Recipe Sharing: Pan Seared Scallops

I mentioned that we made these for my Mom's birthday dinner last weekend, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

Pan Seared Scallops
Yield: 5-7 scallops per person is good, depending on the size. I like ones that are about 1.5" in diameter.

Ingredients
Fresh scallops (we've used thawed, previously frozen, but fresh are best)
Flour, salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions
Rinse and remove the muscle from the scallop (little fleshy part on the side that will pull right off). Dredge in flour and top with fresh ground pepper and kosher or sea salt. Heat olive oil (estimate about 2 tbsp. per serving of scallops) to hot (almost smoking). Add scallops and sear for 2 - 2.5 minutes on one side; flip and sear for 30 more seconds.

Enjoy!

Sonic Coming to D.C.!

WASHINGTON, DC-Sonic, a drive in restaurant franchise, is looking to open between 40 to 50 stores in the Greater Washington area over the next several years. The franchisee for Washington will be touring sites in Maryland and Virginia this week for initial investments... more.

Hooray!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday to you...
Happy birthday, dear Mom...
Happy birthday to you!

Today we are wishing a very happy birthday to my Mom!! Here's to hoping that you have a very happy day -- thanks for all that you do!

(This photo was taken last summer. Everyone says we look alike, but we don't really see it. Funny enough, we made my Mom a Wii Mii last weekend when my parents were visiting, and when we put it next to my Mii, they looked so much alike it was laughable. What do you think??)

Oscars in Review

I love, love, love to watch the Oscars (and any other awards show, really), so Sunday night's show was on my calendar. I even took a nap in the afternoon so I could stay up until midnight and not be wiped out Monday.

Here are a few thoughts on this year's show from your armchair critic (I seriously considered live blogging during the show, but we DVRed and I thought it would be too tricky)....

• Disliked the 30-minutes of red carpet with the hosts from GMA and Tim Gunn. More Ryan Seacrest, please.
• Loved Hugh Jackman's opening sketch, song and dance. He's got chops! Anne Hathaway's Nixon impression was so funny that Hugh had a hard time not cracking. And I love the techno dance and ditty about not seeing The Reader. (Did anyone see The Reader?)
  
• So sick of Brad and Angelina. Do what you say you are going to do and please go away.
• Everything came to a grinding halt with five boooooring past supporting actresses. Geez. Have a little pep already!
• Love Tina Fey. Love Steve Martin.
  
• About halfway through the Hugh Jackman/Beyonce duo, I said to Rob, "What's this for again?" A little odd, but better than interpretive dance any day. Nonetheless, that was 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back.
• Rob laughed like a loon during the James Fraco/Seth Rogan comedy review. Potheads or not, you have to admit that they are funny.
• Sean Penn takes himself too seriously. And what was with the shrug-off to his wife's congratulatory kiss and neglect of mentioning her in his thanks? Hmmmm.
• Montage before Best Picture was wacky. Mixing old winners/movies with nominees was confusing! Am glad Slumdog Millionairre won. If you haven't seen it, you should.

Did you watch the Oscars? Share your reviews!

Wrapping Up the Weekend

We had a great weekend with my parents in town! They got here Friday afternoon and we ran around to a few shops. Mom treated me to a cute new Vera Bradley purse (thanks, Mom!), and Dad and I headed to pick up some good bbq for dinner. I made a new macaroni and cheese recipe to go with, and dinner was yummy. Friday night we were all wiped out and headed to bed pretty early.

Saturday we decided to visit National Harbor. a new mixed-use development on the Potomac in PG County. I'd been there for a project tour back in the summer, and more retail and restaurants are open now, although the pickings (and frankly, the crowd) were slim. We did enjoy going in the Stonewall Kitchen, since Mom and I'd spent too much time and $$ there during the trip I took with my parents to New England a few years ago. Terrific kitchen and gourmet goodies. After lunch, we headed back across the river to Old Town Alexandria for antiquing and geocaching for Rob.

Rob and I whipped up a great dinner of pan-seared scallops, roasted red potatoes and a blue cheese squash gratin for dinner, followed by a ridiculous dark chocolate raspberry cheesecake from a local bakery. Mmmm mmmm mmmm!

Sunday we headed to church, then drove downtown for brunch and more chocolate. I had the citrus ricotta hotcakes and a peanut butter hot chocolate. Rob's french toast s'mores, Mom's cheese souffle and Dad's flatbread were all delicious too. I love that place.

Just a journal of the weekend, and apparently a TON of eating. Hope your weekend was enjoyable too!

Weekend Ahead

It's Thursday night, our house is clean and we are ready for the weekend! My parents are coming down tomorrow, and we are spending the weekend together. We don't have any big plans... trying to decide if maybe we should go to the Newseum or something fun. Any ideas??

My Mom's birthday is Tuesday next week, so I'm picking up a delish cake from a local bakery for after dinner Saturday, and we are going for brunch at a chocolate lounge in D.C. after church on Sunday. Yum! Rob and I went there for my birthday last November, and it was ridiculous.

Before dinner tonight, we hung up our newly hemmed brown silk curtains in the living room -- our last step in all of the renovation/home improvements we started last weekend. I have to brag on my husband -- he was a trooper and really took charge of doing all of the cabinets, patching and painting the wall, and hanging the curtains. He's a keeper!

Wishing you a happy weekend!

Recipe Sharing: PB Granola

Found this recipe in Southern Living in January and made up a batch this weekend, with a few variations noted below. It's good! After it cooled, I bagged it in 1/2 cup servings in snack-sized ziplock bags for easy snacks or breakfast yogurt/oatmeal toppings. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Granola
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked regular oats
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I substituted pecans here)
  
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used light PB)
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (I used light butter)
  
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss together oats, peanuts, coconut, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Cook peanut butter, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir peanut butter mixture into oat mixture until blended. Spread mixture in a single layer on a lightly greased, aluminum foil-lined 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring after 10 minutes. Transfer to wax paper, and cool completely (about 20 minutes). Serve with vanilla yogurt and sliced bananas.

Color Me Suprised!

What a nice surprise to come home yesterday to a beautiful bouquet of roses from my favorite Valentine! We shared a nice dinner and enjoyed our evening. In between coming home from work and heading to dinner, the installation man put up our new wood blinds!

Today we ran some errands, and we've been busy with some home improvements, including spackling and sanding where Rob took down the old window treatments and putting new hardware on our kitchen cabinets. The old handles were bronze and, well, gross. We bought stainless ones this morning at a local hardware place going out of business. I removed the old handles and cleaned the fronts of the cabinets while Rob spackled, and then we both put on 23 new cabinet handles and drawer pulls. We are seven into the 33 hinges to be replaced -- that's much tougher! Nonetheless, it's looking sharp in there. Now if only I could get that new dishwasher... :)

Tonight, crispy beef and chicken lomein. Yum! Hope you are having a great Saturday!

Creatures of Habit

Maybe it's because I'm getting old and set in my ways, but I've found myself really noticing my rituals lately. It's not that they are bad habits (although they aren't all good, either), but they are just how I do things. I've often thought I have a touch of OCD... and it really shows up in a few of the routines I follow daily, like:

1. I head to our work kitchen every day at 8 a.m. to retrieve my packed breakfast. Not 7:59 a.m. I must wait until the tiny clock on my computer says 8 a.m.

2. I drink two mugs of green tea every morning. The first one I fix with my breakfast, and the second is about an hour later. I only skip the second mug on Tuesdays. I'm not sure why.

3. In the mornings, I shower, partly dress, dry hair, apply make-up, brush teeth, finish dressing, add jewelry. In that order. Otherwise, I forget where I am in my routine and end up taking way longer than normal.

4. I measure close to everything I eat. I measure the cream in my coffee (2 tbsp.), the pasta per serving (2 oz.), the cereal to top my yogurt (2/3 c.), etc. This is definitely a good habit I've developed during the past year, although my co-workers give me wacky looks when they see me scooping out one tsp. of mayo to mix in my tuna or washing exactly 12 strawberries for a snack.

Hmmm. Maybe I'm weirder than I thought. What are some of your habits/routines?

Recipe Sharing: Zesty Chicken BBQ

My friend Lee shared this recipe via Facebook. We've had it and I've passed it along to many - so good and so easy!

Zesty Chicken BBQ
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  

Directions

• Spray crockpot with PAM. Place chicken in bottom of dish.
• Mix together bbq sauce, salad dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire. Pour over chicken.
• Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.
• Shred it (I used tongs to tear it apart) and serve.
  

I served it over baked potatoes (with shredded cheese, diced green onion, sour cream, etc.) the first time, and we had leftovers on sandwich buns. Also, it made a TON, so we ate it for two meals, and I froze three additional meals for easy dinners in the near future.

Enjoy!

Catching Up

Wow, it's been too long since I've blogged. It's been a busy two weeks, with me at a conference Sunday-Wednesday of this week. I'm home and exhausted. And stuffed. Hotel/conference food is never great, but constant.

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New fave show: Trust Me on TNT. Watch it. Also, Medium is back. Love it too.

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Valentine's Day is Saturday. What are you doing? We are getting Chinese take out. The restaurants will be a zoo, so we actually have a reservation for Friday night and plan to stay in Saturday. Plus, "wintery mix" is headed our way, so they say. I'll believe it when I see it.

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Our new window treatments are being installed on Friday afternoon. Whoo hoo! Rob took down the old rickety blinds in the kitchen so I can clean the frame, and it looks so odd in there without something on the window.

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Keep thinking of the Salza family and their new baby boy, Leonidas. He's doing so well! Lots of prayers for this sweet family.

Halftime

It's halftime in the Super Bowl and we just watched the much-hyped 3D commercial. Rob ran out to snag us some free 3D glasses today. Did you see it?

At this point, the Steelers are winning (yay!) and I have yet to win a end-quarter score in our office pool (boo!).

Okay... commercial overview... I'm not a fan of stock-talking babies or horses in love. I did, however, like the Bob Dylan/Will.I.Am commercial. Wonder what's in store for the second half?

Time for pudding and one of LeAnn's chocolate chip cookies (made with real butter!).

Next up, Bruce. Oh, and I thought Jennifer Hudson did an excellent job with the National Anthem.

Random

I am so, so glad it's the weekend. This week has been so long that I keep losing track of what day it is.... No major plans for us this weekend, other than going to see Rob's cousin play basketball in D.C. We'll venture down this afternoon and cheer her on!

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Please pray for my friend Shellie and her family. She's expecting a little boy and needs good wishes through the waves. Shellie, Rob and I are always thinking of you!

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Are you watching American Idol this season? I can't decide what I think about the fourth judge. I feel like she's too "on" all of the time, like she knows the camera is picking up her every move (which, of course, it is). I'm waiting for a Paula vs. Cara catfight. You know it's coming.

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I was finally sore from the yoga. Not sore the next day, but the second day it hit me. Back again Tuesday night for more punishment. I picked up a DVD at Target today so I can practice at home and get up to speed. Think I can talk Rob into trying it with me??

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What are your Superbowl plans? We are whipping up homemade pizzas and watching the game at home. Oh, and I'm making "Good for You" double-chocolate pudding, a la Rachel Ray.

Recipe Sharing: Berry Crisp

At Costco on Saturday, we got swept away in the beautiful fruit. Giant grapefruit... cartons of strawberries... a flat of blueberries... yum. It always looks so good! We came home with 2 lbs. of blueberries and 1 lb. of blackberries. And while we snack on them and I top my morning yogurt or oatmeal with both, we still have a lot to eat and the clock is ticking!

Tonight we were feeling like a dessert, so Rob found a great berry crisp recipe -- complete with a 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Sounds delicious, but not waistline friendly.

I did some Internet searching of my own and pieced together the following from a few different recipes. Enjoy!

Berry Crisp
Yield: 4-6 servings


Ingredients
2-3 cups berries (I used half blackberries and half blueberries)
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. whole wheat flour
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmug or all spice


Directions
Spray small baking dish with PAM. Wash berries. Toss with juices and vanilla. Set aside. In second bowl, gently mix together all other ingredients. Put berries in bottom of baking dish, and top with mixture. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Sit. Stay.

Last night I took my first yoga class. I barely survived.

Seriously. I had no idea what I was in for, and it was rough! There was one other "newbie" in the class besides me, but everyone else seemed like these yoga experts. I kept up, but it was tough.

One of my setbacks is that I have no idea what any of the terms mean, or any of the poses. So when the leader would say, "move into the lotus pose," I had to look up at the gal in front of me (I strategically chose an end spot in the last row so I could keep an eye out) to see what she was doing. Then, I'd copy it.

I left there exhausted, but really relaxed too. Definitely going back next week, but I'm going to study up on these terms before I do:

• Bandha - a posture in which organs and muscles are contracted to create energy lock in a specific area.
• Sukhasana - a meditative (cross-legged) pose
• Ardha padmasana - half-lotus pose
• Utkatasana - squating position
• Find lots more terms here....
  

Oh, yeah. And I'll know not to wear a long sleeve tee shirt again. It was H-O-T in there!

Don't Suppose It'll Still Be Open Next Time....

Last night I met my girlfriend Nicole for dinner. We usually meet up at Tysons Corner Center, which is about halfway for both of us and chock full of restaurants. We decided to try a new so-called schmancy Mexican restaurant there.

Granted, we were on the early side, since we met after work at around 6 p.m. But the restaurant was eerily quiet when we arrived. The hostess asked if we wanted inside or "patio" seating (really just the portion of the restaurant that reaches out into the mall), and we chose inside.

You know the area of every restaurant where the waitstaff gathers to chat and wait for customers? And you know how there's always that one unlucky table right next to it?

Yep, that's where we were seated.

I should mention here that we were the only table seated in the entire restaurant.

I rolled my eyes at Nicole as the waitstaff (kind-of) scattered, and our waitress asked for our drinks. We inquired about any happy hour specials, and were informed that those are for patio patrons only.

Huh. Would have been nice to have been told that when we were seated. And, our table was literally two-feet off the patio. I could have reached out and touched it.

Nonetheless, we stuck with our H2O and ordered dinner. Cheese enchiladas for Nicole; chicken tacos for me. We planned to share. The food arrived (should mention here that the chips and salsa -- when we actually got it -- was good), and we split it up. Verdict? Enchiladas - thumbs up. Tacos - better off at Baja Fresh.

Oh - and in the 1.5 hours we were there, we were still the only table seated in the restaurant. One or two tables out on the patio and about 10 people at the bar completed the crowd. This, compared to two other packed bars and restaurants just steps away.

We opted to skip dessert and got two cupcakes at Cakelove instead. Definitely the best choice.

So, if you are at Tysons and want Mexican food, I'd recommend you reconsider or try your luck in the food court. I have a feeling that the place mentioned above (hesitate to say their name, but it's not hard to figure out on the Tysons Web site) won't be there much longer.

No Green Thumbs Here

A few years ago, a dear friend moved away from Virginia. Along with the many treasures I scored from his stash of stuff that he wasn't planning to pack and take was a lovely ficus tree. Rob and I managed to squeeze this lush, healthy tree in the CRV and get it here... and it's never been the same since.

I tried. Really, I tried. I put in next to the window and watered it (occasionally...) and even talked to it. But it withered and dried and started to look really sad. The leaves began to fall off and new ones never grew. Oh, and kitty would stand on the chair next to it and pull at the branches. I'm sure that helped.

Today I made the tough decision to get rid of the tree. On one hand, I'm a little sad that my friend trusted me with his tree and I let it wither. On the other hand, I'm happy not to pick up dead leaves or holler at A.J. to stop pulling at it. Plus, we are getting new blinds on the windows it sat near, and it'll be nice not to get the (mostly dead) branches tangled up in them.

If you want a sad ficus tree, it'll be sitting out in front of our garage on garbage day. It's all yours.

Sick Kitty

Poor A.J. is sickly. She had her regular vet appointment on Friday, and this is the second time she's had a reaction to the shots. Last year and this year, she got extra Benadryl and steroid shots to prevent reaction. Last year it worked; this year it didn't.

Saturday she was s-o-r-e and wouldn't eat or really move. We kept an eye on her, and I finally called the vet. He told us to give her one-half of a children's Benadryl (yeah, like we have that on hand) twice a day. We popped to the store and picked some up (grape flavor!), and that's where the fun began.

Have you ever tried to give a cat a pill???

Spunky A.J. wasn't having any of it! I held her and Rob tried to shove it in her mouth; then we switched and I tried. No luck. Finally we managed to get in most of it. Last night we tried again, and I really thought it had worked! She seriously took a big gulp, then hopped down and acted normal. A few minutes later I found it laying on the floor - she tricked me!

Rob's idea was to mash it up with a little water and just smear it on her face, and she'd lick it off. We tried it and it worked, although she really hated it and didn't seem too happy. At least she ate it! We did it again this morning, and she seems to be almost back to normal... still a little slow moving, but since she was up on the counter trying to get in the coffee pot this morning, I'm assuming she's a-okay.

A New Start

Like many of my fellow Americans, I've been delighted with today's inauguration and movement toward tomorrow. No, I don't believe "change" will come overnight, and to be honest, I'd certainly hate to be in Obama's shoes (for more reasons than just one), as expectations are amazingly high and nearly impossible.

Nonetheless, I believe today is a new start on many levels. It's a new energy and excitements in our political system. It's a new pride in a leader with eloquence and passion. It's a new opportunity for our country to re-establish our position in the global economy.

Although I don't agree with all of his politics, I have to believe that George Bush did what he thought was best for our nation. It's a tough job.

Today, I'll celebrate the Obama family. Tonight, I'll pray for them.

Close to D.C.

Many of you know that Rob and I live about 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. We're far enough out to not be experiencing some of the crazy of this week, but close enough to feel the "buzz" and excitement in the air.

A couple friends have asked if we are headed downtown (that's what people here call D.C. - "downtown") for the festivities. As much as I'd love to be there, we think it's just too nutty to go. The metro from our area will be PACKED, and the four bridges that cross the Potomac from Virginia to D.C. are all closed to traffic, so it's better for us to stay home watch from the comfort of our living room.

Except, that is, that neither of us have off on Tuesday. So really we'll be watching it online from our offices.

I went to Bush's first inauguration in January 2001. What a different world. Obviously that was before 9/11, so while there was security, it was minimal. My then-roomie Tessa and I took an easy ride on the metro, had a great view of the swearing in and enjoyed the day. The only thing we worried about was the cold.

Tonight we are braving it as deep as Arlington to meet some college girlfriends for dinner. They've traveled from the south to join in the excitement, and I'm eager to hear their tales of the big concert last night and their plans for Tuesday.

So, to the crowds arriving, I wish you warm temperatures and an experience to remember. To the Obamas, I wish you peace, faith and good decisions for the benefit of our country.

And to we residents of the D.C.-metro area, I wish you easy traffic, non-clogged metros and patience with your fellow Americans who are here to celebrate.

Recipe Sharing (kind of): Chocolate Waffles

Last night, we ate dinner at a local diner (so good). They have chocolate waffles on the menu, and while we both thought they sounded good, we opted for different things (gyro for Rob; chicken souvlaki for me).

Anywho, I couldn't stop thinking about those waffles! This morning I got up and googled "chocolate waffles", and Alton Brown's recipe was at the top of the list. Looked easy enough, so I made them for breakfast.

In a word? Ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure copyright protection would be against me reprinting the recipe, so I'm sending you here to get it.

Oh, and we didn't have buttermilk (does anybody have buttermilk?), so I did the substitution of 1% milk, plus 1 tbsp. lemon juice for every one cup (total was 2 cups of 1% and 2 tbsp. lemon juice, stirred together). And we just used syrup and no butter, although I did put a little peanut butter on one. Mmmmm!

Enjoy!

Scary! Worst Foods Revealed

Uh oh. Just read the 20 Worst Foods 2009 list on Yahoo, from Men's Health magazine. I haven't had most of these (although they've been tempting on the menu), but a few I have... and now I'm sorry. Here are some highlights:

Worst "Healthy" Sandwich: Blimpie Veggie Supreme
1,106 calories; 56 g fat (33 g saturated fat); 2,831 mg sodium; 96 g carbohydrates

Worst Dessert: Romano’s Macaroni Grill Dessert Ravioli
1,630 calories; 74 g fat 33 g saturated fat; 1,150 mg sodium; 223 g carbohydrates

Worst Salad: T.G.I. Fridays Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
1,360 calories; Fat: unknown (restaurant doesn't offer any more info!)

Worst Pasta: Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce
2,430 calories; 128 g fat; 207 g carbs; 5,290 mg sodium

Worst Sandwich: Quizno’s Tuna Melt (large)
2,090 calories; 175 g fat (31 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats); 2,190 mg sodium

Check out the rest of the list to depress yourself, and find some recommendations for alternatives with "Eat This, Not That!"

Recipe Sharing: Sweet Potato Wedges (or Fries)

We love sweet potatoes, and I kind of modeled this recipe after a similar one we do with red potatoes. It's an easy side dish that goes well with almost anything. Plus, it's scalable to make as much or as little as needed.

Sweet Potato Wedges
(or Fries, depending on how you cut up the sweet potatoes)

Ingredients
Two large sweet potatoes (increase the number of potatoes, depending on how many you are serving. These two serve us one dinner, plus some leftover)
Olive oil (I use 1 tbsp. for two potatoes, so increase as needed)
Seasonings to taste (I use salt, pepper, red pepper, paprika)

Directions
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into small wedges or fries. Toss in olive oil and seasonings. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip, and bake 20 additional minutes.

It's Been Awhile..

It's been a few days since I've blogged... not for lack of stuff to say, but for lack of oomph all around. We've just finished dinner (rack of lamb-my first time to fix!) and now I'm parked on the couch waiting for (another) football game to end so I can watch the Golden Globes.

This weekend was great. We headed to College Park yesterday to see the Terps win their first ACC game against Georgia Tech. A guy I know through work (he's a vendor) has invited us to the company's box a few times, so we enjoyed another game in luxury. It really is nice to sit in leather seats and visit the private bathroom!

Lots has happened this week... my best girlfriend has baby girl #2 (hooray!); a couple of long, lost friends from high school and college have found me on Facebook; my big press initiative at work went off well; and our work flex time program came to an abrupt end (boo).

Go Steelers!

Where Shall They Rest?

Newsweek online has an interesting interactive about the remains of the terrorists on 9/11. There are seven overviews about different people involved in the identification of the remains, or family members of Americans who perished and their thoughts on what should be done with them.

Throughout the slides, facts fill in the back story of the recovery efforts. One especially chilling to me is that more than 1,100 victims of the World Trade Center have yet to be identified -- none of their remains and no traces of DNA have been found. That blows my mind.

Vacation Over

I'm blue that we are heading back to work tomorrow. It's been a nice, long 12 days of staying up late, sleeping in and hanging out. Although I have to say that we haven't been too lazy -- we've been up and out every day.

We spent Friday in D.C., visiting the Air and Space Smithsonian and the newly renovated American History Smithsonian. That one was a zoo -- the line to see the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner was entirely too long and there were people everywhere. We saw a few exhibits and headed back out, since we can get there some other time when it's hopefully not as nutty.

Rob's GPS tracked us as walking seven miles! We searched for and found 17 geocaches, which is a new record. Good thing we walked so much, because we feasted on tapas at Jaleo. So good. Then we were off to see the show at the Kennedy Center. It was a collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs sung by Broadway stars. Great show, but interesting that we were among the youngest there. And we aren't that young. :)

Yesterday we stayed close to home, then headed to Alexandria for a great dinner at Austin Grill with friends. We'd planned to dine at Rustico, but a long wait and four hungry patrons led us elsewhere. Both the food and company were excellent.

All this time at home has given me time to clean out and organize. Our garbage man will be surprised by the load of stuff piled at the curb tomorrow. Now if only I can con Rob into helping me drag it out there...

I hope your holiday vacations have been as relaxing and fun as ours!

What We've Been Up To...

It's been a pretty relaxing and busy week, all at the same time. We came home from Western Maryland on Monday and we are still unpacking! At least the laundry is finally finished. :)

Tuesday we headed to Lowe's and to Next Day Blinds to look at window treatments. So many choices... blinds with holes or no holes; 17 shades of white are available; wood, composite or faux wood... now we just need to make up our minds and place an order. We are doing the four living room windows/doors and the two kitchen windows.

During our time out Tuesday, we stopped in Target and I was delighted in the amount of Christmas stuff left! I got four silver metallic sparkly trees (I'd been eyeing them before the holiday and figured they'd be gone), plus several rolls of wrapping paper and a new wreath hanger. Rob bought about 10 lbs. of M&Ms -- and all at 75% off.

Last night we celebrated NYE with a nice dinner at Mon Ami Gabi , then headed home to put on our cozies and watch the ball drop. We figured out that this is our sixth new year's together! Where has the time gone?

Tomorrow, we are spending some time in D.C., seeking out some geocaches, visiting the renovated American History Smithsonian Museum, and topping off the day with dinner somewhere and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber performance at the Kennedy Center. The tickets were an Xmas present from Rob!

Now, I'm making beef stew and we are watching the Rose Bowl. Hope you are having a great week!

2008 Hits and Misses

So, here we are again! I can't believe another year has passed us by. My mom always said that they years went faster the older that we get, and I'm starting to think she was right all along. :)

I've been a negligent blogger this week; we've been busy relaxing! I'll share more about our week later, but for this post on New Year's Eve, I thought it would be apropo to share the ups and downs of 2008. Here goes...

Hits
1. Travel, travel, travel -- We've been lucky to get out and about quite a bit this year. From London to NYC to Vegas to just simple weekends at the lake, we've had fun together.
2. Getting healthy -- this year has been good to my waistline, although not without a bit of work. It's been fulfilling, and the results have been promising.
3. Blogging and Facebook -- I've loved catching up with old friends and making a few new ones too. Thanks for reading, and thanks for (hopefully) sharing on your blog too!
4. Great job -- sounds corny, but I really, really like my job. It's fun and challenging and, if I'm going to have to go somewhere every day, I'm glad it's there.

Misses
1. Alzheimer's Disease -- it stinks. If anyone you know or love is affected by it, I'm sorry.
2. Stress -- the great job, Alzheimer's and some personal health stuff has stretched my nerves to the limit, as evidenced by my shingles outbreak last September.
3. Clutter -- which comes first, the self-cleaning house or the bi-weekly housekeeper I've been looking for? Stay tuned to find out. :)

So, there you have it. More hits than misses after all. Here's to a healthy and happy 2009 to each of you!

Christmas Eve

Only a few hours until Santa! We are relaxing at Rob's parents' house after a delicious meal of cheese fondue (our every-other-Christmas tradition) and roasted potatoes. Outstanding!

We traveled today and had a smooth ride for the first hour and a half... and then we hit freezing rain. We were going through Sidling Hill (and yes, there's a cut in the mountain you actually drive through) when suddenly we hit slick roads and slid from the left lane into the right lane. Yowsah. Good thing nobody was there! We slowed it down and Rob did a great job of getting us here safely.

After it warmed up a bit and the roads thawed, I headed up to my parents' to drop off gifts for tomorrow and visit a bit, plus I stopped to see two of my lifelong girlfriends on the way back down the mountain.

Tomorrow we're visiting my grandfather at the nursing home in the morning (he isn't well enough to leave), then spending the morning with my family. The afternoon and dinner will be here with Rob's family - we are looking forward to seeing everyone.

We wish you all a very joyous holiday!

This and That...

I am SO EXCITED that it's Christmas week. Not because of gifts and loot, but because we get some time off of our crazy jobs and can just relax. I can't wait!!

Yesterday I wrapped the last of our gifts (Does anyone else wonder about the recession? I look at the number of presents I've wrapped and am not so sure!). My brother/sister-in-law and Rob and I went in on a big gift for my Mom, and the box is big and heavy, so I brought the wrapping paper downstairs and fixed it all up. Our crazy kitty AJ loves to chew on paper and ribbons, so I put it on the floor in the dining room and draped a blanket over it, with the hope that she'd be unaware. Ha! This morning, I found her sitting under the blanket with the package. That cat is a nut.

I baked thumbprint cookies and the coconut chocolate kiss cookies this weekend, plus a batch of chocolate shortbread. Rob likes those so much that he's decided that the shortbread is staying here for him only. :)

Rob and I geocached a couple of hours in Vienna on Saturday. We found nine caches! It really is amazing all of the places people have placed them. Don't tell Rob, but I actually enjoy it!

Hope you are out of the malls and enjoying the week!

Recipe Sharing: Gingerbread Loaf

I've been wanting to find a good recipe for gingerbread loaf, and I came across one yesterday that I'm going to share with you. The claim is that this is a copycat of Starbucks' gingerbread loaf, and I have to say it's pretty close. I made six loafs of this today for co-workers, and I'll make some more on Tuesday to take to family.

Gingerbread Loaf
Yield: One very large loaf pan or three minis

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract, optional
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour loaf pans.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in orange extract. Mix baking soda into applesauce and stir into creamed butter mixture. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan(s).Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Icing
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and orange extract. Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar. When loafs are cool, spread the frosting on top. Decorate with chopped candied orange peel, chopped pecans or candied ginger.

Traffic Court Ain't Night Court

Wednesday was my first (and hopefully, only) experience in the Fairfax County court system. I headed to traffic court to plead guilty to the crime of going 40 in a 25, and hoping that the judge's holiday spirit would reduce my fine and lower my points.

It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Court convenes at 9:30 a.m., so I showed up around 9:15 a.m., and headed inside to find a looooooong line for security. After checking in my cell phone (the judge hates cell phones, as I would hear repeatedly) and showing the guard that I didn't have any staples on my papers or concealed weapons in my Coach, I made it in to the courtroom, which surprisingly looked like a church with a big bench instead of pulpit.

The room was pretty full - probably around 150 or so. The majority were Hispanic, and a translator was making her way around the room. Around 9:25 a.m., the bailiff made a few announcements, reminded us that cell phones must be checked (lest anyone snuck one by the frisking guard out front) and told us to not chew gum.

I had taken along a magazine since I didn't really know how it all worked and didn't want to be bored, but in light of the rules of no gum, no talking and certainly no cell phones, I thought the judge might not look favorably on me reading Real Simple while he held court.

Now, I was hoping that the cop who gave me the ticket might not show up that day, and I'd have my case dismissed! No luck - when the cops all filed in at 9:29 a.m., he was first in the door. That should have given me a clue right there....

I'd asked the baliff how the whole thing was going to go down, what order people were called in, etc., and he let me know that the order is alpha, by cop. So, if a cop has three tickets on the docket, he's first. The cop with four is next, and so forth and so on.

Finally the judge came in and made all sorts of announcements... when he calls your name, come to the podium up front so he can hear you; say guilty, not guilty or no contest (same as guilty, but some people just can't bring themselves to say that word); and you sure as heck better not have brought in any phone, pager or gizmo that was going to beep. Geez.

The cops took their pledge and court began. The traffic violations were varied -- everything from passing a stopped school bus, to running a stop sign or light, to stopping on a higway. There were TONS of driving without a license violations, and most of the violaters reported in court that they hadn't and couldn't get a license (illegal aliens?). He was lenient with some and stricter with others, but overall seemed very fair.

So we are working our way through the cops... the first couple of cops had just a handful of tickets each, and then we moved to the cops with seven or nine. I kept waiting for my cop's name to be called in the handful bunch.... but no. Guess whose cop had 25 tickets on the docket?? Guess whose cop is the ticket machine??

When the judge finally called my name, I headed to the front and claimed guilty. He asked the cop if there was anything about the violation he should know, and the cop reported that I had an excellent driving record and was "very courteous" when I was stopped. I was surprised he mentioned that, but maybe people are usually so upset and grouchy with him that he rememberd me being polite? Afterall, I was the one doing something wrong, and he was just doing his job. (Although based on the number of tickets he doles out, maybe he does his job a little too well. :) )

The judge cut my fine in half and reduced the charge to 34 in a 25, which is a lower point value. I'll know in 10 days from last Wednesday what my final damage is -- the DMV assesses the points, not the courts.

All in all, it was an interesting experience, even though I would have prefered not to experience it at all! I feel like I've been even more cautious in the last few days, remembering back the list of violations I heard in court. Let's hope it was a once-in-a-lifetime visit.

I am...

I've been tagged to do the "I am" meme ... copy and paste to your own blog and play along!

*I am on the downhill slide toward the weekend!
*I want a keychain garage door opener.
*I have gotten up to walk at 5:30 a.m. every day for far too long.
*I miss my grandmother.
*I fear something bad happening to Rob, or to me.
*I hear the hum of lots of computers.
*I search for missing socks and hidden Christmas gifts.
*I wonder how long I'll be at traffic court this morning.
*I regret saying things I don't mean when I'm frustrated or angry.
*I love my crazy kitty cat.
*I forgive Rob for not being able to read my mind.
*I ache when I worry about my grandfather.
*I always drive.
*I try to come home with a smile on my face, and not in a work-induced bad mood.
*I seem to think that I have unlimited funds to spend on shopping. I don't!
*I know that Rob loves me, thick or thin, good or bad.
*I feel nervous sometimes about the economy.
*I dance too infrequently.
*I dream of chucking it all, moving to a small town and opening a coffee shop and cafe.
*I give in and say 'yes' more than I should.
*I listen to my heart, most of the time.
*I sing sometimes without realizing I'm doing it.
*I laugh a lot when old friends and I talk about high school and growing up.
*I can't do advanced math.
*I cry when I see sappy things on TV.
*I sleep less than I should.
*I am happy to have a few days off from work next week!
*I see lint or animal hair on other people's clothes, and it bothers me. I want to lint-roll them!
*I need to learn to be content.
*I should be thankful for the life I have. And I am.

Recipe Sharing: Coconut Chocolate Kiss Cookies

If you like chocolate and coconut, you'll love these cookies! My coworker shared this recipe with me, and says she got it from a Hershey Kisses bag years ago. So good!

Coconut Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups sweetened coconut flakes, divided
• 48 Hershey's Kisses

Directions
Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut.

Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Remove wrappers from chocolates. Heat oven to 350.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in remaining 2 cups coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate on top of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Schmancy Holiday Party

Last night, we went to Rob's company's holiday party -- so nice! It was at the (newer) Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport. We hadn't been there before, so we both really looked forward to it!

It did not disappoint -- in addition to the great food, live band and cool bar, we walked nearly the whole museum and saw a space shuttle, Concord, Blackbird, etc. They showed two Imax movies, so we chose to see the one called "Fighter Pilot" -- it was a little long, but interesting.

Rob and I laughed that the party was one from the days of old... you know, when the tech companies were booming and money was flowing. We both had been to generous parties like that with past companies, but not in a long time. I have to say that last night's celebration was one of the nicest we've been to!

Today we went to a birthday party, and I wrapped about 25 presents. I got a lot purchased yesterday, but still have some gifts to buy. Plus there's Christmas cards... and cookies... and too much to do. Happy holidays!

Long time, no post

It's been a few days since I've posted! Lots has been going on - work is killing me, and I traveled last weekend to Ohio to see my best girlfriend and her family. It was so great to have a few days just hanging out with her and catching up. The drive was seven hours from here, but it didn't seem too bad.

I borrowed my first "book on CD" from the library for the drive, and I really liked it! I wasn't quite sure, but I really got in to the book and couldn't wait to hear how the story ended. I think it helped the time pass faster. Recommend for long drives!

A couple good things about my trip, besides seeing my friend and her family: a Sonic, where I enjoyed two giant cherry limeaides; good food and a cute little town; gas at $1.43 per gallon. Wow!

Tomorrow I'm hosting an all-day planning session at my house for my team, and we'll map our our marketing calendar for 2009. Friday is my flex day, but I think I'll be working. Boo.

Hope you are all doing well!

Catching Up

It's been three days since my last post! Things have been good, but busy.

Tomorrow, I'm heading west to Ohio. It's about a seven hour drive, so I'm going five hours after work to Charleston, WV, to stay the night with my brother and sister-in-law, then head the last two hours on Friday morning. I'll spend two days with my best girlfriend and her family, then take the long drive back Sunday morning. I might stop at my parents on the way through, depending on which way I go.

Before I leave tomorrow, I'm going to a luncheon at the National Press Club for the PR Week awards. A membership program I launched last year is up for an award! We've been selected as a finalist, and although I don't expect to win, it is a nice honor!

I've enjoyed catching up with friends' holiday blogs this week!

Last NaBloPoMo Post!

Well, 30 days later, I've come to the end of my month of a new post every day. It's been a challenge, but I'm glad to say that this wraps it up!

We are back home after Thanksgiving, and it rained our entire drive today. Ugh. Now the laundry is washing and the Redskins are playing, and Rob just brewed us a pot of coffee to enjoy with a delicious chocolate pastry. A nice afternoon. :)

My favorite part of Thanksgiving was having dinner with my grandfather and everything just seeming normal for just an hour or two, despite the drama that followed thereafter. But, it was worth it.

What was your favorite part of Thanksgiving?

Recipe Sharing: Rob's Trail Mix

Rob whipped up a batch of his trail mix a few weeks ago, and I packed up little quarter-cup servings to munch on. It's simple and delicious!


Rob's Trail Mix
2 parts peanuts (salted)
1 part almonds (roasted unsalted)
1 part M&Ms
1 part raisins

Optional add-ins are dried cranberries, Reese's Peices, butterscotch chips or golden raisins. Yum!

Phelps Phantastic

Have you ever been somewhere and bumped in to someone, but you don't immediately recognize them because they are totally out of context? That happened to me today as I was browsing a rack of coats at Gabriels, when I looked up and was face-to-face with Debbie Phelps.

For a quick second, I thought, "Do I know that lady? Is she one of my former high school teachers?", when it dawned on me. Michael Phelps mom!

(As an aside, I kind of feel like I know her in a weird way, since Rob is a cousin to Debbie's brother's wife. Strange, I know. But she's from the same area where we grew up, and still has family here.)

Anywho, I waited a beat, and quietly said, "Do you go unrecognized up here?" She laughed, and we chatted for a few minutes. I explained our very distant family connection, and wished her a nice weekend. She couldn't have been nicer!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"
-- Erma Bombeck, No One Diets on Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often."
-- Johnny Carson

"May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!"
-- Anonymous

Countdown...

The countdown is on for Thanksgiving! We'll head out Thursday morning for the drive to Maryland. It's less than three hours, so it's wisest to wait and not fight tonight's nutty traffic. Although, I'm always disappointed to miss part of the Macy's parade since we'll be in the car.

My office is closing at 3 p.m. today, so that will give me some extra time tonight to get packed, make my dish and get ready to head out.

Hope your day-before-Thanksgiving isn't to hectic!

Turkey Pounds

So, making it through the holidays is always tough on the waistline. It was hard for me even when I wasn't paying attention to what I was eating! Now that I'm really working on that (it's been almost a year - and enough pounds to make me happy), I feel I'm pretty ready for this season of eating.

Here's my plan...

1. Exercise every day. This has been my plan since January 15-ish, and I've done pretty well. Of course there are days when I'm swamped or traveling or just plum-don't-want-to, but for most of the days, I've moved it. Now that's it's cold and dark outside, I hit the treadmill at 5:30 a.m. during the week, and sometime during the day on weekends.

2. Eat sensibly. This doesn't mean I can't have desserts or bites here and there of sinfully delicious food. I just really pay close attention to what I'm stuffing down my gullet. I measure lots and eat the recommended portions, and I still enjoy!

3. Don't stress. If I over-munch or celebrate too much with sweets, it's okay. I'll just work a little harder the next day and get back on track.

Wish me luck during these holidays, and I'll do the same for you!

Recipe Sharing: Hot Crab Dip

This recipe is from a girlfriend's husband, who does some part-time catering. It's a great party dish or appetizer for dinner. Serve with crusty bread rounds or crackers.

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients

• 1 lb. crabmeat
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. mayo
• 1 t. worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

Directions
Soften the cream cheese. Add the wine, mayo, worcestershire sauce and garlic. Mix thoroughly. Add crabmeat and gently fold into rest of mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Sunday, Sunday

Today has been spent mostly unpacking, doing laundry and cleaning up. We hit the market this morning before church, and I did manage to squeeze in a nap. Soon I'll be thinking about making dinner, so I thought I'd do a quick post.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week! We will head up to the are where both of our parents live at some point, and spend a few days with family. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday - it's low stress (no gifts to purchase and wrap), and it's the kick-off to the holiday season. So, I'm looking forward to it.

As I type, Rob's out sweeping a mountain of leaves off of our deck, with hopes that the grounds crew will come suck them up and take them away. (It's part of our HOA payments.) Fingers crossed.

Have a great last-day-of-the-weekend!

Going Home

I'm back at the airport... This time in Boston waiting to fly home. And I'm watching CNN!

After the conference ended Friday, I hopped in my rental car and drove out to Provincetown, where our dear friends own a B&B. I truly love it out there on the tip of Cape Cod. I spent the day going in art galleries, browsing shops and talking with our friends. It was relaxing and fun.

But, alas, I'm ready for home and my own bed. Oh, and Rob too. :)

Recipe Sharing: Sweet Potato Smash

I love this recipe, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it was a good time to share. This is super easy and rather nutritious, while still delicious. It's great with pork chops or scallops, or probably anything at all. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Smash
Yield: 8 (3/4 c. servings)
Note: I never make this much, but just adjust the other ingredients below accordingly. I usually use two large sweet potatoes, or about 2 lbs.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes - washed, peeled and cut in to 1.5 inch cubes
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2/3 c. low-fat milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• dash of cinnamon or other spices, to your liking (I always add a splash of vanilla too)
  

Directions

• Bring potatoes and enough water to cover them to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 18 minutes.
• With a few minutes left to cook on the potatoes, melt the butter over medium heat. Swirl around the pan so it doesn't scorch, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add melted butter, milk, salt, pepper and other spices of your choice. Mash until your desired smoothness.
  

Cold

Today was the coldest day in Boston since February 19. Brrr! Luckily I've been in the convention center most of the time, but getting to a fro', and to dinner, has been freezing.

And since I've been eating a ton, I've been hitting the hotel gym every night. It's a pretty nice facility, and never crowded.

Hope you are having a good week!

Boston

It's late and I'm tired. Boston is good and COLD! Conference is great so far. Desmond Tutu was they keynote today, and I hit every booth in the exhibit hall, plus two sessions. Tomorrow is four more sessions.

Did dinner tonight with a coworker and our boss. Had a great Italian meal in the North End, then a ridiculous cannoli. Mmmmmm!

Just hit the gym to walk off some of that good food, and off to bed!

Recipe Sharing: Chicken and Corn Chowder

I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it's a delicious chowder for the cold weather. It's not super waistline-friendly, but sometimes you have to live a little. Enjoy!

Chicken and Corn Chowder
Yi.eld: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 10 bacon slices, chopped
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups chopped red bell peppers (about 2 large)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 9 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 16-ounce bags frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 4 cups diced skinned roast chicken
• 2 cups chopped green onions

Directions

• Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
• Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat.
• Add onions and 1 cup bell peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add flour; stir 2 minutes.
• Mix in broth and potatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until tender, about 12 minutes.
• Add corn, cream, and 1 cup bell peppers. Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add chicken and 1 cup green onions. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Airport Ups and Downs

I've spent a lot of times in airports this year, so the ups and downs, good and bad, and hits and misses are pretty relevant to me these days. Since I'm sitting at Dulles now, awaiting my flight to Boston, thought I'd share a few highlights from each list...

Ups:
TVs in the waiting areas. Instead of staring at my fellow travelers, I can watch CNN. This was especially good for football the Sunday Rob and I sat in Atlanta!

Starbucks. Yes, I know they are overkill since there are two on every block anymore, but if I'm going to have to get here two hours early, I'd enjoy sipping a skinny vanilla whilest I wait.

Online check-in. At least at Dulles, this is a must. No matter how empty the airport, the United line is always 200 people long. Checking in online keeps me out of that line and a little less stressed.

Downs:
$$$. Why do I have to pay $15 for my suitcase, or $5 for head phones or $150 if my suitcase is 51 lbs.?? Haven't I already paid enough? Will they soon charge me for the privilege of going through security? And speaking of security...

Slow people at security. Hello? Is it news to anyone that we have to take off shoes and coats to go through security? Don't all laptops have to come out of bags? Who thinks they can carry through their bottle of water or giant bottle of shampoo? These are not new rules, people. Be prepared and stop holding up the line with your wide-eyed wonder at these facts. Move it.

Timing. Maybe it's just me, but I can never seem to time it right. I'm either waiting forever or running to the plane. The variables (parking, security, Starbucks lines (!) ) are too much. How can we make this easier?

That said, I'm thankful for watchguard security and safe travels. Next update, live from Beantown!

Too Soon

"A winter storm warning posted by the National Weather Service predicted up to a foot of snow for far Western Maryland and up to 9 inches by Tuesday afternoon in nearby lower elevations, including Allegany and Mineral counties."

This is where both mine and Rob's parents live... and it's way too early for this much snow!

I guess I'm a Geocacher

Rob is addicted to geocaching. Basically, this is a treasure hunt to find hidden containers using global coordinates. He uses our GPS to pinpoint the site, and then searches the area until he finds it and signs his name to the scroll inside. Then, he logs his finds on to the official geocaching Web site.

So, Rob being addicted means I have to tag along. Afterall, I'm the supportive wife, right? :)

Saturday we headed to Reston to find some caches there. We had the coordinates and clues from the Web site. Sometimes the containers are big in size (like a peanut butter jar), and sometimes they are tiny-tiny-tiny. We've found them hanging from trees, and in magnet boxes attached to guardrails, and attached to the bottom of a park bench.

We attempted to find a total of six, and we only found three. Rob's been doing his research so we can go back and find the ones where we didn't succeed!

It's not my favorite thing to do, honestly, but I like spending time with Rob and he has a lot of fun on these hunts. So, with him I will go!

My Favorite Snacks...

It's the weekend, which means I'm likely snacking and grazing all day. That's the bad part of being home! I'd be in big trouble if I worked from home often.

And since I often blog about food, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite snacks these days. Here's what I grab when I am hungry and in need of a snack:

• Orville Redenbacher Natural Mini-Bags -- the perfect portion! My favorites are the "buttery salt and cracked pepper" and the "simply salted". Mmmmmmm!
• Snyder's Sourdough Nibblers - good saltiness, and the serving size of 15 nibblers satisfies my crunchy craving.
  
• Hershey's Kisses with almonds
• Kashi bars - my favorites are the peanut butter and the honey almond flax
• Stretch Island Fruit Co. fruit leathers - these are so good! We buy the giant box at Costco.
  

What are your favorites?

Have a great weekend!

Let's Keep Dishin'

Rob and I went to Let's Dish last night to do a meal preparation. It was kind of last minute - we found a good coupon online that was expiring, so we signed up quick and went over to make up a bunch of meals.

I've blogged before about how we split all of our meals, either in to twos or threes. That really stretches our dollar, and we end up with more meals. Here's what we got this time:

• Chicken in cranberry chutney, with egg noodles = 3 meals
• Sage chicken with golden rice = 3 meals
• Skewerless chicken satay, with cous cous = 3 meals
• Thai-style shrimp and noodles = 3 meals
• Country French flank steak = 2 meals
• Pork tenderloin with chili apricot glaze = 2 meals
• Roasted apple pork chops = 3 meals
• Three-cheese spinach lasagna roll-ups = 2 meals
  

So, for $170, we came home with 21 meals, plus leftovers for lunches. That works out to $8.09 per each dinner for two.

I imagine that it's things like Let's Dish that get trimmed out of people's household budgets when times get tight, so I think they'll keep on offering good coupons to get people in the door.

Blogroll Wrap Up (part 4)

Wrapping up my blog roll list with the last three on my list. It's been fun thinking back about how I know each of these friends!

Sandi Haustein -- I didn't know Sandi well at Harding, but I knew her husband through the social club where I was a "queen". Weird, I know. Sandi and I had lots of friends in common, and now her family lives in Missouri. She is raising three adorable little boys. I like Sandi's honesty in her blogs, plus the great recipes she shares. She is super-organized and shares her weekly menus, which often gives me dinner ideas too.

Shellie Salza -- Shellie and were both PR majors at Harding, so we shared lots of classes. Shellie is kind and thoughtful and passionate. She lives in Colorado and blogs about her life and funny son Adison. Always a good read!

Stephanie Schwieter -- Stephanie and I had lots of friends in common at HU, including her husband Eric who was in Delta Chi Delta (where I was a queen). Stephanie's blog is much about her little girl Hayley and life expecting baby girl #2 next year! Stephanie is a great mom.

Wongology -- I met Nita through Jeff, who is good friends with Rob. They live across the Potomac in Maryland and have an adorable son, Cameron. Nita has fabulous style and is chronicling life with her two great guys.

That does it!

Blogroll, Take 3

Today is part 3 of my short blogroll... here goes!

Lilac's Shack -- This is the photo blog of my friends Heather and Darrin Shephard, who have two of the cutest kids ever. The name Lilac's Shack comes from the combo of their kids' names Lillian and Isaac. Funny photos and crazy kids.

Maria Roberts -- Maria and I roomed together in Searcy Hall, and then were in a potluck group on Thursday nights after she moved off campus our senior year. Maria is very funny and very kind, and I love reading "All About Aidan" on her blog.

Murphys in American Samoa - Hands-down one of the best written and funniest blogs I read. Philip was sports editor of The Bison at HU when I was editor, and we spent some late nights cranking out that rag. Now Philip and family live in American Samoa, where he is an attorney and he and his wife Jaime are raising three kids. This blog is full of funny stories about life somewhere new.

Robin Kernodle -- I knew Robin at HU too, and she and her husband lived in D.C. a few years ago. Now they are in Texas and raising two beautiful kids. Robin's blog is thought-provoking and fun - she writes about everything from her own personal happenings to her kids' favorite stuffed animals. Always a good read. (private blog)

Wrap up tomorrow!

Blogroll, Part 2

Here goes part 2 of my blogroll run-down...

Gina Savage - Gina and I were in the same wing of Kendall Hall our freshman year at Harding. We had a great crew! Now Gina and Luke are raising three little ones, and she blogs with photos and fun kid updates.

Jennifer Rackley -- Jennifer and I were roommates at Harding during our freshman and sophomore years. Great roomie and tons of memories together - from making signs for our dorm windows to our three-man basement room in Pattie Cobb. Jennifer and her hubby have three sweet little girls, and Jen blogs about the crazy happenings she faces daily as a mom. (Private blog)

Jenny Box -- Jenny is another Harding friend who blogs about her three girls and the beautiful cakes she bakes! Her writing has a great wit.

Leann Alwood -- I met Leann at church, and she's become a staple in my blog and Facebook reading. She is truly a sports fan and passionate about everything from the Indianapolis Colts to Alabama football to North Carolina basketball. Leann has a precious nephew and a rockin' tatoo. A great read.

Still more tomorrow...

My Blogroll, Part 1

I have seen many friends explain who is on their blogrolls. So, although mine is short, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce who's who. Here goes Part I:

Andrea Bishop - I met Andrea my sophomore year at Harding, and we were roommates for a semester in Searcy Hall during my junior year. One of my favorite memories with Andrea is the night that the smoke detectors kept going off in our apartment, and Aunt Bee (affectionatly called Beezer by yours truly) called the Searcy Fire Department. We spent a good chunk of the night singing "Fight the Fire" to the tune of "Light the Fire". Andrea actually reminded me of this memory when we reconnected online! Her blog -- all about "good F words" -- is insightful and fun. She's raising two sweet boys.

Carrie Brown - Carrie and I were in the same social club at Harding, and we had lots of friends in common. I always thought Carrie was one of the nicest girls around campus. We reconnected on blogs last year, and I've loved keeping up with her family. She's moving to Canada soon!

Coffee Break - This is a great online bible study and discussion, led by Carrie. It's a nice mid-day refresher -- I check in when I'm eating my lunch at my desk.

Danna Ramsey - Danna is another friend from Harding. I got to know her when she joined a bible study with a lot of my HUF friends. Danna is genuine as she can be, and she's raising three funny girls, who she chronicles on her blog. Apparently she's quite the smocker too!

More tomorrow....

The Squeaky Wheel

I'm the kind of person who can't just complain about something without trying to change it. I'm a letter writer -- better to kindly share my complaint than to stew in my own frustration!

In the past couple of weeks, I've been on the letter-writing trail again...

Do you shop at Wegman's? Have you noticed their new policy to WAY overpack the bags?? Seriously. They aim to put at least eight items in each bag... which isn't bad when the items are light and non-smushable. But when my bread ends up under a can of crushed tomatoes, or my fruit is packed in a bag so jammed that it all ends up bruised, I get irritated.

A few weeks ago, our bags were so ridiculously overpacked that I'd had it. I took photos of the bags, weighed them, and fired off an e-mail to customer service. Nuts, right??

Our bag weight was about 16lbs each. One bag had a half-gallon of OJ, a half-gallon of grape juice, four cans of something, two cartons of strawberries and a few other random items. All in one bag!!

The manager from the store called me at home, apologized and offered a gift card. I was impressed with his follow-up, and now my policy is to ask the cashier to pack my bags normally, not heavily. Seems to be working!

CoCo Loco

Love chocolate. Eat here. Co Co Sala.

Seriously. Three-course chocolate course. I had the Co Co Grown Up:

AMUSE
mini boston cream doughnut / cappuccino panna cotta

MAIN DESSERT
milk chocolate, pb & banana foster split / mini co co. cupcake / malted shooter

PETIT FOURS
mint chocolate chip cone / strawberry cheese cake lolly with pop rocks

Next time, I want to go for brunch!

Birthday Club

Pretty much, I'm a member of every birthday club out there. $10 off at DSW... free burrito at Qdoba... $15 off at Ann Taylor... free burger at Red Robin. We celebrate the whole month of November!

Last night we cashed in on the Silver Diner. I like that place, and they give their loyal Blue Plate Club members a free entree and dessert. Perfect! During our time there, we heard some funny things from the staff. Here are two of my favorites...

"The special tonight is vegetarian chicken stir fry."
What's vegetarian-chicken mean???

"Most people don't like the apple pie because it's made with fresh apples."
Hmmm. I really prefer fresh apples over any other kind. What other kind would be used for pie???

Language is a beautiful, crazy thing.

Oh - I realize that I blog a lot about food on here. Is that strange?! :)

Addicted

My name is Kathryn, and I'm addicted to Chocolate Goldfish crackers.

Seriously, these are delicious and not too-bad-for-you, snackwise. Serving size is 51 Goldfish (140 calories).

I picked up a bag at Target the other day, and now I'm hooked. Recommend!

Ready for the Weekend

Is it bad that I'm four days in to this NaBloPoMo and I have nothing to write?? Maybe it would help if some of you would comment. I know you are reading - now comment!

We are super ready for the weekend! I'm working on finishing up the laundry now so that this weekend will be amazingly laundry-free. Our plans include a swanky dinner out on Saturday and lots of sleep. My 5:30 a.m. alarm really takes its toll by Friday.

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I haven't blogged much about the election here, mainly because I respect everyone's right to have their own opinions and to vote the way that they feel they must. That's the beauty of democracy. I will say that I'm pleased with the outcome, and I have a tremendous amount of hope in the days to come.

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I just received my first issue of Cooking Light magazine. I've browsed their recipes online for a year or so, and my co-worker's son was selling magazines for school, so I bought a subscription. I'm looking forward to all of the goodies I plan to make!

Shows I'm Watching

Last spring, I made an effort to cut back on the number of shows I watch. Thanks to the writers' strike, I lost interest in some shows and never picked them back up when new episodes started.

That being said, I do spend a fair amount of time with the tube on, whether I'm working around it, walking on the treadmill or crashed on the couch. Here are a couple of shows I'm really enjoying this season...

• The Mentalist -- this is new on CBS, and I love love love Simon Baker as Patrick Jane. The storylines are good and the premise is cool. Recommend it.
  
• ER -- an oldie but a goodie. I'm liking Angela Bassett as the chief, although I miss Dr. Pratt and Abby. Should be interesting to see how the series wraps up.
• Grey's Anatomy -- still a fan, although the show has gone through its ups and downs. My favorite is Miranda Bailey - sassy and smart.
  
• 30 Rock and The Office -- the two best shows on TV. Watch both.
  

And here are a few that I have dwindling interest in: Pushing Daisies, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs and My Name is Earl.

What are your favorite shows?

Casting our Vote

We headed to the polls after work today. The head of my office either let us come in a little late or leave a little early, so Rob and I opted to go vote around 4:30 p.m. No lines at all - we were in and out within about 10 minutes. Now we are parked in the living room watching the returns. I love this stuff.

Did you vote? How were the lines? Are you watching the returns?

Vote!

"Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good. 'Tis but one step more to think one vote will do no harm."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

NaBloPoMo

I've seen this on many friends' blogs, so I thought I'd give it a try! It's National Blog Posting Month - make one post every day for 30 days. Since it's November 3 and I'm starting this three days behind, I'll try to catch up.

This weekend is kind of a blur, even though I had my extra flex day off and we gained an hour of sleep. The heating repair man -- who was supposed to arrive by noon -- showed up at 1:30 p.m. ... and then he didn't have the right part with him! (Puzzling, since Rob had told them what needed replaced when we called Monday.) Anyway, he had someone bring him the part, and 45 minutes later he was finished. Hallelujah - heat again!

I had planned to have the afternoon to run some errands, before Rob and I headed out around 3 p.m. to see my parents. No such luck. I scrambled to do a few things in the short amount of time I had, and we actually ended up leaving around 3:45 p.m. Rob can't shake his cold, so I drove and he slept most of the way up. Lucky for us, yummy beef stew and apple cranberry pie awaited us on the other end of our journey!

Saturday we went to visit my grandfather in his new Alzheimer's assisted living place. I had some severe reservations about putting him there, and for my own peace of mind, I wanted to see it. The place seems nice, and not much like a traditional nursing home. It's very "homey" and the people seemed okay. Pop-pop wasn't having a great day, but it was good to see him.

Of course, Mom and I hit the mall (thanks for my coat, Mom!) and we had an early birthday celebration of steamed shrimp and ice cream cake. A terrific combination, if you ask me. :) We came back early yesterday since Rob is still feeling less than perfect, and I hit the market, walked and took a nap myself.

All in all, we had a nice weekend and really enjoyed catching up with my Mom and Dad!

Bone Cold

I am chilled to the bone! Our heat has been out since we returned home last weekend. We've been making do with extra bed blankets and comfy sweatshirts, but I am more than ready for the repair man to get here today. They told me he'd be here between 9 a.m.-noon.... it's 11:25 a.m. and no sign of him yet. Am I the only on this ever happens to??

In the meantime, I've been productive. A couple of loads of laundry have been washed, clean sheets are on the bed and the car is loaded up with five bags of donations to be dropped at the thrift store. I'm catching up on my Tivoed shows!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Livin' It Up in Vegas

Just a couple shots from our days in Vegas. before my conference began...

In the limo on the way to THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay ... and they worked the "THE" in front of everything (i.e., THE Store, THE Cafe, THE Water-no joke!)

After dinner at Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco, on the way to see Cirque du Soliel's Love

Our ridiculous tray of pastries at Bouchon Bistro in The Venetian. I could have eaten the whole tray. Seriously.

View from The Foundation Room on the top floor of Mandalay Bay.

Back in Town

As fun as it is to travel, it's even better to be back home. We arrived home late Sunday night, ending my nine days of living in hotel rooms and eating out every meal. I am grateful to be home!

Our visit to Harding was terrific! It was so fun to show Rob the campus and see old friends. Our HUF group enjoyed breakfast and dinner together, as well as a great visit to the Mitchells home for delicious brownies. :)

Here are photos from Harding. Photos from Vegas coming soon. Enjoy!

HUF and Harding

Celebrity Sighting

So I'm sitting in the Little Rock airport waiting for Rob, whose plane from Atlanta is super delayed. Guess who I see waiting for her luggage? The actress Mary Steenbergen, wife of Ted Danson. I knew they had a home here, but it just seemed odd. One week in Vegas and my celebrity sighting is in Little Rock??

The airport here has been upgraded. I had a Starbucks and now I'm sitting in a little cafe near baggage claim listening to a live jazz quartet.

That 3:45 a.m. wake-up call is starting to take its toll.

From Vegas to Harding

This morning, I got up at 3:45 to get ready, check out and make my 6 a.m. flight from Vegas to Little Rock. Right now I'm in Denver waiting to get on the world's smallest airplane for part two of my journey. Not a fan.

The rest of the week in Vegas was great. The Elton John show was amazing, although I have to say he's getting a little old. My coworker and I thought he looked like he was almost cripping across the stage. And we could see that really well, since we were on the FIFTH ROW. The seats were incredible! His music was great, as was the theater decor and the videos that showed in the huge stage screen. Before dinner, we had a fabulous meal (and margaritas!) at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I recommend both!

Last night, a couple coworkers and I enjoyed a final Vegas meal at The Mix, the restaurant at the top of THEHotel at Mandalay Bay. The view down the strip is crazy, and the food (I had spicy seared tuna) was delish.

Maybe I should clarify that I did work - a lot! - in Vegas. These blog posts make it sound like I just played! I gave two presentations and directed four sessions. It was a great meeting.

I am excited about visiting Harding this weekend, seeing friends and showing Rob around!

Viva Las Vegas

Today marks my fifth day in Sin City. Rob and I arrived here Friday, in advance of a conference for my work. We had a good bit of time during the weekend to play, peoplewatch, penny slot and eat. We squeezed in a bunch!

Our conference hotel is all suites and the rooms are awesome. I actually have two bathrooms in my room - insane.We were picked up at the airport in a limo and have been livin' large. :)

Friday night, we ate a great meal of artisan cheeses and pizza at Mario Batalli's Enoteca San Marco, and then saw Cirque de Soliel's LOVE-the show based on Beatles music. Awesome.

Last night, a couple coworkers and I went to the House of Blues and saw The Killers. It rocked, and I felt young again as my shoes stuck to the beer covered floor and I screamed lyrics at the top of my lungs.

Too bad for me that Rob's gone home and my conference has begun!

iTune Me

I have about $14 in credit with iTunes... any suggestion for good music? Something to walk/run to, relax to or just plain sing-along to?

When life hands you lemons...

... make lemon trifle. Huh?

My cooking experiences this weekend have been a disaster. I don't know if it's just because I'm hurried and am not paying attention, or if I'm trying random substitutions in an effort to reduce fat and calories. Either way, it ain't working.

Our Sunday pot roast ended up a little too much like stew, thanks to me adding an extra can of broth (not paying attention). Not that pot roast stew is bad (it tasted great!), but it's just not what I had in mind.

The chocolate angel food cake was a total mess. First, I forgot to put the cocoa in the cake. So I figured instead I'd just do a regular cake with chocolate icing. But I bought light cream instead of whipping cream, and it wouldn't whip at all. It made a lovely chocolate cream sauce, but no where near frosting. Sometimes saving calories doesn't help!

So, I cut up the baked angel food cake, whipped up a pudding/cream cheese/lemon yogurt mixture and diced up some strawberries. Wah-lah! Lemon strawberry trifle. (I found the recipe online - if it's tasty, I'll share it!)

Maybe this week's cooking adventures will be better...

Working on the weekend...

Hooray for the weekend! Rob and I were so whipped last night that we went to bed at 8:45 p.m.... are we old or what?! We both read for a bit and were lights-out by 9:30 p.m. We woke up early this morning since we'd been sleeping so long. We headed to the market and got stuff for the week (and the ingredients for a Sunday pot roast - mmmmm!), and then I went into the office for about four hours. We are gearing up for a big conference next week, and I had to get some things finished. It was a productive few hours!

I stopped at the mall on my way home to return a dress and a blazer. The gal at Ann Taylor was totally stumped, but thank goodness she finally figured it out. Tonight is a hot date at Chick-fil-A and a trip to Target. We are really living it up this weekend!

Right now I'm baking a chocolate angel food cake... kind of. After it had been in the oven for 20 minutes, I remembered that I hadn't added the cocoa into the mix. Ooops. So it will be a regular angel food with chocolate icing. Friends are hosting us for dinner Monday night, and I'm bringing dessert. I figured the cake can cool this evening (upside down, which is always wacky) and I could ice it tomorrow.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Recipe Sharing: Italian Beef

This is a good recipe for the cooler weather. I got this from a college friend's mom. She would make it when I'd visit, and I always loved it. Super easy, and makes plenty for leftovers. Hope you enjoy!


Italian Beef
6-8 servings

Ingredients
2 cans beef consomme
2 cans French onion soup
2 envelopes Good Seasons Garlic & Herb salad dressing mix (dry)
2 envelopes Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
2 jars pepperoncini (can be spicy; I don't always use these)
4-6 lb. rump roast

Directions
Mix together soups and seasonings. Put beef and mixture together in crockpot. Cook on low for at least 8 hours, until tender. Serve on hoagie rolls with all the toppings (lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, sliced onions, etc.).