Thursday, July 31, 2008

Seafood - YUM!


I absolutely LOVE seafood and am in fact looking forward to a crab leg dinner tomorrow evening with my husband. Seafood is one of my favorites and I could eat it daily without hesitation! One of my personal favorite seafood dishes though is a a chowder recipe that includes lots of my favorites like crab, scallops, shrimp, lobster and clam with a buttery, creamy rich taste! With the variety of seafood included and the rich tastes it would definitely be contender for a prize in a competition.
I'll share it with you in a moment!
I would love to vacation in the south and in fact if I had a chance to go to the Great American Seafood Cook off in Louisiana I would in a heartbeat . . . I can only imagine the wonderful aroma's swirling in the air around me as I walked around. To view the cooking competition and all the various chefs with their specialties brewing. Oh I would be in heaven! Please if you get the opportunity to go share with me the sites, smells, sounds and whatever else you get to experience . . . I will live through you!

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try:

Extra-virgin olive oil
5 slices of bacon, chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery ribs from the heart with leaves, finely chopped
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
6 cups whole milk (or for a richer taste use half milk and half cream)
4 ounces fresh crab meat
4 ounces fresh medium size shrimp, devined and without tail
4 ounces lobster meat, chopped
4 ounces fresh scallops
4 ounces clams
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
3 tablespoons dry Sherry (optional)
4 tablespoons snipped chives
Hot sauce if desired
DIRECTIONS:
1.Put a medium pot over medium high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the bacon
and cook until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2. Leaving a thin, even layer of the bacon fat add the potatoes, onion, celery and bay leaf to the pot, season with salt and pepper as desired and cook for 7 to 8 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until softened.
3. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth and, using a wooden spoon or your whisk to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the milk, cover the pot and bring to a simmer.
4. Mix your seafood together, then combine with the thyme and seafood seasoning. Uncover the pot, stir in the seafood and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes, until the potatoes are just fork-tender the seafood is cooked through and the soup has thickened.
5. Stir the Sherry(if desired) into the chowder.
Then serve bowls of chowder with sprinkled bacon and chives.
Flavor with hot sauce to taste.

Let me know how you enjoy it? At my house we usually omit the Sherry and also add a sprinkle of cheddar on top, serve with crusty rolls and see who can emit the most mmmmm's while enjoying it!



Tuesday, July 29, 2008

something to ponder

I was reading some blogs today and came across this post.
Now I am NOT the Glitter Queen and I even have a stamp that says so LOL
BUT
yeah there is always a but isn't there :)
I do like sparkle - I just don't care to have it all over me. Now my friend Anna she loves the glitter and the more the merrier! LOL. Anyway I would not say I am a grouch. In fact I really like that card and I love sparkly cards but I just don't care to make them myself. Now Stickles has been a wonderful product for me as it is glittery but it is in glue so it doesn't norammly end up all over me. I say normally cause well sometimes it does stray and I will notice my dd or dh looking at me oddly later, only to go to the bathroom mirror and see a huge sparkley piece stuck in the middle of my forhead or on my lip or wherever else it has escaped too. Anyway something to ponder, are those of us who are glitter shy really grouches?


Thursday, July 24, 2008

Stamps for Sale!


It has come time to do some house cleaning of my craft room and I am starting with the stamps so please visit my Picasa album with pictures of both front and back of all my stamps that are FOR SALE here.
I do have an idea of the value of the stamps but would prefer to sell this way rather than ebay and paying fees. I will only ship via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation this will protect both you and I you may choose to add insurance just in case our "sometimes" funky postal service decides to pull any tricks along the way.
Please send me an email or leave a message as to what #'s you are interested in and we can come to a deal. Thanks and have fun shopping!




Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Hot & Humid, Rain & Dreary

Mother nature can't decide what type of weather she wants to give us here...it is cool in the AM's and comfortable in the 70's usually then by mid afternoon we are getting into the upper 80's or 90's but it is so HUMID you can't stand to do a thing. I have a list a mile long of things I want and NEED to get done but with no AC in the main part of our home I can't stand to be out there. I have resorted to my books and the tv in the comfort of the bedroom. At least I sleep well LOL! Now today and yesterday have been dreary and scattered rain showers. Including some great thunder yesterday BOOM!
I hope we have a good weekend as we are going to our camper this weekend and then on Sunday we have a Blue-B-Q. I will explain more about that afterwards :D


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hawaii Chair


I got this last week and forwarded it to several friends and I was cleaning out my inbox I saw it again and watched it again - it is too funny so if you need a good laugh and have a couple minutes please check it out!
HAWAII CHAIR
This is hilarious! This is an actual product being sold! It's calledthe Hawaii Chair, and you are supposed to be able to exercise and goabout your normal business while using it. When I first saw thecommercial, I thought it was funny, but that was nothing compared towatching Ellen have it on her show and try to use it properly.
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/01/hawaii_chair.php




Monday, July 21, 2008

Zenni Optical


Complete Single Vision Eyeglasses Starting at $8
You can't beat that! Zenni offers a wide variety of attractive frames to suit any want/need you could possibly have. They manufacture their own frames which allows them to cut the middlemen leaving unbeatable deals for you. They were recently featured on FOX news and you can check them out by clicking here.

ZenniOptical.com is definitely a place you want to go if you are in need of eyeglasses.
Make sure it is on your back to school list!







Passed the car today!


Well this AM the car I normally pass was there as usual so he must of been on vacation last week or something :) Only bad thing was I passed him too close to home which means I was running late LOL!
Have a good day!



Takemi Select SALE!



Massage is one of the best ways to feel relaxed and rejuvenated after a stressful day and the benefits of massage have long been known to man. Takemi Select Wholesale Outlet
is having a great summertime sale right now. I have actually had the chance to try one of these chairs before and they are wonderful! I would love to have one! They offer many styles and colors to suit anyone. They also offer massage beds if you are interested in them.
Right now 12 months same as cash is being offered along with a
- FREE Energy Massager w/ Purchase
- Healing Comes At Light Speed!
- Built-In MP3 Player, Massage Along With Music!
- The Chiropractic Masseuse
- Immediate Relief, Relaxation, Health & Vitality
- Exclusive Spinal Curve Adaptive Technology
- Built In MP3 Player & Headphones
- 3 Year Rock Solid Warranty







God would not have told you to trust Him if He could not provide for you.
-Roy Lessin-







Friday, July 18, 2008

I Won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I entered a contest through my local radio station's site and lo and behold I got an email confirmation today that I WON! I have $75 to spend on their site for whatever I wish. It is a DVD, CD, Video place so I will get some things for us to have at the camper probably where we seem to watch the most video's :) I have been looking however at some series so perhaps now is a good time to get them also.
Too cool I won I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LAUGHING

This came in my email today frommy cousin it is too funny - had me laughing so hard I was crying. Some days' you just need a good laugh!

HAWAII CHAIR
This is hilarious! This is an actual product being sold! It's calledthe Hawaii Chair, and you are supposed to be able to exercise and goabout your normal business while using it. When I first saw thecommercial, I thought it was funny, but that was nothing compared towatching Ellen have it on her show and try to use it properly.
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/01/hawaii_chair.php

Thursday, July 17, 2008

morning commute


Every AM I see this same car on my way to work, I know if I am on time or running late depending when we pass each other...just one of those funny things. Well this past week I haven't seen my "friend" at all so I am hoping they are just on vacation or something. Funny the things you notice you watch for in your day to day life.

While stopped at the red light I was tapping my fingers to the music I was playing and I happened to glance to the side and there was a guy standing on the corner at the tire place and he was playing his air guitar - it was pretty funny and I was laughing at him and waved, turned the volume down a little I guess I didn't realize it was that loud and then meandered on down the road. Glad this AM was filled with a little smile cause now I am doing all I can to stay awake and alert...the calm between storms at work I guess. More bids to prep - yeesh we need to land one of these babies soon!
Ok see you later!


Tuesday, July 15, 2008

random thoughts


I joined some tubing groups again - going back to some things I have loved in the past and giving them a go again, going back to some things I am not so fond of too and giving them a go also ... can anyone say the dreaded E word
Anyway I made this little piggy sign for today...I will practice some more and make more to share for you all too. Pics liven the blog up a bit I think. yes? no?
Today it just dawned on me when I saw my dd's countdown counter to her wedding it is really not that far away. True to herself they are planning a Halloween Wedding :D
ok enough randomness today ... see you later!

Monday, July 14, 2008

well...


I spoke to that person and they still kept to their story which makes me wonder now what to believe. I don't know if there is any way to really solve this so I have to work on the forgive and forget part. HARD TO DO!
I worked on cards over the weekend and got a lot accomplished really, played in a couple of challenges which will post through the week on my other blog and plain just enjoyed stamping. It has been awhile since I did that so I was glad for the chance.
I spent time in SL too and worked more on a house and also did the Treasure Quest treasure hunt. Some interesting goodies this time and it was much more challenging than usual. I got really stuck on one and then come to find out it was a rezzing problem for me and I had been staring at the treasure for a good 15 minutes already!
Anyway that was my weekend, how was yours?

Friday, July 11, 2008

Anger

I am so angry with someone right now I feel like I am going to explode.
I don't even know what to say to them or how to act when I see them.
Lying causes a lot more pain and hassle than it is worth so why do it?
Yes passive lying as in Santa and the Easter Bunny;
I understand, but life altering lies? No I don't get it.
Pray for me to find some peace and be able to handle this rationally.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Angel Food Ministries

As you know I have been trying to cut costs for us so we can stretch our meeger dollars as far as possible to be able to still afford to get gas and food and not resort to Mac & Cheese every night BLAHHHHH Anyway in May I bought a package from Angel Food Ministries, something happened to the truck so I didn't end up getting anything until June. We have been enjoying the items we received for the most part. We got some popcorn chicken type product that we didn't particularly care for and we also don't really like the frozen vegatables we received but the rest has been good. We had steaks last night that were so tender they could cut with a fork. Yes they were REAL steaks not chopped or something either. Angel Food Ministries is located in local communities and you should check if they are near you. You get quite a bit of food for the basic monthly package and then you can choose as many ad on's as you desire. We didn't order in June again but we will be in July.
If you order let me know what you think.

This is the July Menu:

40 oz.
Marie Callender’s® Family Crock Pot Dinner (Meat Included)
1.5 lb.
Boneless Pork Filet
5 lb.
Breaded Chicken Chunks
1.5 lb.
Meaty Beef Ribs
28 oz.
Meatloaf and Gravy
1 lb.
Beef Fajitas
1 lb.
Fully Cooked Meatballs
1 lb.
All Meat Hot Dogs
1 lb.
Broccoli
1 lb.
Peas and Carrots
28 oz.
Pasta Sauce
1 lb.
Pasta
32 oz.
Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk
32 oz.
Hawaiian Punch
12 ct.
Corn Tortillas
7 oz.
Blueberry Muffin Mix
Dozen Eggs
Dessert Item
ALL THIS FOR THE LOW COST OF JUST $30

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Money


So a few people asked me what I spent the other day since I had recently posted about having no money so here goes....
Spent $5 on the class a tthe stamp store and got $4 credit to spend in the store that day,
bought a 6x6 pad of paper using my credit and pitched in an additional $2.36.
Went to lunch I paid $5 and we both ate (my friend left the tip and provided the change we needed for the bill)
At Pat Catan's I spent $6.31 on the bag and 2 stamps I bought.
Total spent for the day out was $18.67

Could I of done better?
yep
I could of picked an item worth $5.01 the minimum amount I had to spend at the store to get the credit (but it was the new Basic Grey line Euphoria and it is so darn pretty how could I NOT get it! ) could of not got the bag, but them missed my dd's smile - NO WAY!, could of skipped lunch and listened to my belly grumble and I could of forgone the stamps too at Pat Catan's but then what will I have for blog candy on my stamping blog later this month?

It was worth it to me as I had not had a girls day out for some time and I feel very refreshed and new ideas twirling around in my head of things to do.

Another 24 hour giveaway for Watermarking tool

Giveaway of the Day is offering another photo editing software today that includes a watermarking tool/option. I do not know anything about this one so will NOT be able to help you. I am just posting for those who missed the last one.
You can go here MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL it today or it won't work. You have to do the INSTALL TODAY!
You can always figure it out aanother day and if you dont' like it delete it :)



Monday, July 7, 2008

Countdown to Sept 18th LOL

I just saw that the is is the day the Survivor will debut for the fall show!

ha ha start counting :)


Fun Fun Fun

Saturday I spent the morning and early afternoon with a friend at the stamp store LOL!
We made Christmas cards - not sure I am into the Christmas mood yet but that was what the teacher had on his mind so that is what we did! It also happened to be the owner of the stores birthday so we had some cake. The frosting was super sweet but the inside had some mousse type thing that was pretty good :) YUM-O
We went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and thanks to my ytrusty coupon book we had a BOGO for that so it was a nice meal for an afordable price - hey lunch usually is though right! I had a chicken burrito with rice and of course chips and salsa. She had a beef chimichanga and rice as well as chips and salsa. We skipped the Margarita's and dessert though LOL!
Pat Catan's was right close so we shot over there for a bit and got a few goodies her for her horse trading and me for hmmm idk what for really LOL! No seriously they had this super bag for $4 from an online coupon it was black with big white polka dots so I picked it up thinking it would be cute for a swap at some point well let's ust say I ended up parting with it to my dd. I also picked up 2 $1 stamps - not sure if I will keep or if they will go for some blog candy on my other blog or what.
Back to the stamp store we went then as there was a Stampscapes demo going on and we wanted to see what that was all about. We both learned a brayering trick - I tried it out yesterday and I did get better results but either I really am brayer challenged or I need a juicier pad or different brayer or something, I just don't get coverage like I see everyone else getting. I will have to email the guy who demo'd to ask him some questions. Anyway back to the class we figured all you need is a bit of white glossy paper, some Kaliedacolor pads and a gazillion dollars worth of stamps to do a really pretty scene LOL! I didn't buy any stampscapes but I do like how they look. Maybe someday I will aquire some and give it a try.
I did run into some old (not age old but known long time old) friends while there also and that -was nice to catch up a bit.
I did use my rebate back from the class to buy the new Basic Gray Euphoria 6x6 pad so I can't wait to give some of those lucious papers a try on some new cards!
ok nuff chitchat today - BYE!!!!!!


Thursday, July 3, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away!

today is rain rain rain...
I do hope it stops and we can do the outdoor things we had planned for tomorrow. I imagine our fireworks show that was to be this evening will be called off too so maybe they can reschedule for tomorrow night if it holds off.
Wishing you all a nice long weekend!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

BEAR!

OMGosh I saw the hugest bear over the weekend! It was a black bear and it was in PA while we were driving along the road dh and I were talking about places closed up or changed along the way and I was gawking around :) He was just driving along and all a sudden I see this bear walking alongside the road! IT WAS HUGE did I say that? I pointed and said to dh there is a bear right there. He caught a view of it and we tried to turn around (they have these funky turn around things on the highways there - not always convenient and no pull off place or area along the sides of the roads) as we got turning I could see the bear looking to cross the road, dh could also and before we could get around far enough int he turn thingy he was across the road and going down the other side of the mountain. I later called dd and asked her how does a bear cross the road? Well he looks both ways of course! LOL Anyway it was just beautiful to see the bear ambling around but I sure wouldn't want to wake up and see him in the yard in the AM. He headed right down towards some houses. SO much of that area has changed and housing put in I am sure many animals were displaced. Oh it was just magnificent to see the bear though. I have never seen one in real life like that. DH who has in the past hunted them said he would of taken that one guessing it around 500 or so pounds. It was so pretty! So big! Oh I wish I could of gotten a picture of it. I had the camera ready but he was to quick to get down the side of the mountain :(

I had a great weekend despite getting rained on a bit on Saturday, I am glad we went and even gladder though we had an inside place to sleep LOL! The rain and cold would of made for an uncomfortable night!

Sunday we went to the cemetary and yes Pap's tomato plant is growing nothing on it right now but I did pull some weeds from around the plant and the flowers there so they won't get choked out.