Best Yogurt Ever

I tried this Greek yogurt that I keep reading about. It was FANTASTIC!!! If you are a yogurt fan, try this yogurt. It is awesome.

FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt Made from skimmed cow's milk, cream and yogurt culture. Perfect for those who want to keep fit with only 2% fat. Best flavor ever tasted! DID YOU KNOW! Each 200 grams (7-ounce) serving includes: 130 calories (36 from fat) 17 grams or 32% of daily value of protein, 15% calcium, and 8 grams or 3% of carbohydrates in the form of lactose (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

Movies of the Month

I decided that I would start giving an update of all the movies we watch in a month. Most are from trusty old Netflix, but on occasion there is a lender in. now that it's spring, we may start going to the drive in again soon too. So, without further adieu, here are March's movies.

Rendition

The Comebacks

Goya's Ghosts

The Kite Runner

Bride and Prejudice

2 Days in Paris

We Own the Night

The Martian Child

Gone Baby Gone

Across the Universe

Becoming Jane 

The Darjeeling Limited 

Rendition

The Comebacks

i lied

so i lied.

we ended up in a crappy horrible chain restaurant that I cant stand, where I watched a child sneeze on the salad bar and the mother make a joke out of it.

Ruby Tuesdays. Other than the fact that it is a chain restaurant, and the food isn't good, I have a disgusted feeling every time I go in there because I once worked at that restaurant for 2 weeks. My only ever attempt at waitressing. 2 weeks I lasted. I think I made 15 bucks total in those 2 weeks. It ranks up there on the worst job ever list.

I did feed the kitties. And I did go to the book store and get some new books. The one I am reading is one that I wanted to read, and I bought it at full price rather than on the bargain bookshelf. However, so far, it is a lot of name dropping and not a lot of plot. I think when I am done I will sell it on Amazon.

Normally, I cant part with books. I have bookshelves in almost every room in my house. I love books - a whole lot. But this one cost $23 bucks, and it isn't good. So alas, we will have to part ways.

Today - it's sunny, but way to cold for this delicate little flower to go to the market, so that's out.Which is disappointing because I love the market. I may try to brave it a little later, but I doubt it. I've already made coffee and turned on the computer. I think it's all over.

the end of the week

I've gotten over my melt-down of late, at least for the short term.
We're going to my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner.
I may watch a movie tonight.
I haven't gone to my second job that I am trying to quit all week. perhaps a successful transition.
I have to feed my neighbor's cats tonight.
I plan to get to the public market tomorrow, even though it snowed again.
this weekend i will:
clean the house
do some yoga
see my aging god son who i miss a whole lot
relax

control freak

I will fully admit that I am a full fledged, card carrying member of the control freak class. And I doubt that there are many people who will be shocked and awed to hear me say this.
But the reality is I recognize it, and I am getting better at recognizing it. And I allow myself from time to time to let things go that I realize I really don't have control over.

However, on some level, i fully believe my own well being should be entirely under my control.
Lately, it hasn't been.

Lets just say I am not the worlds best pro-creator. I saw a specialist for an office consultation last Friday.Not the first and I am sure not the last. That was only 6 days ago. And since then, it has been this whirlwind of activity, including 5 different visits to the lab, 2 ultrasounds, and a zillion pee on a stick tests (including some that were repeated due to user error).....

Needless to say, after receiving a message from a nurse in the office, I called back and had a full blown melt down on one of the nurses to the point I was sobbing so hysterically she had to ask me to repeat myself because she couldn't understand what I was saying. Most definitely not my finest moment....

It is really very difficult to have someone else dictate when and how you will do something that involves your very own body. Without opportunity to ask questions or get answers.

yes, I realize timing is of the essence. and this is where the control freak rears it's ugly head. The timing may be right for the lower half of my body, but what do I do when the timing isn't right in the brain? It causes all sorts of commotion and stress for the control freak. A total of loss of control, if you will. Because, if you want it, you have to do it now. No time for questions. And what if I'm not ready, and when a you are a control freak, there is a level of "it's all about me" that is there. There is no denying that. And like I said, i accept this flaw.

And I know this is entirely my own self conscious, people pleasing issue...but if you say "wait - I'm not ready" then all the 55 doctors and nurses who have seen you recently will say "then why did you just waste our time and yours - call us when you want this for real". And I don't like that either. Because i do want this.

I just want it to be under my control. And clearly, I am starting to realize, that isn't ever going to be the case.

Hooray!

They fixed the lighting in the bathroom at work! They even fixed stall #2 so it is no longer a bidet!!! Hooray for maintenance men everywhere!

what can I say?

sometimes I just don't have much to say believe it or not.
Home Slice is back to work and this I am happy about.
We are having chicken caesar salads for dinner - easiest meal in the world. with anchovy.

I am thinking about spending my 5th anniversary on the Oregon coast as opposed to Mexico or Jamaica - though I am not sure I am sold on the idea. We have to go to Seattle for a wedding in July. Our anniversary is in August. And though not our original plan, we are thinking it may be advantageous for us to just rent a car, drive down and rent a place somewhere. However, I am a HUGE fan of going to an all inclusive resort, sitting around, reading a thousand books, and eating and drinking whenever i like and having the option of pool, hot tub or ocean. Not to mention, I cant really see any monetary value in going the Oregon route.It is still up for discussion.

favorite quote of the month

"Make me a chicken cake"

thank you easter bunny

I remember we used to get Easter baskets from my Babcia that were full of that annoying grass, lots of cheap chocolate, and these animals made of what was obviously just sugar but it wasn't anything in particular. It's hard to describe. They weren't chocolate, they were kind of like maple creams, only not maple and not good. And when they got hard, it was kind of like a tootsie roll. And they were bright colors. Only gross. Anyway.....

We also used to get these awesome chocolate eggs that were about the size of a nerf football, and hollow inside and in two pieces, so the egg was a box, and inside there was more chocolate. And it was Andy's Chocolate.

Once upon a time, when the polish neighborhood wasn't the urban decay it is now, there was an Andy's Candies shop that had a counter you could sit at to order ice cream, and they had the best banana ice cream in the world.

salt

Salt is something that gets missed a lot in our house. My husband has been all over me to get more salt this week at the grocery store. He has been on a popcorn kick this week, and he thought we were out. On the shelf with all the baking items, we were out. So he went to the store, picked up some salt with the groceries. I went to put it away - and we have 3 - yes three - open containers of salt in the house now. This includes the shaker that is now filled and the jar I keep by the stove for cooking. Urgh - too much salt. I might have to use it for cleaning or something. Not because it will go bad, but because it is taking up too much space!

LOST Tonight

Ok folks, unless you are living under a rock, or just don't have a
television, LOST is airing it's semi-final episode tonight. Semi - final
meaning it was supposed to be the end, then the writers broke the strike,
and the whole thing about no breaks this season became a sham...so alas,
the last one for about a  month or so. It better be good.

Wednesday

Wednesdays are a weird day for me.
They are traditionally the hump day, but all it means is that I have to work the next day at both jobs. urgh.
But it is also New Wave Wednesdays on WBER and that is cool. However, Jen V talks too much. Once, she used to be my favorite DJ. Now, she just blabs on and on about all her troubles and her kids and other boring stuff, and doesn't play nearly enough music.
But, since beggars cant be choosers, I still listen faithfully every week.

Also - my friend Zieak was on NPR. well, not directly - but his creations were referenced on NPR today. Check it out: Digital DIY: Web Helps Do-It-Yourselfers Share Ethic - which I think is way cool since I am a fan of NPR....his is the stool made of crutches and bike parts they mention in the beginning.

It's Corned Beef & Cabbage Day !

It's Corned Beef and Cabbage Day!

So I slapped a brisket in the crock pot with some cabbage, carrots, onions, and Guinness. Everything tastes better with Guinness.

Not the most visually appealing meal, is it?

thats wicked cool

I must be crazy. I got up early, on a Monday no less, and stood in line out in the freezing cold for tickets. To what, you ask..... Wicked. That's right. I am a musical theater geek. A hard core musical junkie. But, after an hour in the freezing temperatures, I got a decent parking spot in the lot, a gift bag from a local radio station with a hat and a winning lottery ticket ($2 - woo hoo!) and 2 seats in Row B for June 8th. Along with just a touch of frostbite on my fingers and toes. Not too shabby.

dye cast models

I took a little time off this weekend from the computer.......

I had to dye my hair this weekend. I have dyed my hair numerous times in my lifetime, but always because I wanted to change the color (mostly to red).I have done permanent dye, semi permanent, and even quite a bit of henna in my day. However, this weekend, I had to dye my hair because it is TURNING GRAY.

Seriously?

I heard this story today, and thought to myself - seriously? I understand that people have mental illness. But if my husband asked me if I was coming out of the bathroom, and I told him "Maybe tomorrow" I am 98% certain that would signal that something was potentially wrong. And I can say with 100% certainty he wouldn't let me sit there for 2 years. Of course, we only have one bathroom, it could cause some problems in our marriage.....

Sheriff recommends charge in toilet case
By ROXANA HEGEMAN Associated Press Writer

NESS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- A man should be charged for allowing his girlfriend to sit on their toilet so long that her body became stuck to the seat, the sheriff said Thursday.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple was among authorities who discovered the woman last month living in the bathroom of a mobile home she shared with her boyfriend, Kory McFarren.
"The house was cluttered but not in shambles," he said. "The smell was overpowering - a terrible smell about the house, obviously coming from where she was at."
McFarren, 36, told police his girlfriend, Pam Babcock, 35, had a phobia about leaving the bathroom and may not have left the bathroom in two years, although he's unsure how long she was in there.
He said during that time, he brought her food, water, and clean clothes.
"The only thing I am guilty of is I didn't get her help sooner," he told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The sheriff said that judging by the woman's condition - she had open sores on which the toilet seat would stick - it appeared she likely sat on the toilet continually for at least a month.
"She would have to be sleeping on the toilet," the sheriff said.
Whipple asked the county attorney to charge McFarren for mistreatment of a dependent adult. The prosecutor did not return phone calls seeking comment.
"The unfortunate thing is this truly is a case of two people, in my opinion, with diminished mental capacity," Whipple said.
McFarren, who works at an antique store, said he has been taking care of Babcock for the 16 years they have lived together. He insisted that he tried to coax her out of the bathroom every day. The home has a second bathroom.
McFarren said he finally called police Feb. 27 after he became worried because Babcock was acting groggy, as if she didn't know what was going on around her.
What emergency responders found when they entered the bathroom has left many in the town of about 1,500 people buzzing and authorities incredulous.
Whipple said the seat was taken off the toilet so the woman could be transported to the hospital for treatment.
Doctors at the Wichita hospital told the boyfriend an infection in her legs has damaged her nerves and may leave her in a wheelchair, he said.
© 2008 The Associated Press.

Oh, Andrew

You know you want to play for the Big Dog. Who wouldn't want the pep talks and the team picture. by the way - I will be posting the team picture if I am funding this endeavor.....just so there is no mistaking, you know you want to.

My ipod has made me ADD I think. The theory is that all the music on there is stuff that I like. And, theoretically, if you put it on shuffle, you would get to hear all sorts of music that you enjoy. But I cant listen to more than about 5 seconds of a song without wondering what is next, and hitting skip. It's sad, really.

syrup-rific

March is apparently Maple Syrup Month.

Somehow, this escaped me. I wonder why.

Anyway, since I have family in Vermont, I am partial to syrup from Vermont only. All the rest is crap (no offense to all you other maple syrup-ers out there).

This is where we get ours:http://www.vtmaplesyrup.com/info/info.htm

I particularly love maple cream. It is a favorite of mine. I got a recipe from a Vermont Maple Syrup cookbook once, but never made it. It involved too much boiling and beating. I am not that precise. I say, take this entire month to eat syrup.

Comfort Food (the healthy way)

Taco Salads are one of my comfort foods. No one thinks of taco salads as comfort foods, I am sure. But to me, they are. In an effort to eat healthier though, I needed to make it better, but no less delicious. So, I cut out the chips here, and you don’t really miss them. If you do, add them. And tonight, I made cheaters guacamole.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

1 large can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 bag Morningstar Farms Crumbles
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ancho chili powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
Field Greens
4 green onions, chopped
4 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese , shredded
Handful chopped cilantro
40 cherry tomatoes
Guacamole
Light sour cream

In a large non stick pan, cook whole can of tomatoes and whole bag of soy crumbles, add all the dry spices and cook down until the liquid is reduced. Assemble salad and eat up.


Cheater’s Guacamole

4 ripe avocados
1/3 jar Fire Roasted Salsa Verde or Tomatillo Salsa (I recommend Wegmans or Rick Bayless’ versions)

Mash all together in a bowl.

Roasted Chicken with Fresh Lime Mojo

1 medium roasting chicken
2 limes
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped fine
Olive oil
Salt

Place the zest of both limes, the juice of both limes, a generous pinch of salt, and 3 or 4 glugs of olive oil in a bowl, mix well. Loosen the skin from the chicken, and smoosh the mojo under the skin. Repeat on both breast and underside of the chicken. Roast chicken breast down for maximum juiciness. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 degrees for an hour and a half (or longer depending on size of bird).

I know it's old, but I couldnt help it

The Big Dipper

I've realized lately that I am seriously into dipping my foods into condiments. But not ketchup and mustard.

Last night, I made chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce.

Today, when I got home and was scavenging for a snack, I ate some of the leftover chicken, dipped in my FAVORITE salsa. I was so excited to see Wegman's come out with their own version of Salsa Verde. I eat it with everything, and I especially love to put it in my guacamole when I am too lazy to chop.

what I did this weekend

drove to Webster in the blizzard so I could go shopping - I bought groceries and a Nano. All the years I have lived here, I have heard people on the news talk about how treacherous it is on the Bay Bridge, and I never believed them. It really is slippery. I believe them now.

I watched 2 movies, both were good but not great : Across the Universe and Becoming Jane.

I woke up at 5am to find my eye stuck shut, and when I finally opened it, something got in it and then it itched and burned for about an hour, I then fell asleep again and woke up an hour and a half later to clean out the driveway.

Then, I got out of the driveway and went to church only to find out it was cancelled, but no one called me. I freaking work there and no one called me to tell me it was cancelled. Anyway, then I stayed and worked for like 3 hours. I really need to do a better job of trying to quit....

Since there was about 2 feet of snow where I live, we went snowshoeing when I got home. For about an hour. And I got a nice little winter sunburn on my face. My freckles are much darker now.

And then I wrote this.

low carb is hard

So I have been trying to eat a lower carb diet for a little while now.
And no, I don't mean Atkins. How anyone can eat that much sausage is beyond me.

And I am not going to lie - it is really difficult. Flour, Sugar and I...we go way back.

I can usually last about 2 weeks before I cave, and then I have to start over. And though this may seem counter productive, it is all I can do.

Last night - I only made it a week. You see, winter is back. And we were going to go out to dinner and I had a nice little plan. But instead, we decided to stay in and get take out - Chinese of course from Lin's Palace. Instead of getting my usual staples (chicken satay, happy family with sauce on the side, or egg drop soup), I decided I needed noodles.

I ate less than 1/3rd of the container, and I picked out all the shrimp and chicken first. But this morning, up 4 pounds. It's kind of sick.

Oh yeah, maybe it was the piece of chocolate cake too that did it.

Whatever, back on today, lets see if I can make it two more weeks this time.

12 steps

Do you think there is a 12 step program out there for cheese?

B.O.

Ever go to an Indian restaurant and leave smelling like B.O? Food's good, smells bad.

I went to lunch today with my mom, and we went to the India Palace in Rochester. I haven’t been in years, but I used to work 2 doors down, so we used to go all the time. So we arrive, and no one is there. And we wait 5 minutes, and no one come out from the kitchen, so my mother goes in the back and calls hello through the doorway, to no avail. She sticks her head in a little further, and calls out again, and a hostess comes out (with fingernails about 4 inches long – disgusting!) and says “we don’t allow people in the kitchen”, to which my mother responded “We’ve been waiting for like 5 minutes”. The hostess/waitress, she didn’t care.

We sit, it’s a buffet, and the food kind of is not great. I wouldn’t go as far as bad, but I will say it was not nearly close to good. I used to go all the time and it was good. Not so. I asked for more water once, she never came back. She came with the check, I asked for more water, she came, refilled my glass and not my mother's.

Then we tried to pay the bill. My mother pulls out her debit card, and the hostess/waitress says “I’m sorry, but it appears that our lines are down, you’ll have to pay with cash”. My mom, who never carries cash says “Well, I don’t have any” and the girl tells her she can now patronize one of the few ATMs in the plaza. So I stay in the restaurant, and my mom goes to get cash, and has to spend an extra 2 bucks on ATM fees just to pay the stupid bill. While I am waiting, the waitress gets a bill for the ONLY OTHER PERSON in the restaurant, and neglects to tell them that they wont be able to use their credit cards either. Our bill was $19.33 and originally due to poor service was only going to leave a 20– it was a buffet after all. But after the whole debacle, my mother waited for her change. Because of the 4 inch long fingernails, we waited another 5minutes for the change to be counted.

Until further notice, avoid the India Palace in Brighton.

gimpy mcgee

That's me.
I sprained my knuckle. And have to wear a stupid brace. How ridiculous is that?

she found me

Mrs Argentina found me. She called after I posted last night, and the caller ID says "Blocked Call". I fall for it every time. I got her to just give me the guys information, rather than have me come out to talk to someone about trees that I don't care about. She even said to me , "I am sure he will work out some kind of deal, and it will make me happy if you remove it, and it will make me a better neighbor than I already am." Sure it will.

Also, I am turning into a train wreck. Somehow, last night I screwed up my middle finger on my right hand. I think I jammed it (though yanking on it doesn't seem to help). I have no ability to squeeze or grip anything with my right hand without pain. The worst part is, I think I did it folding a blanket.

in other news.....

I figured out what the abdominal pain was. I was calling it "punched gut syndrome" but it was really that I ate too much cheese on Friday night.

I had more blood drawn today. They are starting to get to know me by name at the lab.

Home Slice told me today that she didn't like People magazine because they try to act like a real magazine by adding human interest stories to cover up the fact that they are indeed just gossip. I guess I never noticed, and now I will forever notice this fact.

The sea monkeys I got for Christmas are starting to get big, and we stirred them up with a straw today, a straw with no wrapper on it...

I am so out of the loop that I didn't know there was an earthquake in England recently. Apparently, the bridge near my grandmother's house is closed now. Not that she drives, she is 96.

We got our tax refund, and cant decide whether or not we should dump it back into our debt or redo the bathroom. I hate the bathroom very much, but then again, to pay a nice chunk off of our debt would be nice. The question is, can I live with a gross tub and pink floor tiles for another year or so? Ironically, the only other thing that came in the mail today was an advertisement for Bath Fitter.

And I am making sesame chicken and broccoli for dinner.

I'm in hiding

Argentina and Mrs Argentina bug us constantly about our trees.

We have two trees in our front yard that she calls "dirty trees". Not in the naughty way, in the filth kind of way. And in her defense, she is right, they are annoying and disgusting. I think they are locust trees (if there is such a thing?). Anyway, they have been bothering us literally since the day we moved in to have then taken out. They don't like how all the dirty nasty little leaves get in their yard and they don't like that the shallow roots have "destroyed" their driveway.
Of course, they make no effort to assist in the payment for said removal.

Anyway, I pulled into my driveway after work, and there is a work type truck in their driveway, and I see that there is someone cutting their trees and removing the debris. Then I see Mrs Argentina using the mans clippers to cut something. She is kind of picky, and my guess was it wasn't to her liking. Anyway, I rushed in the garage and shut the door as quickly as possible before she found me to complain about our trees.

They really are nice people, really.

Product Placement

I don't like watching movies that have a lot of product placement. I started watch Invasion earlier, and in the first scene, she is chugging Mountain Dew. I stopped watching though, because is basically sucked. Now I am watching the Jane Austen Book Club, and though better than vomiting aliens, there was Olay bath products prominently displayed. I know that these product placements provide funds for the film, but I don't like commericals when I am watching television, and I especially don't like them in the movies.

In other unrelated news, I have some kind of unusual abdominal pain that I cant quite figure out.