What's Your Online Routine Each Morning?

Do you have certain sites you visit each morning? Do you go as far as to visit them in the same order?

Here's my routine:

- Gmail (always 1st)
- Compass Bank (usually 2nd)
And then, in any order:
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Blogger (a few times a week)
- Google Reader (to catch up on the blogs I frequent)

Ok, Ladies...

Get out your virtual pencils, spiral notebook paper, and thinking caps! It's time to relive our all-time favorite study hall pastime...M.A.S.H.! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You will marry Ewan.
After a wild honeymoon, you will settle down in Paris in your fabulous House.
You will have 2 kid(s) together.
The family will zoom around in a Red VW Bug.
You will spend your days as a teacher, and live happily ever after.

Wordle - October Edition

This is just too much fun. I love this gizmo. :)

What are the three quirky habits you have?

I found this in draft form - not sure why I never posted it. Originally written 5/3/08.

from Corrin

Every morning when I get up (or if I get up in the middle of the night), I turn on the light in the hallway next to the utility room to make sure the cats have dragged out a little "treat" from the litter box.

If we have a bag of salad in the house, I will inspect the entire bag from the outside before using any. If there's more than 2 or 3 nasty-looking leaves, I won't eat any of it.

Every time I open a bag of shredded cheese, I smell it to make sure it hasn't gone bad. I'll do this even if I've had the same bag out earlier the same day.

Man...reading these makes me sounds a little over the edge. :P I'm not...I swear!

Wordle!

Thanks to Corrin for yet another thing to pass the time with online - Wordle!

8 things you don't know about me...

or maybe you do. I know I've done meme's like this before, or maybe I've just told everyone this stuff. Anyhoo...

Here are the rules:

* Each blogger must post these rules first.
* Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here’s eight things you may or may not know about me:

1. I've been wearing glasses since I was 6 years old.
2. I own 101 cookbooks.
3. I've never had braces, but I do have a permanent retainer behind my lower front teeth.
4. The show choir I was a member of in high school was the Grand Champion choir of the national competition we competed in my senior year.
5. My Chevy Silverado is named after Barney from the TV show How I Met Your Mother. (I love you, NPH!)
6. I want to be a contestant on Jeopardy. I even did the online test a couple of months ago.
7. I want to be a backup singer, preferably in country music. Yep, you read that right...not a lead singer or solo performer, a backup singer. :)
8. I think I lived in Florence, Italy in another life. I am completely fascinated with that city. Someday I'll get there...

I'm with Corrin...I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to play and comment with a link to your post. :)

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday - If you don't already participate, start now! :)

#1. What’s your favorite food smell?
Vanilla or Cinnamon...so I guess that would be cookies. On the savory side, I love the smell of garlic and onions cooking together.
#2. What’s your favorite kind of apple?
Pink Lady
#3. What veggies do you like in your salad?
Butter lettuce, olives (black and/or green), mushrooms, carrots, red onions
#4. Share a recipe that uses beef.
It's a bit longer, and I have some good pics of Rachael Ray's Super Nachos, so follow the link to my recipe blog. :) I warn you...this makes a *massive* amount of food. That's a small serving platter I show the nachos on, not a normal dinner plate.

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday - If you don't already participate, start now! :)

#1. American cheese. Sliced fresh or prepackaged processed cheese product?
Sliced fresh.
#2. What is your favorite cracker?
Vegetable Thins or Water Crackers
#3. What hot breakfast cereal do you like? Think oatmeal, farina, grits, etc.
Maple brown sugar oatmeal
#4. Share a recipe that uses corn.

Creamy Corn
from: Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals

4 ears corn on the cob or 2 boxes frozen corn kernels, 10 ounces each
2 tablespoons butter
1 rib celery and greens, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half

Scrape corn from cobs.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and chopped vegetables and lightly saute for 3 minutes, then add corn and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add half-and-half. Cover and cook over medium low heat 10 minutes. Uncover and stir, then adjust seasonings.

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday - on Sunday this week...sorry, Val!

#1. What’s your favorite form of potatoes?
Smashed with cheese and garlic.
#2. Pie crust. Premade or from scratch?
Premade. I am *way* too lazy to make one from scratch. Well, I take that back. I do make crumb crusts (like graham cracker) from scratch.
#3. Vegetables. Fresh, frozen or canned?
Usually frozen or canned. BUT...yellow squash has to be super fresh. I prefer it from my friend Karen's garden, actually. I can never seem to find it in good condition at the store anymore.
#4. What one dish do you wish you could prepare better?
Gah...any kind of cake. I am terrible at baking. Something always goes wrong! Let's not even talking about trying to ice said cakes. I usually make a thin glaze or use powdered sugar to top my cakes. :p

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday - Week #6!

#1. What’s your favorite fruit and how do you like to eat it?
Pears are my fave. I prefer them fresh (not canned) and just peeled and sliced.
#2. What is the one spice in your kitchen you use more than any other?
Fresh black pepper. Behind that are garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano.
#3. Pudding. Instant, stovetop or premade?
Instant - and preferrably butterscotch. :)
#4. Share a recipe using potatoes.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

from Everyday Food Magazine, September, 2007

Notes: I used chopped frozen broccoli to save time and I used a hand blender rather than the regular blender.

Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large head broccoli (about 3 pounds), trimmed, stalks peeled, stalks and florets roughly chopped
1 medium baking potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1) In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water; season generously with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until broccoli and potato are just tender, about 4 minutes.

2) Working in batches, purée soup in a blender (fill it no more than halfway) and return to pot. Stir in cream and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

To freeze: Cool soup to room temperature. Pour about 1 1/2 cups into each of 6 airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of space at top. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in microwave or overnight in refrigerator; warm over low heat.

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday - 5th week already! :)

#1. What type of m&m is your favorite?
Peanut
#2. Peanut butter. Smooth, chunky, creamy. How do you like it?
Creamy
#3. Do you usually drink out of glass, acrylic, Tupperware type or paper cups?
Glass usually...or my gigantic mug from Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, MO.
#4. Share a chicken recipe.
Chicken-Stuffed Crescents

This is from a recipe I quickly glanced at and then used my own ingredients.

1 T garlic, chopped
2 T onion, chopped
1 5oz can of chunk white chicken, broken apart
1 6oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 T capers
1 T mayo
4 oz log of goat cheese (your favorite flavor, I used Mediterranean)
1 can of 8 crescent rolls

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Mix with next 5 ingredients. Open can of crescent rolls and lay out on a cutting board or other surface. Divide filling evenly between each roll, being careful not to put too much so that it leaks out in the oven. Bake rolls according to directions on can. Enjoy!

Page 123

I was tagged by Corrin to participate in a fun little book meme. What a perfect way to spend a sleepless Saturday morning. :)

How to play:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The first book I saw on the bookcase here in the office was Animal Farm.

"For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS."


I tag shaylagirl, euphaes, quodscripsi, soul_journey, and candybutton.

What's Your Real Age?

Go here to find out...

My results:

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday time again. This is really becoming a highlight to my week. :)

#1. Do you ever use scissors to cut any foods? Which? Raw or cooked?
I love my kitchen shears. I use them to cut up cooked spaghetti before putting it into casseroles, I use them to cut up raw chicken if I need bite-sized pieces, and I use them most often to snip chives from my garden.
#2. Popcorn. Homemade, microwave, bagged, hot, cold. How do you like it?
I used to only make microwave, but since I found out how easy it is to do on the stove, I do it that way now so I can flavor it anyway I want. This is my favorite way, even though I make it on the stove like in my second fave.
#3. Sushi. Love it or hate it?
The jury is still out. I love seafood, but I can't get past the texture of the seaweed and the cold rice. I think if I tried more sushi without some of the textures I can't get past, I would like it.
#4. Share a dessert recipe.
I love tarts. They are my favorite thing to make. They are a little bit fancy, and the serving sizes aren't huge.

Apple and Almond Custard Tart
from Everyday Food, December 2007

for the crust:
3/4 c all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 t baking powder
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t pure almond extract

for the filling:
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 t finely grated lemon zest and 1 T fresh lemon juice (from one lemon)
3 T all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 c heavy cream
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 c sliced blanched almonds

1) Make the crust: In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract; beat until combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix just until combined.

2)Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread dough in a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan, evenly covering bottom and sides. Freeze for 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350, and make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/4 c sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon zest; mix until combined. With mixer on low, add flour and then cream; mix just until smooth (do not overmix). Set aside.

4) In a medium bowl, toss apple with lemon juice; arrange evenly in tart pan over chilled dough. Spread filling over apple; sprinkle with almonds and remaining 1/4 c sugar. Place tar pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden and set, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday time again. TGIF, baby!


#1. Steak. Plain, steak sauce, hot sauce, ketchup or something else?
If it's good steak, it doesn't need anything (except Bread Crumb Salsa); but if it's mediocre steak, I have to have some steak sauce.
#2. Water. Flavored, plain, carbonated. How do you like it?
Plain with lots of ice.
#3. What’s your favorite kind of waffle?
Just plain with butter and syrup...even though I'm more of a pancake gal.
#4. If you could have any one new small appliance for your kitchen what would it be and why?
I really want a new, larger food processor. I love my small one, but it's just not big enough for most things.

Currently...

listening to: Stone Temple Pilots - Silvergun Superman

drinking: water

eating: sausage, cheese, & jalapeño kolache from Lone Star Kolaches

missing: Juls
looking forward to: new episode of Lost

needing to: work on my 4 Foods Friday entry

 

 

4 Foods Friday

Four Foods Friday post...yay! :)


#1. What’s your favorite potato chip?
Lay's Ketchup Chips (only available in Canada)
2nd fave - Miss Vickie's Lime and Black Pepper

#2. Do you use butter, margarine, both or neither?
everyday use - Smart Balance Margarine
special recipes - real butter, baby!

#3. What’s your favorite mixed alcoholic (or virgin) drink?
pomegranate martini

#4. What’s your favorite vegetable and how do you prepare it?
yellow squash - just boiled or sautéed with a little chopped onion and butter

4 Foods Friday

This is my first time to participate in Four Foods Friday. Thanks to Corrin for the linkie. :)

#1. What is your favorite kind of juice to drink?
Pomegranate.

#2. Pizza. What’s your favorite?
Fast food - Pizza Hut thin crust beef & mushroom
Homemade - Rachael Ray's Mushroom and Garlic.

#3. Mustard. Yellow, brown, depends.
Brown and spicy!

#4. Share a side dish recipe that uses rice or pasta.

Macaroni & Cheese
from: Autumn from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch, pg. 76
Serves 4-6

10 oz elbow macaroni
2 eggs
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups half & half
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375. Cook & drain macaroni. In a lg. bowl, lightly beat eggs with mustard, salt & pepper. Stir in half & half, then cheese, then macaroni. Pour into buttered 2-qt. casserole, bake 25 min. Put under broiler 1 min. to make top brown and crisp.

Intelligence Test

Grabbed from Autumn's journal...

Clickie

Meme! (seen various places recently)

Here's what you do:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

You know you all want Vampire Roller Coaster's latest album, "of adventures & experiences" :)