tips for you. Keep in mind I did NOT go on a weekend or holiday. I went on a Friday and it was shoulder to shoulder madness!<br /><br />1. THE RIDES: The official website says the best time to ride the Forbidden Journey is first thing in the morning when the park opens. Unless you are THERE when the park first opens, I suggest going around sunset. Also note, the pass that allows you to go around everyone does NOT apply for this ride. Keep an eye on the marquees around the park that shows you the current wait times for the most popular rides. If you get carsick easily, this is NOT a good ride for you. I felt sick for 30 minutes afterwards. The Flight of the Hippogriff is a GREAT ride for all ages. Hold on to hats or anything else that is loose. We did not ride the Dragon Challenge.<br /><br />2. THE WAND: One of the best-selling souvenirs is a replica wand. And who wouldn't want one?!?! For $25 (yeah, a little steep but it is a theme park) you get your choice of wand from Neville's, to Harry's, to the want of the Dark Lord himself!! Now, you have a few options of HOW to do this and that is really where the time-saving tip comes in. You can stand in line for the "wand presentation" (reviews say it is lame) which chooses only ONE person from each group for the presentation. The wand chooses you, yadda-yadda. The day I went, the line was 2 hours just to get in the shop and every report I have seen said that is minimal for that particular attraction. If you want a wand you can go around the BACK of the line and enter Dervish and Banges from the back side. You can also get one at a kiosk between the exit from Forbidden Journey and the exit from the Flight of the Hippogriff.<br /><br />3: BUTTERBEER, PUMPKIN JUICE AND FOOD: Many people see the Butterbeer cart in the center of town and think "OOOH That line is long! I should get in line now!" Well, they would be wrong. The best place to get one of these treats is in the Three Broomsticks Tavern. Also, it is far better frozen and it is AMAZING! As for the Pumpkin Juice, you can buy these all over but I believe the only way to get the bubbly version is in Three Broomsticks. I have heard the bubbly is much better. To me, it tastes like an over-sweetened and spiced version of apple cider. The food at the Three Broomsticks was REALLY good. We got the feast and it fed 4 adults and 2 children with left overs! It was a great deal.<br /><br />4. HONEYDUKE'S/ZONKO'S - THE CANDY/JOKE SHOP: There was a line to get in here when I was there. I am sure there is a fire code restriction for the amount of people. But Zonko's (the joke shop owned by the Weasley twins) is right next door and the 2 stores are connected inside. Walk past the candy shop (walking away from the Three Broomsticks) and enter Zonko's to get in Honeyduke's if there is a line. The Honeyduke's chocolate bars were terrible but the fudge flies rocked! Either take a soft cooler bag with freezer packs for your chocolate, or get your candy from Honeyduke's as your last stop in the park before going home. Honeyduke's WILL NOT transfer food to the front of the park for you (like other stores in the park will) and I guarantee the candy will melt. I took quart sized ziplocs, filled one with hotel ice and double bagged it. It worked GREAT as a freezer pack!! Zonko's was unimpressive to me.<br /><br />5. THE TRAIN: Stop and take a picture of the family by the Hogwart's Express. This only takes a second! You will regret it if you don't!<br /><br />I am a dork and somehow missed Filch's Emporium and the Owl Post. I wont make that mistake next time ;)PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-80757019635439519302010-07-01T18:45:00.001-05:002010-07-01T18:45:53.389-05:00For Hosh :)http://funmoneygames.blogspot.com/2010/06/first-rss-contest.html<br /><br />Join the contest at Fun Money Games! It's a great site full of info about FREE games with prizes!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-13264500426301438852010-01-21T09:52:00.004-05:002010-01-21T12:46:00.094-05:00All in the family...I do not blog enough… Sorry (<a href="http://www.amusedtolife.com/">Reese</a>). I have so much on my plate I find it difficult, sometimes, to sit down, put pen to paper (or finger to board in this case) and expel myself (that is really what blogging is, isn’t it?) into a concise note to the world. Without further adieu, here goes!<br /><br />My daughter’s 6th birthday party is this weekend. Six… How did we get here? It really does seem like last week when I was snuggling and nursing her in bed in the GA house. Time flies… I always have heard older people say that; “Cherish these moments because they are gone too soon”. I guess I am old! We are having a little chef’s party in our house. We did something a little unorthodox (who me?) and invited all 18 of her classmates instead of just the girls. I was really worried about inviting them ALL and I was warned it was “a mistake”. Quite honestly, it is a darned good thing I did! Not one girl RSVPed. 8 children are on the list (including my 2, 2 neighbors and a sibling of a classmate). THREE classmates out of the 18 are coming. Is that normal?? Should that be what is expected here in FL?? Granted, I picked a bad weekend because the<a href="http://gasparillaextravaganza.com/"> Gasparilla Children’s parade</a> is that day. It is a big thing in Tampa I guess, but I don’t think that should matter. I digress… less mess for me to clean up at the end. I just hate to see a disappointed child hoping her (new, Tampa) friends would celebrate with her on her big day.<br /><br />My son is reading Harry Potter. He is in second grade and has this passion for reading that I don’t think I ever had. Maybe I did once. Harry Potter is a mid 5th grade reading level and is over 300 pages. Second grade… I know I was never THAT into reading. My mother is an avid reader. Perhaps it skips a generation! I do know that both of my children are in the top 5 percent of their classmates which pleases me. But it also makes me want to go in and work with all the kids a little more. I guess that is why I volunteer so much. After all, ALL of those children are the future of this country, right?<br /><br />Let’s see, daughter, son…. AH YES! <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">Husband</a>… Since I probably will not write again for a few weeks… or months… the anniversary of the first time I met <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">Ed </a>is February 11th. This year it will be 12 years. He is still my bestest friend, the one I go to about everything. I am not the type to say “he is my soul mate”. I am not the hopeless romantic that believes there is one person for every one person out there. How depressing would that be?? Who the hell came up with that anyway? Some lonely soul looking for an excuse, I bet. Anyhow, I do believe my life is unimaginably better with him in it. My <a href="http://www.kraftbrands.com/maxwellhousecoffee/Pages/default.aspx">coffee </a>tastes better in the morning (mainly because he makes it, HAH!), my mind is sharper because he keeps me on my toes and challenges me, my house is livelier because of the wonderful children I made with him, my life is richer because I know that even on my crappiest day he is there to hug me and tell me tomorrow will be better. Bah, what a sap I am!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-16415081927984056602009-11-28T10:04:00.003-05:002009-11-28T10:31:06.020-05:00Thanksgiving 2k9There are many reasons to be thankful this year. First, my immediate family. My husband (though, yes, he can be a royal pain in the tuchas at times) is my missing puzzle piece. He is the yin to my yang and whatever other cutesy metaphor you can come up with. My children are daily, hourly, minutely reminders of my love for him. They are amazing. One may be sassy at times, the other may be scatterbrained occasionally, but 'nuggling up with them seems to make everything all better no matter how bad the day had been. The light in their eyes show me a daily path towards how to be a better person. Next, there is my mom. That woman is incredible. Sure, she may be a little rough around the edges, but if you know her, I mean REALLY know her, she is gooey and warm inside like the perfect brownie. I mean that in a good way, of course. They say you turn into your parents when you get older. I see that happening already and I can't say that is a bad thing. Next is my in-laws. Anytime I ever need a pick-me-up I can always count on my mother-in-law. She is the personification of what I always aspired to be, Susie Homemaker. She gives 110% and then 20% more and manages to keep a smile on her face all the while. Then, of course, there are my friends, old and new. They help me keep my sanity on a daily basis, put things in perspective, and offer small pearls of wisdom without even realizing it. I am, of course, thankful for other things like my new home, being a SAHM, health, etc.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-10070081035794074562009-09-16T07:29:00.003-05:002009-09-16T07:38:00.753-05:0012 MORE things I have learned12. The more rain there is, the less my husband sleeps. Not from the rain, mind you, but from the frog orgy that occurs later in the evening. "Hey, tadpole! I LOVE what you've done to your croak!"<br /><br />11. I adore my David apron. I just don't feel right wearing it in front of my mother-in-law. You know, THE David by Michelangelo? Thank you, Dinki! ;) My children chuckle every single time, though. It just never gets old!<br /><br />10. No matter how many stupid applications I ignore on Facebook (and I ignore them all), there are still 15 more sent to me every day. How on earth do people have time for them?<br /><br />9. Fat may be unattractive but so is skinny... Have a cookie for God's sake. You look like you're about to fall over! Diet Coke is not a sustainable source of life!<br /><br />8. No matter how angry or grumpy I get at my husband sometimes, I cannot imagine life without him. I think that is why I do not sleep well when he is out of town.<br /><br />7. One deep dish quiche is only enough for one breakfast for 4 in my house and for some reason that just doesn't seem right...<br /><br />6. I am a very determined person when I am passionate about something. Sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes, not so much.<br /><br />5. I do not understand why in GA my daughter must be in AT LEAST a booster seat for the next couple of years but in FL she could be in just a seat belt. It is probably the same as the Darwin Theory law that allows motorcyclists the choice if they want to wear a helmet.<br /><br />4. Most motorists in AT LEAST California, Georgia and Florida believe turn signals are optional. Maybe this should go with #5...<br /><br />3. PTA volunteering is a full time job... and 100% worth it<br /><br />2. Old people and birds vacation in FL in the fall and winter. The rest of the world vacations in FL in the summer and spring. Insects, on the other hand, vacation in FL all year round and their favorite pastime is taking steroids.<br /><br />1. Halloween should be once a month. Not for the candy. Candy is just whatever... But for the dressing up! I think I will have Halloween once a month... The rest of the world can follow my lead!!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-36394294780952414052009-08-26T10:37:00.000-05:002009-08-26T10:39:19.700-05:0012 Things<div align="center">12 Things I Have Learned:</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">12. For some reason, stores and restaurants in Tampa like to crank the air conditioners incredibly high. This makes it so that people with glasses fog up when they exit the stores… into the parking lots… BLIND!<br /><br />11. In Georgia, it is typical to see people wave at you from their car when you are in a neighborhood of any kind. Not in Tampa.<br /><br />10. No matter what kind of a house you have, it is a pain in the ass to clean it. But the bigger the house, the bigger pain it is to be had.<br /><br />9. Trying to budget a household groceries is an enormous headache and pretty much a full time job! It is a job that my darling husband doesn’t get… at all.<br /><br />8. Public school is NOT private school. When my 2nd grade son is doing the math work that my kindergartener daughter was doing over the summer, there is a serious problem.<br /><br />7. Shopping of any sort is cheaper, faster and less stressful without my children. I think that is a painfully unfortunate reality.<br /><br />6. When you have your own pool it is just as disappointing when it rains. But, you get more hand and face prints on the slider door from children watching for it to stop.<br /><br />5. Laundry multiplies like bacteria if you leave it alone in a dark room for more than 24 hours.<br /><br />4. My feelings are squashed a lot less if my children do not like their “take out” dinner as opposed to my cooking. Why on earth do we cook? Oh that is right, refer to #9.<br /><br />3. Telling a child “no” today does not equate to “no” tomorrow in their brains. Repetition is part of every parent’s routine.<br /><br />2. Even though I couldn’t wait for school to start, I missed my children more than I ever thought possible.</div><div align="left"><br />1. I never ever want to move or sell a home again.</div>PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-85660335837609129602009-08-20T08:38:00.003-05:002009-08-20T09:09:11.081-05:00Knead a little help...I have been on a bread making kick lately. I first made a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cardamom-Braid/Detail.aspx">cardamom braid </a>that was a sweet, Swedish bread I had never heard of. It was GREAT but far too large for our family. Next time I will break it into 2 loaves and give one to a neighbor. The second recipe I did was a <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/The-Best-Bread-Machine-Challah-142387">challah</a> bread for Shabbat dinner last week. It was amazing! I will never buy store bought challah again! I actually had <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">Ed</a> take a picture of it. I think I need my own camera… <a href="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6415/challah.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 339px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 452px" alt="" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6415/challah.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6415/challah.jpg"></a><br />In all my years of baking, home ec classes and bread making I never imagined bread you didn’t have to knead OR FEED! I for sure thought when I saw <a href="http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/02/recipe-no-knead-bread/">the recipe</a> it was a typo so I did a little research and found it is true! I then found a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=2&scp=6&sq=no%20knead%20bread&st=cse">second recipe</a> that was completed in less than half the time suggested on the original recipe. Needless to say, I decided to do the second recipe as I was SURE the recipe would flop anyway. I added ¼ cup of chopped kalamata olives and a whole head of pre-roasted garlic cloves. Next time, I will not pre-roast the garlic, only use ½ a head, not use olives and toss in a handful of fresh chopped rosemary or sage.<br /><br />If anyone has a tried and true recipe for a sourdough starter (I like a STRONG sour… raised in the SF bay area ;)) I would be glad to try it!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-89066699218829545112009-08-04T13:23:00.002-05:002009-08-04T13:53:01.592-05:00Busy few days!So, I moved to Tampa on Friday, July 17th. As I came down my new street, I could see the big red bow that my FIL placed above the porch to welcome us. I was so HAPPY to see my boys! The boy gave me a running, jumping hug and kiss, and <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">Ed </a>(who was working with the plumber) was able to break away for a moment to greet me and the girl. My in laws were also there to greet us! That night we had <a href="http://www.peiwei.com/">Pei Wei</a> which is amazingly yummy!<br /><br />The weekend was spent cleaning and prepping for our best friends to come and visit! We had a blast with them on Monday the 20th. I miss them tons… The rest of that week and following weekend was spent unpacking, cleaning, arranging and settling. Monday the 27th I woke at 5:30am to meet Ed’s friend from high school, Kim, to learn the ins and outs about a vegetable co-op. That was fun, but WAY too early for me! Wednesday the 29th I took the kids to a puppet production at the library called <a href="https://www.custompuppets.com/Micetronauts.php">Micetronauts</a>. They had a really good time! I also got them their own library cards and let them choose one book each to check out. Checking out a book earned them a coupon from the library for a free shake from <a href="http://www.steaknshake.com/">Steak 'n Shake</a>! HOW COOL!<br /><br />The following day, Thursday the 30th, I took the kids to another library for a live play of <a href="http://www.playnaround.com/">Rumplestiltskin</a>. It was a 25 minute drive to get there and as we got closer, the area started to remind me a lot of the area we left in Georgia. It seemed like there were many stay-at-home moms there and like the surrounding trees, yards and common areas, they seemed to be well manicured and taken care of! The area of the library that was showing the play only allowed for 80 people. They let all the children in first then whatever parents were left, they would squeeze in. Only 2 moms got in so you can imagine how packed this show was. I sat outside for the hour the play was going on and finished working on a knit scarf project. A woman was sitting across from me on a cell phone loudly discussing the details of a custody battle with what appeared to be her attorney. A gentle rain began to fall though the sky was still bright. Then it began to pour and oddly, the sky was STILL bright! It was really beautiful and had the obnoxious woman talking on her cell phone not been there, it would have been really peaceful. That evening we went out to <a href="http://www.sushialive.com/">Sushi Alive</a> for their “Happy Hour”, sushi… not drinks. It wasn’t bad as far as sushi goes! That Friday, July 31st, we went to <a href="http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/intro.asp">Longhorn</a>. I was so disappointed after getting my steak, cutting into it and seeing it well done when I ordered it medium rare. I expected a warm red center as she described. When I sent it back the manager brought me out a steak that was cooked exactly how the first one was. He said he would cook another for me himself. I told him not to bother and let <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">Ed </a>eat the steak. After all, it would be free and I would hate to waste something free!<br /><br />Saturday the 1st we went to <a href="http://www.peiwei.com/">Pei Wei</a> for lunch, <a href="http://www.jambajuice.com/">Jamba Juice</a> for dessert, <a href="http://www.bucheaven.com/">Bucs Heaven </a>to prep for the evening and then <a href="http://www.buccaneers.com/">Bucs training camp</a>! We got to meet a few <a href="http://www.buccaneers.com/_Content/_Assets/2009/Images/20090604_sideAd_bookACheerleader.jpg">cheerleaders</a>, hear the cannons fire and watch the players run around. WHAT A BLAST! Sunday we took the kids to <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/tampa/">Whole Foods </a>where they got to join in a free cooking demo: sparkling lemonade, homemade hummus in pita bread and yogurt parfait! We got tenderloin steaks to cook for dinner that night. YUM! They were seriously fantastic. Monday I registered the kids for school, my MIL came over for dinner, took the kids home to spend the night THEN brought them back WITH lunch from <a href="http://www.hungryhowies.com/">Hungry Howie’s </a>the next day! I had not had that since my days at Kinko's. How spoiled am I?!?!?<br /><br />Coming up: Jennie Zuniga from high school is coming to visit me tomorrow. I haven’t seen her in 16 years! Uncle Greg comes to visit Friday-Sunday. I am EXCITED!<br /><div></div>PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-9088601449728440412009-07-21T13:38:00.001-05:002009-07-21T13:38:39.513-05:00Update pl0x!A friend of mine wanted an update so I will take a small break from my carnival of paper and boxes. Friday we arrived to a beautiful home adorned with a red bow above the porch. I got a leaping hug/kiss from my son that was the best ever! A plumber (or 2) was here doing something or other so I had to wait for a moment to kiss my husband. My in laws were here too, so the girl and I were greeted wonderfully by all the Tampa Rosens. I unpacked my car and an older woman walking a dog said “You can’t possibly lift that” to which I responded, “I am stronger than I look”. She chuckled as I hauled a huge roll of new carpet remnant into the house from my car and said “I guess so!” We had Pei Wei for dinner which is AWESOME! The next day we kicked ass and took names and got several boxes unpacked and the electrician came to install 8 fan kits. Sunday we bought a mattress for the boy’s trundle and unpacked more boxes. Monday I picked up the mattress from a warehouse and greeted our best friends. I got some help unpacking and we got to have lunch and dinner and play a little. 8 of us got to break in the pool while the other (me) got dinner from Pei Wei. Did I mention I love Pei Wei? Today is Tuesday and I have been unpacking slowly. I am running out of steam. The kids are going with my mother in law in the afternoon through dinner. This will help IMMENSLEY because the kids are driving me insane. I don’t have the time to invest in them right now and they are fighting a ton causing me to stop a lot of what I have been doing.<br /><br />It is truly a castle… I cannot wait until it is fully unpacked. We have a long way to go! I will take pics when things are in the proper places. My uncle comes in about 3 weeks and school starts in about a month. Lots to do! Better get back to it ;)PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-37622538439431445712009-07-07T14:11:00.001-05:002009-07-07T14:11:53.693-05:00Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?Today my heart is beating so fast I think it may explode. So MUCH is going on I cannot even begin to wonder what the hell I have gotten myself into. Last week I had 3 carpet companies give me in-home estimates. I weighed price against product and went with the lowest price since we will not be the ones enjoying the carpet anyway. It is a good carpet though<br /><br />Also last week and yesterday I interviewed 3 realty agents/teams (I tried to set up meetings with 5 more but got no responses from them) so I could make a more educated decision about what path we should take in replacing our current agent. The first was a husband and wife team and when they left I felt like I had been drugged. They were strong minded, gave a powerful presentation and made me think I needed them and only them. They even called their carpet guy and undercut my lowest bid by $400! WOW! I needed THEM, right? Wrong… 2 days later I asked one of them to get the carpet guy to come over so I could see a sample of the carpet he intended to use. Somehow, it went from “We can get you a better deal than the one you have” to “If you SIGN with us we will extend to you the information. Until then, sit n spin”. And the tone changed in the conversation to insinuate that if we didn’t list our house at a price they deemed reasonable, they wouldn’t even offer us a contract. The GHB had worn off at that point and I needed a shower… Realtor #2 was a very nice guy but less prepared than the barracuda and her Boy Wonder. He had an idea of where he would like the house to be listed but no idea where he thought it may sell. He reminded me physically and socially of my father, which was odd but it made it easier to talk to him. He was cordial and seemed to know his stuff, he just didn’t invest the time in me or my home before hand that #1 an eventually #3 would. Before I met Realtor #3, #2 was it by default! When #3 came in I was worried. She was young and beautiful and I assumed maybe she didn’t have the experience. I should know better than to judge a book by a cover, but only time will tell if she can get the job done. She had prepared information in a similar fashion to #1 but didn’t offer the marketing #1 did citing specific reasons why; 0% yield is not the way to go and efforts/funds are better spent elsewhere. Just because a marketing plan seems grandiose doesn’t mean it is effective. She was very sweet, chatty (like #2) and seemed to care about all parties involved, including our current realtor. Sympathy and empathy go a long way in my book. I am not of the opinion that just because you need to get business done, you need to be brutal, pushy and step on others for your clients or for yourself. So, #3 is it and I will update you on that situation as soon as there is some to update.<br /><br />The suggestion to repaint to neutral colors has been made more than once. Ed is not interested in spending the $ but I disagree. And instead of making this a 700 page essay I will leave it at that. So today I started getting estimates. One estimate was high, over the phone (didn’t even offer to see the rooms) and I wont be going with them. #2 is a friend of a friend and offered to do the patchwork for $50 when he came to do the estimate. #3 is a friend of my friend’s mother and he is coming tomorrow to give an estimate. I am waiting on 3 calls back for other estimates from recommendations from friends and neighbors. 6 estimates should be fine I think…<br /><br />I cleaned the fridge, freezer and pantry of the junk but I still need to scrub the freezer and fridge next week. I have light packing to do of things that will be coming in my van as opposed to the moving van. I cannot start that until tomorrow when the pictures are done. I promised Jessie we would got to a movie tomorrow but as soon as that is done, hell begins.<br /><br />Dinner will be out tomorrow with a neighbor, in tomorrow with another neighbor, at a friend’s home Friday, out Saturday and Sunday (more than likely) Then starting Monday I will be living with a neighbor for the week. Monday we get packed, Tuesday loaded (at this point I NEED to get loaded), Wednesday painting, Thursday carpet and Friday drive to Tampa…. Home… to my castle on the sand… with my BOYS!<br /><br />Now, can someone buy my house in GA please?PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-25029581455309066582009-06-23T00:16:00.001-05:002009-06-23T00:19:19.635-05:00Yesterday is lonelierI wake where shadows are fewer<br />I sit where time is longer<br />I linger where days are harder<br />I lay where quiet is lonelier<br /><br />I imagine the sighs are fewer<br />I remember the hugs are longer<br />I anticipate the kisses are harder<br />I hope that yesterday is lonelierPJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-71344150215418393802009-06-08T22:06:00.004-05:002009-06-09T13:49:21.433-05:00We are in for a LOOONG summer....The girl and I said "see ya later" to the boys yesterday. Our house in FL closes on the 15th and the house in GA has not gone under contract so the girl and I will try to keep up a furnished home for potential buyers to view until it is sold. I think the hardest part about yesterday was when the boys were pulling away, my overly emotional and dramatic daughter looked up at me with wet eyes and a shivery chin and said quietly, "This is the worst day of my life". I could only reply... "Yep, probably". The only other time she ever said that was in an angry way when she got in trouble so it was sad yet sweet all at the same time. I know it is only temporary but we sure are going to miss our best friends.... I cannot get the song from Pink, Please Don't Leave Me, out of my head. *sigh*<br /><br />We had a showing today which is good, but they were in and out in 8 minutes. The feedback was wishy-washy but the realtor said she LOVED the house and will be bringing another client to see it hopefully this weekend. At least the realtor liked it enough to bring someone else! I hope that means something.<br /><br />The girl and I slept on couches last night for 2 reasons. First, it was a novelty for her... Second, I had the entire upstairs done for the showing before we even woke this morning!!!! SCORE! And I let her have ice cream for lunch.... Yep that is right... call DEFACS :P<br /><br />Tomorrow I have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off correcting a lawyers mistake. I also promised the girl I would take her to the movies to see a Tale of Despereaux. I am taking our neighbor girl (teenager) as well. Should be a fun day!<br /><br />OH! And my phone is starting to self destruct. I looked at the screen today and the screen spontaneously decided to change color.... but only in parts.... LOVEly...<br /><br />Is it August yet?PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-91582796173786025752009-05-29T18:58:00.001-05:002009-05-29T19:00:50.583-05:00American GirlI had never heard of <a href="http://www.americangirl.com/">American Girl</a> dolls (geared toward 8-12 year olds) until a few years ago when it moved into <a href="http://www.northpoint.org/">Northpoint Mall</a>. Now, I hear about them quite a bit. There was even an American Girl event at my son's school the last couple years and every single girl in first grade (about 40 girls) had one. Keep in mind these dolls are about $100 in price.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/fashion/24Doll.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1">On May 31, 2009 American Girl is debuting a new doll in their historical line. Her name is Rebecca Rubin</a>. She is from 1914 and is a Jewish, Russian-American immigrant from the lower east side. This interests me, why? Well, My husband is Jewish and we are raising our children to be Jewish. OH! And I have a little 5 year old girl who loves... you got it.... DOLLS! They have apparently been working on this doll for roughly 9 years making sure they didn't piss anybody off by making any stereotypical remarks in her books (they come with a storybook series) or by making her features too... stereotypically Jewish... COME ON! They teetered on what color her HAIR would be... Auburn is too atypical, brown is too typical... OK! How about brown with auburn highlights! BINGO! I guess they got slammed a while back for the African American doll being a slave. Well... they are historical dolls right? Are we to forget our history just because our history contains awful things? NO! We learn from them and move on. Why wouldn't 8 year old girls learn the history of what African American girls in that day and age went through? Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I see things all backwards. I suppose it is possible.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-16912115845901114102009-04-10T09:22:00.001-05:002009-04-10T09:29:10.306-05:00The First GoodbyesMy mother joined us for the boy’s birthday this year. This was her final trip to Atlanta as the impending move to Tampa draws closer. While she was here we visited <a href="http://zooatlanta.org/">Zoo Atlanta </a>for the last time. We have had a membership for about 5-6 years and since my mother got us the first 3-4 years of our membership, it seemed fitting that she be there for the last. We visited the brand new baby panda, <a href="http://zooatlanta.org/zoo_news_panda_xilan_name.htm">Xi Lan (Atlanta’s Joy)</a>, and his sister <a href="http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates_bestofmei.htm">Mei Lan (Beautiful Atlanta)</a> and of course their parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang. We paid our respects to the <a href="http://zooatlanta.org/zoo_news_zoomourns_lossofelephant.htm">Elephant house where Dottie </a>used to roam. We saw the elusive leopard. We only saw it one other time in the 5-6 years we were members! The children climbed the rock wall one last time and we all rode the train… one last time… We were sad to hear that 2 days after our membership was due to expire, the <a href="http://zooatlanta.org/zoo_news_parakeet_aviary_open.html">Parakeet Adventure </a>was due to open.<br /><br />Another goodbye (more like a “see you later”) was to our best friends who moved to New Jersey. Their whole life is being flipped around right now and I wish I could help. I keep them in my thoughts every day and hope the dust settles soon for them.<br /><br />Our realtor for our Atlanta home suggested that we write a blurb with some memories and what we will miss about the home. An hour and many tears later this is what was made:<br /><br />“Nine years ago the man of my dreams built me the house of my dreams. He was literally here for every day of construction. The first memory I have was meeting a neighbor while we signed the contract to purchase. She and her husband still live in our cul-de-sac. She was pregnant with her first child who is now 9 years old. We have been able to watch him grow right along with his little sister who is now 7. We met our best friends at a backyard Cinco de Mayo party that we hosted. They have since moved 3 times but are as close to us as any family members. I remember coming home from our wedding reception and parading around in the cul-de-sac in our wedding attire and being greeted by our neighbors with hugs and congratulations. Both of our children were born while we were here and the neighbors in our cul-de-sac greeted us immediately when we came home from the hospital. I will miss the love and kindness by our neighbors who not only threw us a baby shower and decorated our front door for the arrivals of our newborns, but also brought us a meal every night for 2 weeks each time we grew our family. I will miss the original “playgroup” of which 5 of the 8 children still remain. I will miss the annual 4th of July parade that we have participated in the last 8 years and will also miss later in the day when every neighbor comes out of their homes at dusk and congregates their chairs in the streets to see the fireworks at Wills Park. I will miss the Association BBQ to kick off the opening of the pool every summer and the monthly “Girl’s Night Out” dates. I will miss having the babysitter 2 homes down who we watched grow from elementary school. As our first home, it holds many endearing memories and my only wish is it will hold many more to come.”<br /><br />I sent this to many of my family and friends that I thought would enjoy it. What I got back was a flood of responses with THEIR memories and what they will miss. And the tears came again.<br /><br />There will be many more goodbyes before our departure and I do not pretend it will be easy. But as I sit here at my new <a href="http://www.kuhnhonda.com/">Honda dealership in Tampa </a>waiting for my car to be finished I know this is my new home and I am happy. I will enjoy being close to family once again. I will LOVE being near the beach…. Again… I will soon fall in love with my new kitchen, and pool, and I will make new friends AND get to keep the ones I have already. Now, someone buy my Atlanta house ;)PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-13744458052742774902009-03-15T18:48:00.001-05:002009-03-15T18:48:23.483-05:00I have a 7 year old....Tomorrow is the boy's birthday. How did I get to be a woman with a 7 year old? It seems like just yesterday he was teething and now he is losing his second tooth! For those of you that do not know already, the time goes by too quickly. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Make sure you hug your child(ren) every day, more than 5 times, and make sure they know how very special they are. They are your legacy. They are the most perfect extension of you in the flesh. Treat them as such, even when it is the most difficult to do so.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-67376035348125622822009-02-10T14:31:00.001-05:002009-02-10T14:31:48.322-05:00Destiny...I got into a conversation with an old friend of mine the other day. This person isn't just any friend. He took me to my Senior Ball (which was one of the romantic things I can remember from my life). My WHOLE family considered him to be part of their family for a long time and I broke his heart because I was young and stupid. My whole family expected me to marry him someday... Little did they know...<br /><br />This story starts about 10 years ago. My boyfriend, who is now my husband, moved away to Georgia while I stayed behind in California. He could not bear to move me away from my family (who were all in California) solely for him. He worried that I would resent him if our relationship did not work out so we decided to break up and remain friends. While he was gone, he and I both dated other people. I decided to revisit the affection I had for my old friend mentioned above. He and I had gotten close, again, after Ed left for Georgia. One night, we went to a club with my boss. My boss at the time was a very cool guy... Still is :) My friend danced with another girl and I spent the whole night upset and crying to my boss. In my mind, I remembered the night I broke his heart. I could remember it so vividly. I will never, ever, forget the look on his face that night. The night at the club I "knew" he would never let me in his heart again so I stopped trying. The next day my friend and I had a fight about the night before and I didn't speak to him again until after I eventually moved to Georgia. We never talked about that night, though, and until a few days ago I assumed everything was as I saw it. Come to find out it was not. In movies, there is usually a point where a decision is made or where the plot becomes definitive. The night at the club was that for me, but I did not see that until the other day. Had clear lines of communications been had, destiny would have played out very differently for my life and the lives of those now in mine.<br /><br />I do not believe in soul mates in the traditional sense, if at all. If soul mates exist, I think it is our children who are our soul mates. The powers at be would have the ability to "plant the seed" so to speak rather than letting destiny guide you towards a single, solitary love. Let's examine the traditional idea of a soul mate, one person for each person. What if your soul mate dies? What if that person is halfway across the world and doesn't know how to communicate with you? The concept is flawed. But, destiny? I can see destiny being a reality. I cannot believe that the cosmic world we live in has no plan for humanity. I believe we have a direction but not a clear-cut answer. I do believe things happen for a reason, even the horrible. Had things been different that night at the club with my friend, my life might be drastically different. The 2 beautiful beings I helped create would not exist. I would not have the best mother-in-law in the whole world (though I would still have the best mother ;)). I would not have a man with whom I laugh at the stupidest things like an 18k gold plated feeyokioke. (That was an inside joke that no one will get but us LOL) I would not have my Muppet, nor would he have his Peege. I love my life. I love being Ed's wife. I love my children. I love every molecule of our quirky little family. I am truly happy. Thank you GOD for destiny!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-10102063013867705822009-01-01T14:52:00.006-05:002009-01-01T15:11:18.333-05:00Bring on Y2K9!This past week or so has been wonderful! Ed has been off work and the kids have been home from school. We have been tinkering with new toys and games together. We got replacement couch cushions for my couch (oh so needed). We celebrated every night of Hanukkah with excitement and joy and love and FUN!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mBrZD3sVrTg/SV0jAJmEsEI/AAAAAAAAAB4/RAMsW3xOLzw/s1600-h/hanukiah.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286420023085412418" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mBrZD3sVrTg/SV0jAJmEsEI/AAAAAAAAAB4/RAMsW3xOLzw/s200/hanukiah.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>We have been going out to dinner a little more than usually for the last couple months. Still not what we used to (which is good), but it is a little break. The girl and I broke out the easy bake yesterday. She insisted on baking a cake to take to the Denneen’s house for the NYE party we were invited to. She insisted her very first layer of the cake be blue in honor of her brother. I only wish they both share that love through the years and beyond. It is so sweet to see. We actually cut into the cake at the party. I wish we took a picture of the mini slices. They were cool with the colors! And the cake was surprisingly good! I mean… REALLY good!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3156288585_b56b7baf99.jpg?v=0"><img style="WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3156288585_b56b7baf99.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/3156289167_8dde938f1e.jpg?v=0"><img style="WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/3156289167_8dde938f1e.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div>The kids got all dressed up and we headed out to the Denneen’s for a wonderful dinner party. Jeff cooked an incredible dinner of roasted veggies, asparagus, green beans, mashed potatoes, lamb, beef tenderloin, salad, and I am sure I am missing at least one thing but that about sums it up. The kids were all incredible. I cannot believe how well behaved they all were considering we were there about 5 hours. There was an assortment of wines and such. I, of course, brought <a href="http://peegesncrm.blogspot.com/2008/09/voyant.html">Voyant </a>which wasn’t opened until the coffee came out and I put some in mine. I encouraged Anne to try some and she loved it! It was the first time I put it in coffee and have to say, it is YUMMY!<br /><br />We were supposed to go to the Zazzaro’s for a party today. There is no way. We are beat. We were one of 2 families (besides the hosting family, of course) out of 6 families to make it until midnight and we paid for it today! We didn’t wake until 11 and didn’t eat breakfast until noon. We are going to take it easy and watch some <a href="http://www.survivorman.ca/">Survivorman </a>on the HD Science channel which the kids love. We may even go to a restaurant that was suggested to us by a woman at the party last night. I am sure <a href="http://edvoidswarranties.com/">my wonderful husband</a> will give a review if we go. If he leaves anything out, I will be sure to chime in ;)</div><br /><div></div><div>As for Y2K9, I am looking forward to the move to Tampa. We have a lot of big changes coming up and I am getting very excited!</div></div>PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-9047549359162581032008-12-18T19:40:00.002-05:002008-12-18T19:46:05.056-05:00Extended warranty? No thanks…My 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring is JUST out of warranty… by like 2k miles. I took it in today to Honda Carland for a minor appointment. We bought our car there. We have never taken our car ANYwhere else to get it serviced. Within the last year or so they have become so large (they really are the biggest, baddest sales/service dealership around) that they have outsourced their service scheduling to a call center. The call center people do not know their head from an elephant’s rear. I called them 3 weeks ago to tell them I had a sticker in my car stating I was due for my 40k servicing. First, the woman could not find me by my phone #. She said my phone # returned a list of 74 people or something… THEN, after hearing my name 5 times prior, she asked if I was Angela… No lady… I am not Angela. She said my car is not due for a servicing and that the Odyssey has a 45k servicing which should be my next one but I could bring in my car for that servicing. It was only just over 40k. No thank you… 1 week later, when my car is about 40,600 miles, I get “SERVICE DUE SOON” from my car… Wonderful! I love it when I deal with competent people! It makes my day. So I call back and explain to them what happened and they blew it off, of course. I also let them know about the coupon booklet I had from when I purchased my car that gave me the minor services (every other one) free. They told me to bring it in with me when I came. Today was the appointment. I brought the car in at 9:45 and was told it would take 60-90 mins for the service and a little longer to determine the chronic brake noise issue. I sat back and was entertained by the laptop I decided to bring (though the genius in me forgot the power cable) for about 1 hour and 45 mins and then was called up. I could see on the screen the total price was going to be over $1200. I nearly choked, seriously. I told them about the coupon (that I forgot at home, DOH) which would have knocked off the $110 for the service thus far and she said that wasn’t valid for this service but that I should have a $10 coupon for this one that she’d honor though I didn’t have it with me. I told her the conversation with the woman at the call center. She explained in a more detailed fashion why this coupon was not valid for THIS service and I accepted it though I was not very happy about it. Then she said I needed a steering pump (over $300), brakes and resurfaced rotors ($400) and some sort of rear shock thing that had fluid leaking from it ($400). I was ticked, noticeably. I asked her why when I brought my car in September (when it was FULLY COVERED) was a leak not detected. And before she could answer I asked her why was the steering pump failing NOW when I have documented complaining about noises from the steering going back a year. We went back and forth and she said she would talk to her manager about getting these covered under warranty and getting me a rental car (which is unheard of at this place) to get everything done. Needless to say, all was done under warranty except the standard service and the brakes/rotors which we will get priced elsewhere. On a side note, thank you to Patrick who was going to pick up the girl if I was unable to because of this mess. They got it done in time (3.5 hours at this place today) for me to pick her up though, barely. What a mess… I am leasing next time!PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-73682471313549377572008-12-09T19:34:00.004-05:002008-12-09T19:44:48.980-05:00AWESOME DAY!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/3096911914_08c04db772.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/3096911914_08c04db772.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Today, the boy lost his very first tooth! It has been a long time coming since his adult tooth grew in behind but it is finally OUT! We sang "La Tooth-a-racha" in the car on the way home while rattling the tooth in it's case like a maraca!! WHAT FUN! He also did not get any steps at school today which is a big accomplishment. We have been struggling with him getting steps (behavioral marks) almost on a daily basis. For his good behavior he gets to choose tonights dinner. He chose Taco Bell. Whatever works, eh? Finally, he made a hanukkiah (a menorah for Hanukkah) at school and I got to help. It came out AWESOME. I will post a picture when we get to take it home. He is obsessed with games... like his mommy... so it is a game hanukkiah made with parts of many different games! Martha has nothin on me! ;) </div><br /><div>On the GIRL side, she began reading "If You Give a Pig a Pancake"! The boy said she could do it. I thought it was a little much for her. We got through about 5 pages! We will read 5 more tomorrow night. Not bad for my ALMOST 5 year old in pre-k!! </div></div></div>PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-52495762478395641662008-11-29T16:43:00.004-05:002008-11-30T15:19:23.560-05:00Fast Forward!My life seems like it is in fast forward lately. First, for those of you that do not know (which is almost everyone), my family is moving to Florida (Tampa) in the summer of 09. I could not be more excited! This started when Bubby got very ill and we thought we were going to lose her. This made me think of how much family we have in town… none. I told my husband that I wanted to be closer to family so here we are! We signed on a house 2 weeks ago and signed up the kids for school. The plan is to get this house ready to put on the market soon so we have a LOT of work to do.<br /><br />Because of the pending move, we have needed to make (and really have needed to make for a while) a change in our spending habits. We have wanted for nothing in the last several years. We would eat out most nights, get the most current toys and baubles and not think about spending. We have been very lucky, VERY. In today’s economy that is just not possible. I am starting to cook every meal and really taking a look at how much I spend on the meals. A friend told me about <a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/">5 dollar meals</a>. This woman is amazing with her thriftiness! I cannot say that I will be able to be as good as she is, but it really helps me with MY spending. Cooking at home will also help keep the family healthier in the long run.<br /><br />Thanksgiving was this week. We spent it with the same people we spent the 4th of July with, the Altwargs. We had a blast! They are such a great family. The cranberry sauce was GREAT! See below for the recipe. I will never EVER buy canned again! Elizabeth also made cranberry bread that was by far the star of the meal. The recipe is below. I made a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/chicken-and-turkey-pot-pie-with-pepper-biscuit-topping-recipe/index.html">Semi-Homemade meal </a>with some of the leftovers we had but I tweaked the recipe a little. See below for the modified recipe.<br /><br />Spiced Cranberry Sauce<br /><br />zest and juice from 1 orange<br />1/2 cups water<br />1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, pippin or<br />McIntosh<br />3 cups fresh cranberries<br />1 1/4 cups sugar<br />1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp. ground cloves<br /><br />In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the zest, juice and the water and bring to a<br />boil.. Peel, core and quarter the apple. Cut into 1/2-inch dice and place in a saucepan with the cranberries, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Or cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.<br /><br />Pot Pie Casserole<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350.<br /><br />-4 cups of chopped up cooked turkey (or chicken if you prefer)<br />-2 cans of condensed cream soup (I used healthy request broccoli cheese and chicken)<br />-4 cups of veggies such as: leftover steamed green beans or fzn), raw white corn cut from 2 cobs, 2 large raw carrots sliced, 2 small raw red potatoes cubed, half a chopped sweet onion, 1 celery rib chopped... you could also add fzn peas but I didn't have any.<br /><br />Stir all above in a large bowl. Add to a large baking dish and cook TIGHTLY covered in foil for 1 hour and 45 mins. Take out of the oven and on top add a single layer of:-16 oz can of refrig. biscuits (I used pilsbury grands). Brush with 4 TBSP of melted butter and sprinkle pepper over the top. Bake for an add'l 18 mins until the biscuits are done.<br /><br />Cranberry Fruit Nut Bread<br />Ingredients:<br />- 1 cup of Ocean Spray fresh or frozen cranberries – coarsely chopped<br />- ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts)<br />- 1 tbsp. Grated orange peel<br />- 2 cups all purpose flour<br />- 1 cup sugar<br />- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder<br />- 1 tsp. Salt<br />- ½ tsp. Baking soda<br />- 2 Tbsl. Shortening (margerine/butter)<br />- ¾ cup orange juice<br />- 1 egg well beaten<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />Generously grease & lightly flour a baking pan<br />Prepare cranberries, nuts & orange peel – set aside<br />Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda<br />Cut in shortening (make it look like pebbles and mix into the flour mixture)<br />Stir in orange juice, egg and orange peel, mixing just to moisten<br />Fold in cranberries and nuts<br />Spoon into prepared pan<br />Bake 60 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean<br />Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool more.PJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484856123832096228.post-60189247513211704332008-11-05T22:41:00.002-05:002008-11-05T23:10:21.782-05:00A letter from the heart...Today I felt compelled to tell John McCain how I felt. Many of my conservative friends are too busy berating the president-elect 2 and a half months before he is even sworn in. Many of my liberal friends are busy celebrating, but my mind this afternoon was drawn to Senator McCain. His speech was more than gracious, classy and very respectful. I expected nothing less from the man.<br /><br />I watched the news most of today. Many people were trying to analyze what happened to the republican vote that has been so strong the last 2 presidential elections. One person interviewed was Michael Regan, adopted son of Ronald Regan with his first wife. No, I do not agree with his politics but I agreed with one thing he said (to an extent). He said that McCain's loss was because of Bush and his causing America to lose faith in the republican party (I paraphrased). I think it was an unfair, uphill battle for any republican largely due to the last 8 years. But, I think Palin was a big weakness in the McCain campaign. I say that because when he chose her for a running mate I questioned his judgment for it. As I watched her in action, that thought was only reaffirmed.<br /><br />That being said, I decided to write to Senator McCain. Silly me I guess. I am sure it will not be read. I am sure he is flooded with emails. I am sure reading a letter from someone who didn't vote for him isn't high on his priority list, but I did...<br /><br />Senator McCain,<br /><br />I want to tell you how very much I respect you now and even before this election was won. You have done great things for our great nation and I personally cannot begin to thank you enough. Though I did not vote for you in this election, I wanted you to know that there are people, me included, who still hope that you continue to make your opinions loud and clear in the senate. This nation is clearly divided and it is clear that your opinion is strongly looked to for fair balance. Please, continue to make your voice heard. Continue to help this country come closer to a middle ground. Continue to help us all become a better America, one we can be proud of once again. Yes I am counting on President-elect Obama, but I also count on you. Be that voice for the people you so relentlessly campaigned for and do not yield even if your opinions are not turned into actions. Help compromise and encourage compromise when compromise can be made. Do not be discouraged.<br /><br />Respectfully,<br />P.J. Rosen, married mother of 2 in GeorgiaPJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05292727615165189134noreply@blogger.com2