So I have had a productive day. Housework and I mean alot of housework was done today. Alas more is still needed to be done and I hope I have the energy to continue doing it tomorrow. It will all depend if I have insomnia again and stay up til 5 o'clock in the morning. Just like last night. Sigh. I seem to have inadvertently switched my sleep schedule from night time to morning. I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour and usually end up not sleeping. So if my mind refuses to switch off I need to get up and do something that will distract or tire it out. Last night I started a book and read because I did not want the nightmares my mind was leading me too. Then in the morning after getting up and getting the Bear to school I came home and crashed. Meaning I napped and it was a long and deep nap too. This is what seems to happen most days.
I am not sure why this is happening but I suspect it is because I am stressed over something. Unfortunately I do not know precisely what is stressing me. If I knew I could take steps to destress myself and maybe make me a sane and reasonable woman. Two things I think it might be related to are money and my fat. I feel pinched in purchasing decisions and try to rein in my spending habits only to be undercut by husband's spending. Then we argue over money and I am angry with him. Second item is I do not feel I am getting enough exercise and feel fat and bloated. I am trying to eat right and healthy because I know of the benefits that the baby receives in the womb from proper nutrition. Still for all that I have been craving way too many fat things like fried perogies and sour cream or just mayonnaise sandwiches. I do not always give in to the temptation and the cravings just don't go away. It is like my body wants to double my fat reserves when I trying to tell it to just use the ones I already have. Sheesh! I really wish something around here would listen to me most days. Normally you would think your body would be one of those!
Anyways thats enough complaining and moaning about something I really do have the power to change but apparently not the willpower to actually change. Okay Okay I said enough complaining already! Man some days you would think I was depressed or something. Anyways here's my positive reinforcements for the day.
1. I cleaned the bathroom!!!!
2. I did other housework like sweeping floors, getting the jello stain off of the chair and washing the walls and cabinets.
3. I encouraged Smiles to help me while I was cleaning and apparently she loves washing walls. Teehee.
4. I put the kids to bed after giving Smiles a bath because she got herself filthy at the neighbours house.
5. I got Smiles registered for Kindergarten next year and Bear re-registered for his school.
So yeah I guess I would have to say all in all it was a very good day. Now I get to play Civ all night if I wish. Though I believe I will probably end up reading another book. I am really not interested in the computer tonight. Maybe I should finish sewing that child's cloak that has been sitting near machine for the last week. Hmmm, I might just have to do that! After all I can't have Raven get too many cloaks ahead of me!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I do not feel like it.....
Our phone is working again and has been since Friday. I have just been too tired and listless to blog so even though I do not feel like it I will update with this mundane matter.
1. I put the kids to bed.
2. I cuddled with both kids.
3. I feed them supper.
4. I napped.
5. I took a shower.
See even my positive reinforcements are blah and notice there is no housework on the list. That in and of itself should give you a fair idea of how mentally alert and able I am. I am glad to hear that Babyjail is out of the hospital and doing well. Ok better than her horrible week. Which mine in comparison was extremely boring and mundane. Which all in all I think I would prefer that to Acute Pancretis. I am sure that is spelled wrong but medical terms always escape my pronunciation so why should the spelling be any different.
1. I put the kids to bed.
2. I cuddled with both kids.
3. I feed them supper.
4. I napped.
5. I took a shower.
See even my positive reinforcements are blah and notice there is no housework on the list. That in and of itself should give you a fair idea of how mentally alert and able I am. I am glad to hear that Babyjail is out of the hospital and doing well. Ok better than her horrible week. Which mine in comparison was extremely boring and mundane. Which all in all I think I would prefer that to Acute Pancretis. I am sure that is spelled wrong but medical terms always escape my pronunciation so why should the spelling be any different.
Friday, April 27, 2007
No phone
Yesterday we discovered our land line is not working and therefore the only communication devices we currently have are Hubby's cell phone and email. Hmmm. We called the telephone company and got no answer from them and I somehow doubt we'll get anyone out here before Monday anyways. You see there are some workers who have been upgrading the phone lines around our neighbourhoood for about the last two weeks. I am really hoping that if they cut our phone line they can fix it before they are done their work here. But I won't know anything until the person from the phone company comes and checks out the jacks. Of course Hubby thinks it is just our phone and that we need to replace it. Right! The phone still works and this has happened to us once before where a jack in the house screwed up our phone lines for a couple of days. This was at the old place of course.
Anyways in other happier news I went to Raven's last night and cloaked, after we had gone swimming of course. There was some miscommunication about what was happening on that front but it all worked out in the end. So Hubby's cloak is almost finished and we cut out another cloak that is a trial run for me when it comes to satin. I have a lady's cloak that I want to make that has a satin lining. This small child's cloak is a perfect test run to make sure I figure out what I am doing first in that regard. So I cut it out, pinned it, sewed it and grumbled profusely the entire time. I think once I know what I am doing I will grumble alot more with my lady's cloak but in the end I am sure it will be worth it. We have a good selection of cloaks this year and it makes my happy.
I won't post my Five positive reinforcements just yet cause all I have done today is nag my husband and nap. Later.
Anyways in other happier news I went to Raven's last night and cloaked, after we had gone swimming of course. There was some miscommunication about what was happening on that front but it all worked out in the end. So Hubby's cloak is almost finished and we cut out another cloak that is a trial run for me when it comes to satin. I have a lady's cloak that I want to make that has a satin lining. This small child's cloak is a perfect test run to make sure I figure out what I am doing first in that regard. So I cut it out, pinned it, sewed it and grumbled profusely the entire time. I think once I know what I am doing I will grumble alot more with my lady's cloak but in the end I am sure it will be worth it. We have a good selection of cloaks this year and it makes my happy.
I won't post my Five positive reinforcements just yet cause all I have done today is nag my husband and nap. Later.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Cloaking Cloaking Tra la la
1. I have been doing housework and even a little spring cleaning.
2. I went shopping today.
3. I napped.
4. I went for a walk with Smiles.
5. I have been talking to neighbors and am slowly getting to know them better. I at least have the names of the two elderly ladies living on either side of me!
I will once again be cloaking tonight and hopefully swimming before hand. One of the reasons I had to go shopping was that I went to wash some fabric I had bought and discovered that I had used the last of my laundry detergent on the previous stacks of cloth I had bought. So I will get that washed and take it Raven's tonight to see if there is anything to pair it with. We are going to have an awesome selection of cloaks to offer this year! Yeah!
2. I went shopping today.
3. I napped.
4. I went for a walk with Smiles.
5. I have been talking to neighbors and am slowly getting to know them better. I at least have the names of the two elderly ladies living on either side of me!
I will once again be cloaking tonight and hopefully swimming before hand. One of the reasons I had to go shopping was that I went to wash some fabric I had bought and discovered that I had used the last of my laundry detergent on the previous stacks of cloth I had bought. So I will get that washed and take it Raven's tonight to see if there is anything to pair it with. We are going to have an awesome selection of cloaks to offer this year! Yeah!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Frozen Cheese
1. I did some housework today.
2. I laundered all my new material to take to Raven's tonight to sew more cloaks.
3. I am almost finished the green wool child's cloak.
4. I read books to the kids and watched them play at the playground after school.
5. I will be dropping off a casserole for my friend tonight.
My casserole recipes are fairly simple and easily changeable. I love the spaghetti bake because it means if you make a large amount of spaghetti sauce you can do something with it other than leftovers. Also I have been craving spaghetti for awhile and so this seemed a nice logical way to deal with the huge amount of sauce we invariably end up with. I love my husband and am very happy that he cooks. But.....he always seems to make enough food for anywhere between 7 and 15 people. When we lived with the vacuum brothers this wasn't as much of a problem because they would easily eat half of the food made. Alas, we are only a small family of four (soon to be five) and the leftovers only stagnant, go bad or moldy in the fridge because the kids will not eat it after day 3 (if we are lucky enough to get that far). We always say we should freeze some but by the time we say that the food has already started to go bad, so no point in keeping it.
I think the main problem I have is that Hubby will leave the sauce or whatever he made in the very large pot and stick the pot in the fridge. Not only taking up too much room in the fridge, but also when he takes it out he reheats the entire pot again and again. Which means he invariably burns the bottom of the pot and then nobody wants to eat the food. So this way I have enough spaghetti sauce for another meal or two and if I really wanted could make it into another casserole. Casseroles are easy to freeze and nice make ahead meals. Hint - just don't freeze a casserole with the cheese on top. All it does is make the cheese go waxy and I really don't like the consistency afterwards.
I only know of one of my friends who would buy a block of cheese (around a pound or so) cut it in half and freeze the other. He also ate the first half within a week. I believe he used to make a meal out it by itself. He also apparently didn't mind the taste of the frozen cheese either. Ugh. I really can't say much though an old roommate of mine used to make her homemade popcorn into supper once or twice a month. Sigh. It brings back memories of when I used to be a student and the only food in the house was jam my mother brought in for us. Spread on crackers it tasted like heaven. I am so glad those days are over. At least now I have the choice of whether or not I want to survive on macaroni and cheese only. Oh don't forget the ketchup!
2. I laundered all my new material to take to Raven's tonight to sew more cloaks.
3. I am almost finished the green wool child's cloak.
4. I read books to the kids and watched them play at the playground after school.
5. I will be dropping off a casserole for my friend tonight.
My casserole recipes are fairly simple and easily changeable. I love the spaghetti bake because it means if you make a large amount of spaghetti sauce you can do something with it other than leftovers. Also I have been craving spaghetti for awhile and so this seemed a nice logical way to deal with the huge amount of sauce we invariably end up with. I love my husband and am very happy that he cooks. But.....he always seems to make enough food for anywhere between 7 and 15 people. When we lived with the vacuum brothers this wasn't as much of a problem because they would easily eat half of the food made. Alas, we are only a small family of four (soon to be five) and the leftovers only stagnant, go bad or moldy in the fridge because the kids will not eat it after day 3 (if we are lucky enough to get that far). We always say we should freeze some but by the time we say that the food has already started to go bad, so no point in keeping it.
I think the main problem I have is that Hubby will leave the sauce or whatever he made in the very large pot and stick the pot in the fridge. Not only taking up too much room in the fridge, but also when he takes it out he reheats the entire pot again and again. Which means he invariably burns the bottom of the pot and then nobody wants to eat the food. So this way I have enough spaghetti sauce for another meal or two and if I really wanted could make it into another casserole. Casseroles are easy to freeze and nice make ahead meals. Hint - just don't freeze a casserole with the cheese on top. All it does is make the cheese go waxy and I really don't like the consistency afterwards.
I only know of one of my friends who would buy a block of cheese (around a pound or so) cut it in half and freeze the other. He also ate the first half within a week. I believe he used to make a meal out it by itself. He also apparently didn't mind the taste of the frozen cheese either. Ugh. I really can't say much though an old roommate of mine used to make her homemade popcorn into supper once or twice a month. Sigh. It brings back memories of when I used to be a student and the only food in the house was jam my mother brought in for us. Spread on crackers it tasted like heaven. I am so glad those days are over. At least now I have the choice of whether or not I want to survive on macaroni and cheese only. Oh don't forget the ketchup!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Simple Spaghetti Bake
1. I did housework today.
2. I baked two casseroles. One for a friend and one maybe to freeze.
3. I went for a walk with Smiles.
4. I had a nice long nap this morning.
5. I allowed Smiles and Bear to play for a long time after school at the playground.
I realized that in the following recipe I will not state amounts for any of my ingredients. The reason why is because I do not cook that way. When I am making my tiramasu then I will very carefully follow amounts and ingredients, but for a meal bah, amounts are for those who are chicken when it comes to a frying pan.
Okay cooking utensils needed are casserole dish, long spoons (wooden or plastic), a can opener, 2 large pots, a cutting board, a sharp knife and a colander.
Ingredients.
hamburger or ground meat
cans of tomato sauce
cans of tomato paste
cans of diced or crushed tomatos
onions
garlic
celery
carrots
peppers (your preference of hot or mild - oh and what colours)
mushrooms
spices (whatever you would use for a regular spaghetti; oregano, paprika, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc....)
spaghetti noodles
butter or oil
Parmesan (optional)
Cheese Cheddar or Mozzarella (also optional)
Step 1:
Cut up onions and garlic. Place in large pot to saute with some butter or oil. Butter is my preference. I just love the smell of onions cooking in butter. Mmmm Mmmm.
Step 2:
When the onions and garlic are see through but not about to brown add the ground meat. Cook thoroughly.
Step 3:
While the meat is cooking cut up the rest of the vegetables and open the cans of tomato things (sauce, paste or diced....).
Step 4:
When the meat is done add all the ingredients from Step 3.
Step 5:
Add the spices. You see I can not tell you what spices to add because whenever I start spaghetti my husband always comes in at this point and takes over. It is like a territorial thing for him and his way of still saying he made the spaghetti. "I have spiced. I am man!"
Step 6:
While the spaghetti sauce is cooking (I prefer minimum or low heat to avoid burning. This way I can leave the lid on and still get lots of heat in the pot. Just make sure you stir it often!) put the pot of water on for the spaghetti noodles. Cook the noodles to desired doneness and drain.
Hint - My husband found a trick that I like and one I am recommending here. If you don't want to over cheese with the Parmesan mix it into the noodles at this stage.
Step 7:
Get out your casserole dish and place a layer of spaghetti noodles on the bottom. If you haven't put Parmesan directly onto your noodles then you can add a sprinkling onto the noodles now.
Step 8:
Place a layer of sauce over the noodles trying to completely cover them, but hey we're all human aren't we? I don't think it matters if you miss a few in the corners. Then if you desire you may repeat steps 7 and 8 until your casserole dish is almost full.
Step 9:
Cover the last layer with the Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese (grated or sliced) and place in oven for 30 - 45 mins at 375 degrees.
Voila an easy or Simple Spaghetti Bake. I will admit this is just a variant on the Super Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole from early this month, but hey this one can be cheese or dairy free for those lactose intolerant people. Or you can skip the cans and just use store bought spaghetti sauces, but they are no fun! Plus I absolutely love garlic and think that is what makes any good spaghetti. You see a trick I learned from Raven is to mince half your garlic and cut the other half into large pieces. This way you get the minced garlic infusing its flavor into the sauce and yet you still get the bites of garlic when you come across a larger piece. So yeah Star and Cosmic I hope you like garlic!
2. I baked two casseroles. One for a friend and one maybe to freeze.
3. I went for a walk with Smiles.
4. I had a nice long nap this morning.
5. I allowed Smiles and Bear to play for a long time after school at the playground.
I realized that in the following recipe I will not state amounts for any of my ingredients. The reason why is because I do not cook that way. When I am making my tiramasu then I will very carefully follow amounts and ingredients, but for a meal bah, amounts are for those who are chicken when it comes to a frying pan.
Okay cooking utensils needed are casserole dish, long spoons (wooden or plastic), a can opener, 2 large pots, a cutting board, a sharp knife and a colander.
Ingredients.
hamburger or ground meat
cans of tomato sauce
cans of tomato paste
cans of diced or crushed tomatos
onions
garlic
celery
carrots
peppers (your preference of hot or mild - oh and what colours)
mushrooms
spices (whatever you would use for a regular spaghetti; oregano, paprika, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc....)
spaghetti noodles
butter or oil
Parmesan (optional)
Cheese Cheddar or Mozzarella (also optional)
Step 1:
Cut up onions and garlic. Place in large pot to saute with some butter or oil. Butter is my preference. I just love the smell of onions cooking in butter. Mmmm Mmmm.
Step 2:
When the onions and garlic are see through but not about to brown add the ground meat. Cook thoroughly.
Step 3:
While the meat is cooking cut up the rest of the vegetables and open the cans of tomato things (sauce, paste or diced....).
Step 4:
When the meat is done add all the ingredients from Step 3.
Step 5:
Add the spices. You see I can not tell you what spices to add because whenever I start spaghetti my husband always comes in at this point and takes over. It is like a territorial thing for him and his way of still saying he made the spaghetti. "I have spiced. I am man!"
Step 6:
While the spaghetti sauce is cooking (I prefer minimum or low heat to avoid burning. This way I can leave the lid on and still get lots of heat in the pot. Just make sure you stir it often!) put the pot of water on for the spaghetti noodles. Cook the noodles to desired doneness and drain.
Hint - My husband found a trick that I like and one I am recommending here. If you don't want to over cheese with the Parmesan mix it into the noodles at this stage.
Step 7:
Get out your casserole dish and place a layer of spaghetti noodles on the bottom. If you haven't put Parmesan directly onto your noodles then you can add a sprinkling onto the noodles now.
Step 8:
Place a layer of sauce over the noodles trying to completely cover them, but hey we're all human aren't we? I don't think it matters if you miss a few in the corners. Then if you desire you may repeat steps 7 and 8 until your casserole dish is almost full.
Step 9:
Cover the last layer with the Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese (grated or sliced) and place in oven for 30 - 45 mins at 375 degrees.
Voila an easy or Simple Spaghetti Bake. I will admit this is just a variant on the Super Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole from early this month, but hey this one can be cheese or dairy free for those lactose intolerant people. Or you can skip the cans and just use store bought spaghetti sauces, but they are no fun! Plus I absolutely love garlic and think that is what makes any good spaghetti. You see a trick I learned from Raven is to mince half your garlic and cut the other half into large pieces. This way you get the minced garlic infusing its flavor into the sauce and yet you still get the bites of garlic when you come across a larger piece. So yeah Star and Cosmic I hope you like garlic!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
An Accident at the Pool
So today started off as a good day. Hubby let me sleep in and even took the kids with him for awhile so I could sleep without them playing loudly as they are wont. Especially since Bear has lost the privileges of both TV and Computer for a week. Then we went out for lunch and then while Hubby looked into getting a haircut I was able to go to a Fabric Store and look at cloth! Yeah! I overspent a little not as much as thought I would considering the amounts I was purchasing. Though I had a little old lady ask me what was I buying my material for. I have found trying to explain that I make cloaks to sell at SCA is not always understood. So I went with my old standby it was for cloaks and coats for a theatre event. She was impressed and asked if it was a religious play. I said no it was more medieval version of events. So she blessed me for my work and I smiled only mildly guilty for misleading her. Sigh.
Then I dropped Hubby off at home because he was very tired(he stayed up til almost 4am) and took the kids to the swimming pool by myself. With just the two of them I can handle it because we just took turns doing the different things each kid wanted to do. They even let me sit in the hot tub for a few minutes. Ah luxury. Bear even joined me for a bit after squealing about the hotness of the water. Alas just as we were about to go Bear wanted one last turn on the balloon structure in the deep end of the pool. So I watched with Smiles as Bear waited in line for his turn. She then asked "What's that boy doing?" I looked at the end of the pool where the kids jump off of the balloon from a rope and saw a life guard holding a boy's head out of the water in a rigid and uncomfortable position. Then a spine board was rushed to where they were and soon after that the entire pool area was evacuated. So needless to say I collected Bear and we all went to the change rooms. Which by the way were so crowded I just got the kids and myself (doing that whole strategic towel placement thing) dressed in front of our locker and got out of there. Nevertheless I am a little upset mainly due to my hormones I think. But also because I have had to be calm answering my kids questions about what happened and not able to cry until I got home. So I hope that kid is alright and will put him into our prayers tonight.
So Bear is currently splashing in the tub washing off the chlorine from the pool since we did not get into a change room. There were alot of people there. Next will be my turn to take a shower and get cleaned off. Smiles is already done her bath. So until next time happy cloaking!
Then I dropped Hubby off at home because he was very tired(he stayed up til almost 4am) and took the kids to the swimming pool by myself. With just the two of them I can handle it because we just took turns doing the different things each kid wanted to do. They even let me sit in the hot tub for a few minutes. Ah luxury. Bear even joined me for a bit after squealing about the hotness of the water. Alas just as we were about to go Bear wanted one last turn on the balloon structure in the deep end of the pool. So I watched with Smiles as Bear waited in line for his turn. She then asked "What's that boy doing?" I looked at the end of the pool where the kids jump off of the balloon from a rope and saw a life guard holding a boy's head out of the water in a rigid and uncomfortable position. Then a spine board was rushed to where they were and soon after that the entire pool area was evacuated. So needless to say I collected Bear and we all went to the change rooms. Which by the way were so crowded I just got the kids and myself (doing that whole strategic towel placement thing) dressed in front of our locker and got out of there. Nevertheless I am a little upset mainly due to my hormones I think. But also because I have had to be calm answering my kids questions about what happened and not able to cry until I got home. So I hope that kid is alright and will put him into our prayers tonight.
So Bear is currently splashing in the tub washing off the chlorine from the pool since we did not get into a change room. There were alot of people there. Next will be my turn to take a shower and get cleaned off. Smiles is already done her bath. So until next time happy cloaking!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Sigh Not What I Expected Two
Last night Smiles kept coming into our bedroom to announce in that pitiful sick little girl voice "Mommy, I threwed up!". I guess I should have expected this since whatever one child gets the other is almost certainly going to go through it as well. Sigh!
Bear seems to be doing better and I am happy for that. I am not so happy that I also seem to have gotten whatever bug my children had/have as well. Last night at Raven's (I stayed way too late, but we got so much done) my stomach started to really hurt and complain. I chalked it up to cramps (yes even pregnant women still get cramps). So I got some Tylenol and waited for it to kick in. Alas it did not kick in. I had to pick up some milk for the morning so I stopped at a convenience store and picked up a bag of chips as well. Whenever I have stomach cramps it usually feels as if I am so hungry that I all I need to do is eat something. So I had a little bit to eat and voila the pain was still there. So I had a little more Tylenol when I got home blogged and waited for the pain to go away. Eventually I just went to bed and sleep overtook me. If it hadn't been for Smiles I might have actually gotten a good night's sleep. Sigh.
This morning it has not gotten better, but I am hoping it will just get through my system and go away. I still plan on going to Ladies of Hack tonight and think I should be feeling better by then. If not I am sure Raven and co. will understand.
So sewing last night went really well and I am still stoked about it. I got my Hubby's cloak halfway done for the sewing and I can't wait to put the gold trim on. My husband is color-blind and can't see the red-green combinations so I was very surprised when he chose a green wool for his cloak. Still it was a very good quality wool and it was an awesome sale so I think I picked up like 8 meters of the wool. I cut out Hubby's cloak and then cut out a cloak for Bear. As I was looking at the mantel piece that I had cut out for Hubby's cloak and I went nope its another child's cloak. So all in all that wool will make three cloaks. One of which I can sell.
Raven and I also went through all the tubs of cloaks left over last year and organized them all. We added the ones that we had made (after pricing them of course) and are sure we are going to need at least another tub if not 2 or 3 in order to transport all of the cloaks that we are planning on taking to Quad War. I am so excited about all the cloaks we are planning on making and I really want to make sure we do a really good job constructing them. We are also going to have a discount bin for cloaks that haven't been selling in the past. Also I will probably be going through some of old garb and go, nope too small and yeah I never wear that anymore. Those will go in the discount bin as well I think. So yeah I am still really psyched about making cloaks.
Bear seems to be doing better and I am happy for that. I am not so happy that I also seem to have gotten whatever bug my children had/have as well. Last night at Raven's (I stayed way too late, but we got so much done) my stomach started to really hurt and complain. I chalked it up to cramps (yes even pregnant women still get cramps). So I got some Tylenol and waited for it to kick in. Alas it did not kick in. I had to pick up some milk for the morning so I stopped at a convenience store and picked up a bag of chips as well. Whenever I have stomach cramps it usually feels as if I am so hungry that I all I need to do is eat something. So I had a little bit to eat and voila the pain was still there. So I had a little more Tylenol when I got home blogged and waited for the pain to go away. Eventually I just went to bed and sleep overtook me. If it hadn't been for Smiles I might have actually gotten a good night's sleep. Sigh.
This morning it has not gotten better, but I am hoping it will just get through my system and go away. I still plan on going to Ladies of Hack tonight and think I should be feeling better by then. If not I am sure Raven and co. will understand.
So sewing last night went really well and I am still stoked about it. I got my Hubby's cloak halfway done for the sewing and I can't wait to put the gold trim on. My husband is color-blind and can't see the red-green combinations so I was very surprised when he chose a green wool for his cloak. Still it was a very good quality wool and it was an awesome sale so I think I picked up like 8 meters of the wool. I cut out Hubby's cloak and then cut out a cloak for Bear. As I was looking at the mantel piece that I had cut out for Hubby's cloak and I went nope its another child's cloak. So all in all that wool will make three cloaks. One of which I can sell.
Raven and I also went through all the tubs of cloaks left over last year and organized them all. We added the ones that we had made (after pricing them of course) and are sure we are going to need at least another tub if not 2 or 3 in order to transport all of the cloaks that we are planning on taking to Quad War. I am so excited about all the cloaks we are planning on making and I really want to make sure we do a really good job constructing them. We are also going to have a discount bin for cloaks that haven't been selling in the past. Also I will probably be going through some of old garb and go, nope too small and yeah I never wear that anymore. Those will go in the discount bin as well I think. So yeah I am still really psyched about making cloaks.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Sigh I am Angel
Angel |
THE 4-VARIABLE BUFFY PERSONALITY TEST }}) --> |
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My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The 4-Variable Buffy Personality Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
This morning after my Hubby laughed at my result he took the test. He ended up as Spike. I guess this explains the conflicts we sometimes have. Hahahaha.
Cloaking Cloaking Tra la la
1. I did housework.
2. I got to sleep in.
3. I went through some of my boxes in the computer room and found another box of Cloaking Material! Yeah!!!
4. I called my parents and talked for a long time with them.
5. I sewed up gray kitten and the clasp onto my daughter's cloak.
And I still plan on going over to Raven's to sew some more cloaks tonight. Whew! What a day. I still haven't decided if I am going to go swimming tonight. Raven is feeling sick and miserable and does not want to push herself over the edge so she will stay home and wait for me to come over to sew with her tonight. After just talking to my husband I will not have time to go swimming tonight because he won't be home in time and have decided I will instead try and take the kids swimming again this weekend.
On not so good news my parents are currently without power due to the massive amount of snow/rainfall they have received over the last two days. Apparently my dad was up til 5 am this morning making sure the chicken coop did not collapse under the weight of that heavy snow. And then I woke him up from his nap to just talk to him. Hehe oops. Anyways it was a good talk and we have decided that one of these weekends I will be going out to the farm to go through my cloth my parents have generously been storing for me. Until then I will wait for the buffalo order that we placed to come in. It may end costing a bit more then expected because I requested Buffalo Bacon that requires smoking. Oh well, I still think it'll be worth it!
2. I got to sleep in.
3. I went through some of my boxes in the computer room and found another box of Cloaking Material! Yeah!!!
4. I called my parents and talked for a long time with them.
5. I sewed up gray kitten and the clasp onto my daughter's cloak.
And I still plan on going over to Raven's to sew some more cloaks tonight. Whew! What a day. I still haven't decided if I am going to go swimming tonight. Raven is feeling sick and miserable and does not want to push herself over the edge so she will stay home and wait for me to come over to sew with her tonight. After just talking to my husband I will not have time to go swimming tonight because he won't be home in time and have decided I will instead try and take the kids swimming again this weekend.
On not so good news my parents are currently without power due to the massive amount of snow/rainfall they have received over the last two days. Apparently my dad was up til 5 am this morning making sure the chicken coop did not collapse under the weight of that heavy snow. And then I woke him up from his nap to just talk to him. Hehe oops. Anyways it was a good talk and we have decided that one of these weekends I will be going out to the farm to go through my cloth my parents have generously been storing for me. Until then I will wait for the buffalo order that we placed to come in. It may end costing a bit more then expected because I requested Buffalo Bacon that requires smoking. Oh well, I still think it'll be worth it!
If you do not want to hear me complain then I would suggest you back away slowly
So I am here to complain. Not that I have a lot to complain about, but with the emotional upheaval my hormones have been putting me through the last couple of days I have to complain. You see I have a brain that is very imaginative and very stubborn about letting things go. Like my most embarrassing moments. That was what got me crying just before I arrived at Raven's house yesterday. Today, I don't really know what made me start. I was watching TV and they had a show on HGTV about a house they gave away. And I had that horrible yearning and heartsickness that comes from still renting a house and not actually owning one. My mind refuses to shut off the possibilities of what could be if I owned my own house. Especially with the new baby on the way. I want to decorate and renovate and all the other fun things that come with owning a house. Of course all the bad things, such as flooded basements or new furnaces I really don't like to look forward to, but hey they are part of the parcel.
Still on the other home front Bear was fine after having thrown up multiple times last night(and announcing each one to Daddy and me) so I am sure he will be going to school tomorrow. He is currently sound asleep in his own bed at the moment and did not have a fever or any of the other symptoms at bedtime. Unfortunately I believe he has passed on whatever bug he had to me. I have a raging headache (unless this is the same one from all of last week), my throat is awfully sore and my bones ache. I have said it before and I will say it again; I really HATE being sick!
Okay positive reinforcement time, cause I need to cheer up.
1. I did the dishes. (Believe me this was a stretch for me today with my sore shoulders)
2. I got myself supper and ate it despite not wanting to expend energy in that direction. I had to make my baby happy you know. I made perogies fried with onions. Mmm mmm.
3. I spent quality time with my husband tonight.
4. I cuddled and put my kids to bed.
5. I tried to go to bed early and blogged about my day instead.
So all in all I didn't have too bad of a day. It's just the nights I seem to have a problem with. Sigh. Okay complaining done! I am going to see if I can hit a fabric store some time in the near future. I heard they are having a good sale on right now (Thanks Raven) and thinking about cloaks always makes me happy. Especially when I finally complete them! Hmmm!
Still on the other home front Bear was fine after having thrown up multiple times last night(and announcing each one to Daddy and me) so I am sure he will be going to school tomorrow. He is currently sound asleep in his own bed at the moment and did not have a fever or any of the other symptoms at bedtime. Unfortunately I believe he has passed on whatever bug he had to me. I have a raging headache (unless this is the same one from all of last week), my throat is awfully sore and my bones ache. I have said it before and I will say it again; I really HATE being sick!
Okay positive reinforcement time, cause I need to cheer up.
1. I did the dishes. (Believe me this was a stretch for me today with my sore shoulders)
2. I got myself supper and ate it despite not wanting to expend energy in that direction. I had to make my baby happy you know. I made perogies fried with onions. Mmm mmm.
3. I spent quality time with my husband tonight.
4. I cuddled and put my kids to bed.
5. I tried to go to bed early and blogged about my day instead.
So all in all I didn't have too bad of a day. It's just the nights I seem to have a problem with. Sigh. Okay complaining done! I am going to see if I can hit a fabric store some time in the near future. I heard they are having a good sale on right now (Thanks Raven) and thinking about cloaks always makes me happy. Especially when I finally complete them! Hmmm!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Not What I Expected
So after a good productive evening at Raven's sewing cloaks (in my case just cutting) I came home expecting to find my husband still on the computer. I expected to be able to tell him that the cloak I had promised him was finally all cut out and that I would be able to start sewing it on Thursday. I expected the kids in to be in bed and that after talking with Hubby I would go to bed shortly thereafter.
I was not expecting to walk in the door to find my son saying, "Mommy, my stomach doesn't feel too well" and then proceeding to the bathroom and throwing up. I was not expecting having to comfort my sick child and get him set up on the couch, which is way easier to get off of than a bunk bed, and to have to administer Children's Gravol. We have had that bottle for awhile and this is the first time I have had to open. The plastic safety wrap was still on it. So currently I am blogging to keep myself awake and able to listen for more signs of puking from the living room. Bear said "Yes Mommy, you have a poor sick son!" Awwww! I think he's asleep now but I will check on him in a bit.
Oh and one I recommend you do not do when you have bad gag reflexes.
Do not brush your teeth while a child is puking into the toilet next to you.
I was not expecting to walk in the door to find my son saying, "Mommy, my stomach doesn't feel too well" and then proceeding to the bathroom and throwing up. I was not expecting having to comfort my sick child and get him set up on the couch, which is way easier to get off of than a bunk bed, and to have to administer Children's Gravol. We have had that bottle for awhile and this is the first time I have had to open. The plastic safety wrap was still on it. So currently I am blogging to keep myself awake and able to listen for more signs of puking from the living room. Bear said "Yes Mommy, you have a poor sick son!" Awwww! I think he's asleep now but I will check on him in a bit.
Oh and one I recommend you do not do when you have bad gag reflexes.
Do not brush your teeth while a child is puking into the toilet next to you.
Open Windows
1. I opened all the windows in the house - aah fresh air.
2. I napped and the best part was it was outside in the sun - hmmm sun.
3. I played with Smiles and cuddled and read with her.
4. I did housework.
5. I paid off a Student Loan yesterday. Hooray!
I tried to post my five things earlier today but for some reason it would not connect to the internet. So as I was grumbling about it Smiles piped up and said "That means you can play with me now!" That definitely goes under cute things kids say. Unfortunately she also cut her own hair yesterday. Thankfully it was just the bangs before I caught her. So now she has really short bangs and I really need to trim the rest of it. Sigh, kids!
At least it was not like on Easter morning when the kids woke up and were very excited. We adults wanting to sleep in a little longer (before the alarm for church went off) got woken up by them coming into our room proclaiming, "It's Hatching!"
My sleep befuddled response was "What's hatching?"
Bear happily cried out "My egg! It's hatching Mommy! It's hatching!"
Then I realized what egg he was talking about, "Do you mean the one you coloured at school?"
"Yeah! It's cracking! That means it is hatching!"
I could not help but laugh. "I'm sorry Bear. That egg was hardboiled. There is no way it is hatching."
I felt bad for bursting their bubbles but that egg was definitely not hatching. In May, Bear will be getting some eggs at school that will hopefully hatch into chicks. So I think he thought the chicks were coming early. Still, any of the chicks that do hatch in his school will be given to Grandma and Grandpa since they have chickens on their farm. Bear's teacher was happy to hear that since they have had a problem finding people who would take the chicks some years.
2. I napped and the best part was it was outside in the sun - hmmm sun.
3. I played with Smiles and cuddled and read with her.
4. I did housework.
5. I paid off a Student Loan yesterday. Hooray!
I tried to post my five things earlier today but for some reason it would not connect to the internet. So as I was grumbling about it Smiles piped up and said "That means you can play with me now!" That definitely goes under cute things kids say. Unfortunately she also cut her own hair yesterday. Thankfully it was just the bangs before I caught her. So now she has really short bangs and I really need to trim the rest of it. Sigh, kids!
At least it was not like on Easter morning when the kids woke up and were very excited. We adults wanting to sleep in a little longer (before the alarm for church went off) got woken up by them coming into our room proclaiming, "It's Hatching!"
My sleep befuddled response was "What's hatching?"
Bear happily cried out "My egg! It's hatching Mommy! It's hatching!"
Then I realized what egg he was talking about, "Do you mean the one you coloured at school?"
"Yeah! It's cracking! That means it is hatching!"
I could not help but laugh. "I'm sorry Bear. That egg was hardboiled. There is no way it is hatching."
I felt bad for bursting their bubbles but that egg was definitely not hatching. In May, Bear will be getting some eggs at school that will hopefully hatch into chicks. So I think he thought the chicks were coming early. Still, any of the chicks that do hatch in his school will be given to Grandma and Grandpa since they have chickens on their farm. Bear's teacher was happy to hear that since they have had a problem finding people who would take the chicks some years.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Swimming
So today has been both a good and a bad day. First off last I night I did not sleep well due to Hubby having friends over until 3:30 in the morning. It wouldn't have so bad if it were not for the dice rolling and the loud guffaws when the rolls went well. Normally I don't have a problem with having friends over but last night was different. When I go to bed I expect to sleep and if I am woken up due to outside noise I get very cranky. Very cranky! So I was very cranky last night and had to tell Hubby to tell his friends goodnight. Also we had a busy day planned for today and if Hubby stays up till 3:30 in the morning he is likely to stay up till 4 or 5 or 6am and that means he will then sleep all day and not do anything. So yes I was cranky.
It also means I woke up cranky and I wanted to get things done. But alas some of the things I wanted to do I was thwarted in before even leaving the house. I am sick and so is Smiles! She has been incredibly sulky and belligerent all day. The first place I wanted to go to was closed and I had to have a discussion with Hubby over finances which never goes over well. He always seems to think we have more money in the bank then we actually do and so spends it.
Still the outing that I wanted to go on today was swimming and I am glad we went. Both kids enjoyed themselves immensely and did not want to leave the pool. Hubby was leery of the parking lot because there was a trade show or exhibition of some sort going on and parking was difficult to find at first. In the water Bear found a ball and a new friend to play "volleyball"(a game I don't think he understands but seemed to enjoy) with and Smiles loved the shallow end or the kid section of the pool as she called it. In the lap pool there were lanes available but they had also blocked off one section and there was this huge red and yellow balloon structure that was on the water for the kids to try and climb over. The life guards there were mean and would spray the surface of the balloon so the kids trying to get over the wobbly bumps would slip off easier. Still it was fun. I went with Smiles and made it almost one third of the way before we fell off and landed in the water. (Any child under 8 had to wear a lifejacket). Bear went twice and the second time actually made it all the way to the end where they had a rope you could swing off of. He absolutely loved it and wanted to go again. Unfortunately by this time we were all tired and after another 10 minutes in the pool decide to pack up and head home. So that was the highlight of my day.
I ended up napping when we got home and still have the headache that has been plaguing me on and off since Tuesday. Smiles decided she would throw a major tantrum at bedtime and was getting more and more melodramatic. Such as stating she was going to have a nightmare and then die. I unfortunately did not have much patience at this point and said "Fine! Then you can do so in your bed! Quietly!" Wow I am such a cruel mother sometimes. Still she did eventually calm down and so did I and she is now lying in bed quietly reading a book after having gotten song and prayers and a hug from Mommy. Now I just have to put the Bear to bed, take some more Tylenol and I will be able to play on the computer all night. Maybe?! Or I might just go to bed. I am still tired after all. I think Raven is right and my iron levels are down, so more red meat for me I think. Maybe that is why I wanted to make spaghetti. Okay enough rambling. I will leave you with my five positive reinforcements for the day.
1. Took the kids swimming.
2. Blogged.
3. Checked on the flower bed out front and the sprouts (I think they are tulips) coming up in it.
4. Gave my children lots of hugs and cuddles today.
5. Confirmed we will be getting new couches tomorrow. (Ok new for us - used from some else)
It also means I woke up cranky and I wanted to get things done. But alas some of the things I wanted to do I was thwarted in before even leaving the house. I am sick and so is Smiles! She has been incredibly sulky and belligerent all day. The first place I wanted to go to was closed and I had to have a discussion with Hubby over finances which never goes over well. He always seems to think we have more money in the bank then we actually do and so spends it.
Still the outing that I wanted to go on today was swimming and I am glad we went. Both kids enjoyed themselves immensely and did not want to leave the pool. Hubby was leery of the parking lot because there was a trade show or exhibition of some sort going on and parking was difficult to find at first. In the water Bear found a ball and a new friend to play "volleyball"(a game I don't think he understands but seemed to enjoy) with and Smiles loved the shallow end or the kid section of the pool as she called it. In the lap pool there were lanes available but they had also blocked off one section and there was this huge red and yellow balloon structure that was on the water for the kids to try and climb over. The life guards there were mean and would spray the surface of the balloon so the kids trying to get over the wobbly bumps would slip off easier. Still it was fun. I went with Smiles and made it almost one third of the way before we fell off and landed in the water. (Any child under 8 had to wear a lifejacket). Bear went twice and the second time actually made it all the way to the end where they had a rope you could swing off of. He absolutely loved it and wanted to go again. Unfortunately by this time we were all tired and after another 10 minutes in the pool decide to pack up and head home. So that was the highlight of my day.
I ended up napping when we got home and still have the headache that has been plaguing me on and off since Tuesday. Smiles decided she would throw a major tantrum at bedtime and was getting more and more melodramatic. Such as stating she was going to have a nightmare and then die. I unfortunately did not have much patience at this point and said "Fine! Then you can do so in your bed! Quietly!" Wow I am such a cruel mother sometimes. Still she did eventually calm down and so did I and she is now lying in bed quietly reading a book after having gotten song and prayers and a hug from Mommy. Now I just have to put the Bear to bed, take some more Tylenol and I will be able to play on the computer all night. Maybe?! Or I might just go to bed. I am still tired after all. I think Raven is right and my iron levels are down, so more red meat for me I think. Maybe that is why I wanted to make spaghetti. Okay enough rambling. I will leave you with my five positive reinforcements for the day.
1. Took the kids swimming.
2. Blogged.
3. Checked on the flower bed out front and the sprouts (I think they are tulips) coming up in it.
4. Gave my children lots of hugs and cuddles today.
5. Confirmed we will be getting new couches tomorrow. (Ok new for us - used from some else)
Friday, April 13, 2007
Cloaking Devices
So Raven and I have been continuing to Cloak and actually got 3 cloaks about 3 quarters of the way done. And another one fully cut out. Which means we are doing really well in that department and should hit our quota for Quad War. Plus this way we get to make all the silly mistakes that we normally don't have time to fix because we are in a rush to finish cloaks on time. That sentence does not make sense. Okay lets try again. We can make silly mistakes and fix them now because we have time to fix them and are not in a rush to churn out x number of cloaks before Quad. There I think that reads better. Plus I always love going to Ravens and sewing. It makes me feel so productive and I get to talk to a really good (scratch that) awesome friend.
In other news I will finally be able to pay off one of my student loans which takes a weight off my shoulders. Now I can concentrate on the last one and should hopefully get that one paid off within the next year or so. Which means financially Hubby and I may actually get to save some money this year. Yeah! Which means for me that next year for GenCon I will definitely be going. Or I might spend more money on fabrics and make more cloaks. Haven't decided yet. Both are extremely fun to do!
In other news I will finally be able to pay off one of my student loans which takes a weight off my shoulders. Now I can concentrate on the last one and should hopefully get that one paid off within the next year or so. Which means financially Hubby and I may actually get to save some money this year. Yeah! Which means for me that next year for GenCon I will definitely be going. Or I might spend more money on fabrics and make more cloaks. Haven't decided yet. Both are extremely fun to do!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Sticky pillow with gaming on the side
So I have about three or four things I could talk about, but....I really am not in the mood. Smiles today has been both incredibly cute and insufferably sulky. I am quite sure she is sick. I think Bear might be under the weather too, but he has not been quite as bad as Smiles. They have both devoured one of the three bunnies they received over Easter and are at least halfway to three quarters of the way on the second one. Which could explain why they are feeling ill. They may have been eating too much chocolate. Just don't let my Dad hear you say that! He's the worst chocoholic I know. The kids know where he hides his chocolate at the farm. Sigh! Smiles has also been sneaking the chocolate Easter eggs and after eating them in her room hides the wrappers under her pillow. That and Daddy's sours. Sigh today was particularly sticky.
Still this post has been languishing for over three hours now and I should probably finish it up. You see I started this before the kids went to bed and got up to tuck them in. While I was doing so a friend came over and so I went to say Hi! I then ended up watching MythBusters with Hubby and Lazarus (or better known to some as Ham) and then talked about gaming. The character who this blog is named after is my all time favorite character. Her and Raven (which is why I call Raven - Raven) have had a lot of adventures together. The two characters are known to be well-Rash and Reckless. Which is why I think people love them. But thats my opinion and Grey Panther is known to wear very pink rose coloured glasses. Anyways the game that Hubby is running that involves these characters is nearing its end stages and the three of us were discussing what would be cool or appropriate for some of the characters endings. I won't leak secrets here, that's not my job. But suffice it to say that I think most of them would be very satisfactory for the other players and I like what Hubby thinks will be Grey Panther's role at the end. Still I am taking a break from the game due to reasons known to the group and maybe someday before the end I will come back and play. Until then I hope they have fun!
Still this post has been languishing for over three hours now and I should probably finish it up. You see I started this before the kids went to bed and got up to tuck them in. While I was doing so a friend came over and so I went to say Hi! I then ended up watching MythBusters with Hubby and Lazarus (or better known to some as Ham) and then talked about gaming. The character who this blog is named after is my all time favorite character. Her and Raven (which is why I call Raven - Raven) have had a lot of adventures together. The two characters are known to be well-Rash and Reckless. Which is why I think people love them. But thats my opinion and Grey Panther is known to wear very pink rose coloured glasses. Anyways the game that Hubby is running that involves these characters is nearing its end stages and the three of us were discussing what would be cool or appropriate for some of the characters endings. I won't leak secrets here, that's not my job. But suffice it to say that I think most of them would be very satisfactory for the other players and I like what Hubby thinks will be Grey Panther's role at the end. Still I am taking a break from the game due to reasons known to the group and maybe someday before the end I will come back and play. Until then I hope they have fun!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Inner Dragon
A TAN Dragon Lies Beneath!
My inner dragon is the true draconic magic-user. Deep down I am very wise, somewhat shy, and I have a rather short fuse. But don't worry, tans prefer to spend their time counting their enormous treasure, so pass quietly and you'll stay out of danger. Click the image to try the Inner Dragon Online Quiz for yourself.
Wow Miss Contrary comes up with some of the best quizzes. I was surprised to see what colour I was, but you know what it makes sense.
Otherwise I am still fighting against that whole deep deep lethargy that happens every other day or so. It seems if I do a lot of house work one day the next day or so I am totally wiped. And I still have to get Smiles food for lunch and pick Bear up from school. Man, I will be so glad when the second trimester comes. Maybe then I will have energy to do something other than sleep.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Jesus and the Easter Bunny
So Easter was fun for us this year. We had my parents over for supper on Saturday. ubby made a good lamb with saffron rice and cauliflowers. Then on Sunday the kids woke up and immediately found one of the clues the Easter bunny had left. Oops I didn't hide that one well enough. I usually do a scavenger hunt where the kids find clues from the Easter bunny and eventually get to the big pile of chocolate that he has left behind. I do this to avoid leftover eggs that I really do not want to be finding month or two from now.
After the hunt we all went to church where the kids were very well behaved and only bugged us to leave halfway through the service instead of 15 mins in. Otherwise they were really good and I think once I began explaining things to Smiles she was a little more tolerant. Bear broke one of the pews. They have little pockets on the back of the pews to hold service books and things (most churches nowadays have these) and as he was playing with his toy, the holder came off. Oops! I think it was actually broken before but Bear rediscovered it. It looks like the glue that held the wooden pocket in place had come off.
Once Church was done we then went to Nana's and Granddad's for Brunch. Which was a wonderful Eggs Benedict with Salmon for me. MmmmMmmmm. There the kids got more chocolate from Nana and then we came home where I promptly took a nap. So all in all I would say Thank you God for the wonderful Easter this year.
After the hunt we all went to church where the kids were very well behaved and only bugged us to leave halfway through the service instead of 15 mins in. Otherwise they were really good and I think once I began explaining things to Smiles she was a little more tolerant. Bear broke one of the pews. They have little pockets on the back of the pews to hold service books and things (most churches nowadays have these) and as he was playing with his toy, the holder came off. Oops! I think it was actually broken before but Bear rediscovered it. It looks like the glue that held the wooden pocket in place had come off.
Once Church was done we then went to Nana's and Granddad's for Brunch. Which was a wonderful Eggs Benedict with Salmon for me. MmmmMmmmm. There the kids got more chocolate from Nana and then we came home where I promptly took a nap. So all in all I would say Thank you God for the wonderful Easter this year.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Super Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole
So the Super Sekrit Stirfry is happening tonight and I was subjected to (oh the horror) being forced to test Blankshields experiments for spring rolls. (Smacking of lips-Yummy!) Raven and I did get some cloaking done but we are taking our time because this year - we can! Instead of it being a month before Quad War and going we need to sew ten cloaks - gah! We are going hmm one or two or even half a cloak a week sounds good.
I also had to tell Raven that I would not be going to GenCon this year. I thought long and hard and realized one very important fact. I can not commit to spending the amount of money it would take for me to go to GenCon. Mainly because I do not have the money in the bank right now already allocated for it. The worry and stress of the coming months and not knowing if I will have the money available is simply not worth it. So I have made the decision that I will stay home this year and try to save up the money for next years GenCon. Being seven months pregnant and possibly having to sleep on the floor didn't really appeal to me either. Though I don't think my friends would have forced me to sleep on the floor unless I insisted on it. And I am not one to insist on something like that.
But on to another happy subject. I decided to share my recipe for an incredibly cheesy and very tasty casserole. As the title implies it very very cheesy!
You will need
1. A block of Velveeta cheese
2. Chicken breasts
3. 2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
4. spaghetti noodles
5. Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese
6. Casserole dish (knowing some of my friends this may be a stretch for them)
I am assuming you have the rest of the cooking implements needed to cook this, such as spatulas, frying pans and pot full of water.
Step One: Cook the spaghetti to desired doneness. I prefer mine fully cooked but some like it Al dente.
Step Two: Fry up the chicken. If you leave the breasts whole cook on a lower temperature for longer. I prefer to cut my chicken bits up really small.
Hint-Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked and don't try to brown the chicken unless you are planning to spice up the rest of the dish.
Step Three: Cut up the velveeta cheese into many cubes.
Step Four: Open the cans of Cream of Chicken Soup.
Step Five: Mix it all together in a large mixing bowl. Make sure every piece of spaghetti is covered with the sauce. Pour into casserole dish.
Hint-this is where you can add extras such as (gasp) vegetables. I usually put in peas, corn or carrots. They work well with the bite size chicken bits.
Step Six: Grate the cheddar or Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on top of the casserole
Step Seven: Place in oven heated at 375 for 30 - 45 mins until cheese on top is melted gooey or browned and crispy. Depends on how you like it.
I will admit I did not come up with this recipe but liked it when I heard it. You can change things easily if you are not a fan of something or just don't have it on hand. Such as some people I know would probably use a can of Cheddar Soup instead of the Velveeta cheese. Or others will go "Spaghetti! In a casserole!?" and switch to a different type of pasta. Meh! Whatever. It doesn't really matter. It is a very unfriendly dish to those with lactose problems but if you don't have those problems - Enjoy!
I also had to tell Raven that I would not be going to GenCon this year. I thought long and hard and realized one very important fact. I can not commit to spending the amount of money it would take for me to go to GenCon. Mainly because I do not have the money in the bank right now already allocated for it. The worry and stress of the coming months and not knowing if I will have the money available is simply not worth it. So I have made the decision that I will stay home this year and try to save up the money for next years GenCon. Being seven months pregnant and possibly having to sleep on the floor didn't really appeal to me either. Though I don't think my friends would have forced me to sleep on the floor unless I insisted on it. And I am not one to insist on something like that.
But on to another happy subject. I decided to share my recipe for an incredibly cheesy and very tasty casserole. As the title implies it very very cheesy!
You will need
1. A block of Velveeta cheese
2. Chicken breasts
3. 2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
4. spaghetti noodles
5. Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese
6. Casserole dish (knowing some of my friends this may be a stretch for them)
I am assuming you have the rest of the cooking implements needed to cook this, such as spatulas, frying pans and pot full of water.
Step One: Cook the spaghetti to desired doneness. I prefer mine fully cooked but some like it Al dente.
Step Two: Fry up the chicken. If you leave the breasts whole cook on a lower temperature for longer. I prefer to cut my chicken bits up really small.
Hint-Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked and don't try to brown the chicken unless you are planning to spice up the rest of the dish.
Step Three: Cut up the velveeta cheese into many cubes.
Step Four: Open the cans of Cream of Chicken Soup.
Step Five: Mix it all together in a large mixing bowl. Make sure every piece of spaghetti is covered with the sauce. Pour into casserole dish.
Hint-this is where you can add extras such as (gasp) vegetables. I usually put in peas, corn or carrots. They work well with the bite size chicken bits.
Step Six: Grate the cheddar or Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on top of the casserole
Step Seven: Place in oven heated at 375 for 30 - 45 mins until cheese on top is melted gooey or browned and crispy. Depends on how you like it.
I will admit I did not come up with this recipe but liked it when I heard it. You can change things easily if you are not a fan of something or just don't have it on hand. Such as some people I know would probably use a can of Cheddar Soup instead of the Velveeta cheese. Or others will go "Spaghetti! In a casserole!?" and switch to a different type of pasta. Meh! Whatever. It doesn't really matter. It is a very unfriendly dish to those with lactose problems but if you don't have those problems - Enjoy!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Smell Sensitive
So my constant complaint is that I am tired all the time. Yeah I know get over it. Okay lets see if I can find a new topic to stimulate my brain and thought processes. It is funny that when I am writing I can use really big words but when I try to speak I sound like a stuck record. It usually goes something like....."um could you like um yeah.. um could you get the ...um yeah "snapping of fingers" the the the yeah the thingy!!! The grill down! Yes that's it!"
In other pregnancy bloggery my sense of smell is driving me nuts. I have become so sensitive to smells that it makes it hard for me to concentrate sometimes. Yeah I know another baby eating braincells moment. But it is true. I walk by someone and if they have any body odor its like ugh, I want to throw up. Whether its prefume or natural. I have the pillow barrier between hubby and me cause I can not stand his breath at night. I even have a problem with my own BO. Seriously I figure if I can smell it so can other people and want to takes showers more often. Which is leading to my skin drying out faster than normal by the way. The worst is what just happened though. The black cat was on my lap and I was trying to get up to go get lunch started when her claws got stuck in my shirt. So I decided to clip her nails. I apparently was none too gentle and she sprayed. This only happens when she is sick by the way. So even though I cleaned the computer yesterday in order to get that horrible cat smell off I had to clean it again today! And change my shirt and wash my hands. Yuck!
Do the smells bother hubby? No. Only if they are so bad that I want to puke does he notice them. Yesterday I washed, yes Washed! my garbage can because of the scent factor. Alas my sense of taste has not been accentuated like my smell or food would be so much nicer to eat. I had one friend who could tell the difference between water boiled from cold or from lukewarm. I mean how sensitive is that? Me, makes no difference. Unless it is the smell of the coffee afterward.
In other pregnancy bloggery my sense of smell is driving me nuts. I have become so sensitive to smells that it makes it hard for me to concentrate sometimes. Yeah I know another baby eating braincells moment. But it is true. I walk by someone and if they have any body odor its like ugh, I want to throw up. Whether its prefume or natural. I have the pillow barrier between hubby and me cause I can not stand his breath at night. I even have a problem with my own BO. Seriously I figure if I can smell it so can other people and want to takes showers more often. Which is leading to my skin drying out faster than normal by the way. The worst is what just happened though. The black cat was on my lap and I was trying to get up to go get lunch started when her claws got stuck in my shirt. So I decided to clip her nails. I apparently was none too gentle and she sprayed. This only happens when she is sick by the way. So even though I cleaned the computer yesterday in order to get that horrible cat smell off I had to clean it again today! And change my shirt and wash my hands. Yuck!
Do the smells bother hubby? No. Only if they are so bad that I want to puke does he notice them. Yesterday I washed, yes Washed! my garbage can because of the scent factor. Alas my sense of taste has not been accentuated like my smell or food would be so much nicer to eat. I had one friend who could tell the difference between water boiled from cold or from lukewarm. I mean how sensitive is that? Me, makes no difference. Unless it is the smell of the coffee afterward.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Tired. So Tired!
So I am following the trend of previous pregnancies and have sleep patterns from hell. I woke this morning at 5:30am to pee and could not fall back asleep. I got up with the kids and got the Bear off to school. I then came home and literally could not keep my eyes open. Hubby was nice and was able to take Smiles with him on his work runs today which meant that I got to sleep in till noon. Ugh! I still feel tired. Unfortunately, we had to get some groceries done (this being 10% off Tuesdays) and so we all piled in and went to Safeway. By the time we got home it was past both kids bedtime and I was wanting to go to bed to. But...... I could not sleep. So here I am blogging and not sleeping despite the fact that my body is incredibly tired. Also I have been finding my mind gives me those weird dreams that BabyJail was commenting about on her blog. Only mine have nothing to do with kittens. Yet. Mainly they are nightmares and/or were going to be nightmares but I woke up first. Only to find once I am awake that my mind refuses to stay away from the nightmare consequences and usually takes it down to a very gritty and horrible end. Needless to say I can't sleep when this happens. Like this morning. I won't go into details because I would rather not remember them. Suffice it to say I was glad to get up with the kids because I could then focus on other things. Like real life and not nightmares.
On the other hand I do have a nice new pillow that was lent to me by Raven. It is a memory foam one and her husband didn't like it so she's giving it to me for a trial month. So far I like. The only problem I have encountered so far is that is not quite thick enough for me. So I have found a flat pillow and am going to see if putting it underneath will help. (My old pillow is now a barrier between my husband's stinky breath and me.) Anyways thats my life so far these days. A constant lack of energy from the first trimester of pregnancy that I try to get around by exercising and then getting tired and sleeping. Sigh. I wish I could sleep right now but all that would happen would be me tossing and turning and probably kicking Hubby (accidentally - Honest!). Anyways I hope everyone else has a good night!
Good Night.
On the other hand I do have a nice new pillow that was lent to me by Raven. It is a memory foam one and her husband didn't like it so she's giving it to me for a trial month. So far I like. The only problem I have encountered so far is that is not quite thick enough for me. So I have found a flat pillow and am going to see if putting it underneath will help. (My old pillow is now a barrier between my husband's stinky breath and me.) Anyways thats my life so far these days. A constant lack of energy from the first trimester of pregnancy that I try to get around by exercising and then getting tired and sleeping. Sigh. I wish I could sleep right now but all that would happen would be me tossing and turning and probably kicking Hubby (accidentally - Honest!). Anyways I hope everyone else has a good night!
Good Night.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
A short post on Dishes and Song
The looming pile of dishes is done. Now hubby can create a whole new pile for the brunch he is cooking this morning. Alas I did not make it out to a fabric store yesterday and probably won't be able to get to one today either. Sigh! I hope Raven was able to make it though. Which means I will be jealous of all the lovely fabric she'll have picked up the next time I see her. Oh well.
Anyways not much else to post about other than the Bear has been amusing us as he wanders around singing Police tunes. Apparently he really likes Rock and Roll. Hubby even says he likes Ministry which makes me nervous but I suppose I can't blame him. I am just glad that he likes to sing and he actually has a good voice too. Still, it is something I think I will encourage since it makes all of happy. Well Smiles sometimes has a problem with it, but hey that's siblings for you!
A clink and a clank.
A tink and a tank.
Click, click, click.
The rhythm of dishes is making me sick.
I can't wait till they are done!
Anyways not much else to post about other than the Bear has been amusing us as he wanders around singing Police tunes. Apparently he really likes Rock and Roll. Hubby even says he likes Ministry which makes me nervous but I suppose I can't blame him. I am just glad that he likes to sing and he actually has a good voice too. Still, it is something I think I will encourage since it makes all of happy. Well Smiles sometimes has a problem with it, but hey that's siblings for you!
A clink and a clank.
A tink and a tank.
Click, click, click.
The rhythm of dishes is making me sick.
I can't wait till they are done!
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