Rachel Ray Furi Knives...

There is something to be said about a lazy Saturday. I am so CALM today. I woke up and went straight for the kitchen. Got started on making a beef and vegetable stew. Adding everything to the crock pot and setting it on high for four hours. I am sitting here on the couch as the smells waft through the house. My only regret was not waiting a half an hour to start chopping and making the stew, because my new knives got here today!!! I adore http://amazon.com/. Check out these knives:

I got this set from my Grandma for Christmas/Birthday as a gift. They are 60.00 dollars at Costco and it comes with the sharpener as a set. They make cutting anything like cutting a stick of butter. I loved them so much that I could not refrain from getting the complete set.

The grips on the knives fit perfectly in your hand. I find myself using the techniques that Top Chefs use. It is so easy to do! These are the best knives in the world. The set was not the one above, as I already had the set of two. So I got the utility set, with the scissors and bread knives and a couple pairing and boning knives. 50.00 on http://amazon.com. A 110.00 dollars for an awesome set of knives and a sharpener that I do not know what I have done without all of this time!

If you like to cook and are suffering with the frustration of a blade dulling after you have cut one potatoe, this is the best investment you could make! Im not too big of a fan of Rachel Ray, but her products definately do not dissapoint.

Now I am off to the store to get a kit for sourdough bread. Time to break open the bread maker Hubs and I got for our wedding. Because, what stew would be complete without fresh homeade sourdough bread?!

YUM!

~

Im addicted...

Today was my fourth consecutive time this week having frozen yogurt. I think the additive to the commonly nick named “Froyo” is crack. I could feel the judgment searing me from the lady who has rung me up all four times this week. Take a chill pill lady…I’m helping to pay your rent. AND giving Jenny Craig a reason to stay open. STIMULATING the economy, while stimulating my cellulite. Frozen yogurt is better for you than straight ice cream, right? At least this is what I keep telling myself as I spoon this crack into my gaping hole.
I can’t stop. It is the best thing in the world. SELF serve frozen yogurt with miles of flavors to choose from, then once you have chosen as many as you want there are millllleeess of toppings to add to it. coco pebbles…fresh fruit…I mean, how can you go wrong? Luckily I can not see my own ass as I walk.
THAT would be disturbing. So Ignorant bliss I choose! FROYO for president!

~

Black Box...

I just added this little widget to the left...look left...see it? its the thing that says "Black Box"...I think? I really want to call it 'little black box', much like 'little black book'. I used to have one of those...I'm married now though, so I got rid of that. I think? Anyways...'little black box' is awesome, am I the only one who feels slightly dirty saying "little black box" over and over again? I just giggled. FOCUS Kindle! ok...right. so that little widget over there you click on and it gives you a bunch of choices to choose from. You click the one that you like the most and after making a few choices it leads you to a mystery blog!
(we interrupt this program to enter a freak out mode...my twilight bootleg is SKIPPING and the real dvd does not come out for two weeks. IT BETTER WORK STILL!)
Well, I am addicted. I have found so many interesting people to read!! It is a fun little way to search thru blogs and make some choices in the mean time! Get to know yourself as you get to know other people! If you are interested, you can click on my widget (hope it starts working again soon...im hoping it is maintenance time or something?)
But, its fun!! And, good thing it is not working right now, because I need to get myself to bed!
Night!!

~

Octo-"Mom" pisses me off...

I have put off writing about this topic for a while now. Not sure how to talk about the subject without popping a blood vessel in my forehead. But, time has passed a little bit and the hype quieted so, here I go.

First off…here are the things I will say that are in her favor (or rather not against her)…I am not in her situation or her life to be able to properly judge her so the things I am saying about it are based on what we are fed thru the media and other avenues of information being “leaked” or told by her in her own testimonies. That said and put aside. I hate the woman. I hate everything that she has stated that she stands for. Loathe that doctors and the medical community that are even *thinking* about penalizing woman with REAL fertility issues. To think that these woman might have to jump thru hoops to have just one child, and here is this thing who has 14 of them! ( no, I will not call her a woman) I can not even put myself in her way of thinking. But of course I will state what I THINK she was thinking…
“Hmm…I live with my mother. I have six kids because I do not want to go out and find out if I can have children the ‘old fashioned’ way and there are no “men” in my life, so lets just go and get a sperm donor and inseminate myself to take away the loneliness of not having a man.“
Yes, I know that the same man fathered all the same children. POOR MAN! I hope to god he is hidden from all of this chaos, and if anything about him has surfaced. I got off of the octo-mom train awhile ago so there may be “new” facts to the story. But, I can’t deal. I had to stop watching the train wreck because I was afraid of what it was doing to my frail sanity.

Ok ok, the real reason why it infuriates me? Because the hubs and I have been trying to get preggo for a couple years now and no go. Did tests and what not…in short, I have a slim chance to have my own babies. Yes, I am well aware of the growing numbers of children every day who need good homes and that I could adopt. And, I am completely open to that idea! Looking forward to it actually. But, when you hear the words form out of a doctor’s mouth that the percentage of you having children is less than California becoming the next Antarctica…it does something to your insides. After the numbness and shock, there comes the desolation. Too strong of a word? Nope…don’t think so. It is like someone took the “O” out of woman when referring to me. Just not the same. Not whole. You just do not feel whole.

The single most basic reason Woman was created, and I can’t do it. Sure…you can try to have the octo-mom treatment but that turns out to be 25-30k down the tubes if it does not work. And, there is big fat chance that it might not. Chance. I hate that word. So, for someone to come out of the wood works and become famous, although not a “good” famous because she has so many babies she could lose one and not immediately notice, drives me batty. It is irresponsible and insensitive. It’s just her. Promise. I absolutely love John and Kate plus 8. That show cracks me up and I love the way they take care of their family.

Poor kids. That’s what I have to say in closing…poor precious babies.

~

Disneyland Adventure...

Tomorrow will be the best day EVER. I am taking my nephew Kyle to Disneyland for the first time. And, the kicker? I get to take in every wide eyed stare, every giggle, every happy smile in all by myself. All of the firsts will be mine! *insert evil giggle* And, so it starts...I will forever be known as the Spoiling Aunt. A title that I am extremely happy to bear. This is Kyle...he's Three. How could you NOT spoil this kid.

Don't get me wrong, he is stubborn and I am sure we will have our share of struggles tomorrow, but not even that can take away my excitedness!! I am going to pick him up bright and early tomorrow morning, go to breakfast and then head on down to the Park where we will meet my Grandparents. Will put up some more pics when I get them all up on the computer.
Wish me luck!!!

~

Ray Lamontagne

I have a pretty eclectic span of music that I like, or at least I like to think so. Ray Lamontagne has recently shot onto my list of all time faves. His voice is unique and flows over you...makes you think. It's like a balm on open wounds. In short, he is amazing. You should listen to him. Some of my favorite songs are:

*Saved by a woman
*Be here now
*Shelter
*Can you stay
*Hold you in my arms

I posted a play list of his music below my header. If you get the chance, listen to him. I know you will fall in love...just like I did. Such passion can not be ignored :)

I am going to try and change the play list at least once a week. Play songs that are effecting my life. Hopefully they will effect yours too!

~

Attack of the Tinkler...

Squaters beware. This post is about YOU. It is about how I walk into the ladies room to use the facilities and go from one stall to the next looking for the cleanest stall to do my business in. It is how at least ONE of the stalls I walk into looks like a sprinkler has gone off in the john. Decorating it with a thousand tiny droplets of yellow substance, how it makes me GAG to even be within close proximity of said sprinkler discharge. I’m gagging just thinking about it.
I understand hovering over the toilet after a layer of toilet paper has perfectly covered every inch of the toilet in a DIRTY bathroom. But, here at work, and I am not sure about everyone else’s work…but here at MY work, this bathroom I am pretty sure you could eat off of. The cleaning lady is cleaning that bathroom at LEAST three times a day. I know this, because every damn time I need to go to the bathroom, the little closed sign is perched right outside the door. So I stand there at least three times a day, legs crossed and dancing from side to side with puppy dog eyes waiting to ask the non English speaking cleaning lady when I can relieve myself. She laughs at me every time and shakes her head no. Right…because THAT helps me.
So, pardon me if I do not understand the need to hover and pretend to be a male cat SPRAYING all over the damn toilet. It is clean. It is NOT full of gross germs. Yes, it is a bathroom, but I am pretty sure that your toilet at home is not cleaned as thoroughly. Please for all sake that is holy…sit your damn ass on the toilet and urinate like a normal self. Hence the seat protectors…USE IT. And, let me stop wandering the stalls like a lost soul in search of a place to park my ass.
Please and thank you. Amen.