Random October Stuff

So... who is ready for football season to be OVER? Wow, it has been brutal around here. J is having a hard time losing and that seems to be all the Dawgs can do. I finally had to ask him to please stop talking to me about it. I know that sounds a bit rude, but he understood. BRUTAL I tell you...

So... October is here. I LOVE October. Yes, it is the month I was born (and J too actually) and that may have something to do with it, but it seems like as soon as October arrived on my doorstep the weather became absolutely gorgeous. It made me feel like getting outside, but instead I chose to nap. I love a good nap. If you ask me what my favorite thing to do is I will most likely tell you sleep. So, there is no need to ask because now you know. You are welcome for that. Next time you are playing a round of Amanda trivia you are set!

This is random, but is anyone watching Sister Wives in TLC? I swore that I would not waste a second of my time on that show but as soon as it came on I was totally intrigued. Then, the news that they might be arrested got me hook, line, and sinker. I mean really, why would you go on TV and make public a lifestyle that will send you to jail? I just don't get it. Now, the main question tonight is Hoarders or Sister Wives? After The Next Iron Chef of course. Are you thinking Tivo or that Comcast thing that records the shows you want to see but cannot decide between what trash TV to rot your mind with? I don't do that yet. Sad, I know.

Also, if you are looking for Slow Cooker recipes you should buy the October issue of Southern Living. I have one cooking right now.

Amanda, you are such a drive by blogger. I know. I am working on it. To make it up to you my next post will be a great freezer meal. Unless something awesome happens and I have to share that with you instead.

Just you wait...

Dirty Laundry

Well, not really. If that was dirty laundry all over my bed that would be sick and someone would be in serious trouble. And that my friends, is all I have for today.

The BIG Cook

A friend of mine introduced me to the Once A Month Mom. If I am being honest, I originally thought it had something to do with some lady's monthly visitor. How odd, I thought, that someone would actually blog about that. So, naturally, I clicked over only to find that the site had nothing to do with lady issues and everything to do with power cooking! This lady only cooks once a month and freezes everything. Brilliant! Game on my friends!

Feeding my husband is very hard. You know how growing teenage boys eat? That is exactly how my husband eats. Feeding him is the ultimate challenge of our marriage. So after exploring the OAMM site, I decided that while I do not need to prepare all my meals in advance (I can tackle breakfast and lunch daily) having dinner pre-cooked and ready would really help. Working full time and having a delicious hot meal on the table every night is truly a challenge. I spent some time looking through my recipies and deciding what might work as a power cook meal. I pulled together six dinners that we eat on a regular basis, made a list, went to the store and the cooking marathon began...

This is the fridge before the big cook...

In the end, I was able to prepare, package, and freeze over 26 meals. I have since power cooked a second time. It takes all day but is totally worth it. I never have to cook after work anymore and have so much more free time in the evening. It is all about being organized. Here is the freezer fully stocked...

I freeze all my meals in perfect portions for two. Some meals I freeze in containers and some I freeze in freezer bags. We eat a lot of Mexican food and I find that all the fillings can be made in advance and frozen in freezer bags. All you have to do is decide the night before what you want to eat for dinner the next day and put it in the fridge to thaw. The freezer above has frozen lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fettuccine alfredo, enchilada filling, taco meat, quesadilla filling, two types of quiche, meatloaf, beef stroganoff, black beans and rice, and plain brown rice. I cook all noodles "live" to go with the frozen sauces but the frozen pre-cooked rice works really well.

Grocery shopping is much eaiser now. All I have to buy is breakfast, lunch, and dinner side items. Making a salad, preparing a fresh vegatable, and/or warming up fresh bread is a snap when the main course is ready and waiting for you.

I also make my cookie dough in advance and freeze the dough preped in packs of twelve. We can now have hot homemade cookies at any given time. No mess!

While I totally realize that this type of "Type A" personality cooking is not for everyone, it has been wonderful for me. I no longer feel like I am coming home from job #1 only to start job #2. One day of hard work is totally worth it when you have the rest of the month off! There are some things that we love to eat that don't freeze well and we eat those things on the weekend or on a random day that I have off of work.

I will post some of the recipies that I use just in case you are inspired. If you have a meal the freezes really well please pass it along. I am aways looking for new ideas.

Missing Dishes

Dear Justin,

Please bring all our bowls and cups home from work. I know that they are sitting in the store filthy and that they really need to be washed. My service for eight is now service for three. I guess that's fine because there are only two of us, but I really like my dishes and this has nothing to do with how many people are using them at any given time. I just want them back. All of them. Now. Pretty please. PLEASE and please.

Love,

Longing for a Complete Set of Dishes

UPDATE: J has returned the missing dishes. He did not return them because he read my blog and felt bad. No sir. J does not read my blog at all. Well, sometimes he reads it over my shoulder while I type and then asks me questions while I am trying to think. Mainly he asks why I am soliciting a stalker. What!?!? Exactly. He has a very creepy understanding of the blog world. Anyway... he did return the dishes and that is great. Sometimes you just have to put it out there in the universe. I just thought you would like to know because I am sure you have been losing sleep over this.

Warning: Cuteness Overload

Are you dying from cuteness? I am. Absolutely dying.

I warned you in the post title.

3 Years Today

Saturday, September 8, 2007 - Big Canoe, Georgia

Q&A 5K: RUN IT!

Q: Don't you live on the coast? Why are you so pale?

A: First of all, that has nothing to do with my running achievement, but it is a good question to address because it is so IN YOUR FACE! The answer is that I never go outside.

Q: How is it possible to never go outside and train for a 5K, 10K, or half marathon? Is that what you are doing?

A: That is the plan and I run on a treadmill.

Q: Do you regret that type of training after actually running your first 5K outside?

A: Oh my goodness YES! I totally believe that my 5.5 miles on a treadmill pale in comparison to 3.11 miles outside. I am going to have to work on this. I am going to have to get in my car and map out some runs outside. The problem is that I am totally not interested in becoming a news story and I worry all the time that someone is going to abduct me. I also run at 5:00am during the week so any long runs I do outside will have to be in the daylight and on the weekends.

Q: Are you wearing make-up in that picture?

A: Rude, and yes. But very little and that is why I look a little to serious. I think next time I will wear more. Who knew you were photographed at every turn? Not me. Is that obvious? Yep. Is that vain? Maybe.

Q: What were you thinking in that picture?

A: Seriously? I have to have made it to mile three by now. Why is there not a three mile marker? This is SO much harder than running on a treadmill watching television in the air conditioning!

Q: Did you run the entire thing and what was your time?

A: I did run the entire thing. My time was 32 minutes and 18 seconds.

Q: Is that a bad time and do you care?

A: It is okay. Very middle of the road. Not good by any stretch of the imagination. I did not think I cared about my time until the end of the race when the HUGE clock was in my face. Then I cared REALLY bad. I am running another 5K in two weeks and plan to come in under 30.

Q: Did you make up all these questions and then answer the questions yourself?

A: Yes I did.

Q: Does that make you crazy?

A: Maybe.

Smoothie Master! Or maybe not...

So... Justin and I went for a run the other day. It was really hot and when we got home I decided that we needed smoothies. I love making smoothies with vanilla yogurt, orange juice, and frozen fruit. If you ever spend real person time with me and we happen to exercise together, I will most likely try to get you to drink a smoothie afterwards. And I will make it (no Smoothie King in this house) because I fancy myself a awesome smoothie maker. Anyway...

I put all the ingredients in the blender and turned it on. It was making a terrible noise. I can't describe it. Then orange juice started pouring out from the bottom of the blender all over the counter and the floor making a huge mess. After a few minutes of screaming (typical reaction), I decided that I needed to dump the contents into a bowl (not the sink, that was my first thought) and examine the malfunctioning appliance (J was in the shower so he was missing all the fun). As it turns out, the blender seal was not in place so a quick fix would solve the problem. Blender seal reconfigured, content returned, I turned the blender back on.

The noise this time was even worse. It sounded like it was working so hard to blend. What on earth could be the problem!?!? Instead of turning it off I decided to just forge ahead and ignore the ominous sound. I really wanted to drink the smoothie and I was beginning to get seriously annoyed. Eventually the noise stopped and the smoothie was blended and ready to drink. I poured the deliciousness into two glasses and began cleaning up the enormous mess I had made. I took the blender apart and put it in the dishwasher. The only piece I could not find was the blender seal. I looked everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Only to find, as I was finishing my smoothie, that I drank it. And so did Justin. And it was really gross. REALLY gross.

Thank goodness for internet places like this.

So, can I interest you in a smoothie? After I get my replacement seal? Just think about it. There is no pressure to answer right now.

Same Store, Different Lane, Same Bagger: Publix Take 2

I was carefully considering my lane options. My first choice was to stand behind a woman with a HUGE race car shopping cart and her three wild children. My second choice was to checkout following a older gentleman with a few items in his cart. Easy choice? You would think, but the bagger with way to many questions was working in the clear choice lane. Maybe that was a one time Q&A session I thought to myself? I decided to take my chances.


Bagger: Is plastic okay?


Me: Yes, thank you. (I always feel bad saying yes to plastic and I am aware that I should jump on the green train and bring my own bags.)


Bagger: How is everyone?


Me: Everyone is great.


Bagger: Are the kids back in school?


Me: (After a split second of thought) Yes, yes they are.


Bagger: Where are they in school this year?


Me: Um... What is that name of the school right up the street? It is slipping my mind this morning.


Bagger: Marshpoint?


Me: Yes, Marshpoint. That's it. I can't believe I forgot that.


Bagger: That is a really good school.


Me: That is what I hear. The kids really like it.


Cashier: You saved $8.64 today.


Me: Wow. That is great.


Bagger: Do you need help out to your car today? I am happy to help.


Me: No, thank you. I've got it. Thank you for your help.


Bagger: Have a nice day.


Me: You too.


That was so much easier. Why do I always feel the need to tell the truth to total strangers? Absolute waste of time. It really made him happy that my "kids" are doing great and enjoying school. No harm there. Plus, I am totally aware that he is just being nice. The bonus was that I was able to use my acting skills today in the store and my playwright skills in this post. Nice.

Random: Has anyone seen "The Great Food Truck Race" on Food Network? If so, does anyone think that one of the guys on there looks like a white guy version Snoop Dog? Just wondering.

Facebook, we need to talk...

I have given up Facebook for the time being. I can't remember the last day I was on, this week seems like it was two years long and is a huge blur, but I can say that I have not missed it one bit. I feel very confident that my BFF MKP will keep me informed of anything that I need to know. Plus, if my "friends" in real life need me they will email, text, or call.

If I am being honest, I have always had a love-hate relationship with the social networking tool. I love that it has brought people back into my life that I truly treasure and I hate that it brings out the ugly in me. But these days, I really hate that it hurts my heart so much. The announcement of a pregnancy will absolutely bring me to tears. Over the past few weeks I have constantly been reminded that I would be three months away from delivering my precious baby and I am not. I carefully selected the word "would" and not "should" in the sentence above because I am confident in the Lord's plan for my life. A plan, that no matter how much it hurts, does not include a sweet baby in December.

That being said, I do not have to sign in each day and subject myself to unnecessary heartache. Please don't misunderstand me, I in no way resent the miracle of new life in others. It is just hard. Having a miscarriage is hard. It is a pain that eases with time but does not ever fade away. To say that this experience has changed me, changed us, would be a understatement. I have felt the tenderness of the Lord in ways I never would have imagined. I have also felt sorrow that I never knew was possible. I am thankful for both extremes and I am also completely exhausted.

So, Facebook, we are breaking up. I most likely will be back, but don't wait around for me. I know you won't.