The Guv-uh-nuh

Color me surprised to learn that the Governor lives not far from me. Literally about a mile from my house. By the way - it's totally like a Hinsdale neighborhood in the middle of the northwest side of Chicago. Kind of wierd. Huge houses that take up entire blocks.

After taking our student workers out for dinner, we proceeded to have a very fun-filled adventure driving by. Here's a little video clip for your enjoyment. Some notes to add to the enjoyment factor:
1) those white vans along the right side of the road are all the media vans
2) the lights reflecting on the windows of Rod's house are a result of approximately twenty flood lights and camera crews setup directly across the street on the sidewalk. I laughed until I cried when I saw it.
3) There were Black SUVs (federal agents in suits, ties and trench coats) parked directly in front of his house on both cross streets. That's who was staring us down, twice.
4) There were state patrol cars parked in the alley entrances on both sides of his house to keep folks from coming down.

It really was funny. I laughed until I had tears and couldn't breathe. It ranked right up there with bad Christmas light decoration night with Toni and Candy!

Jack of All Trades

Ruined

I saw this play at The Goodman last night. It was really good.

It tells the story of women in the Congo in 2000 when the rebels and the army were at odds. It made me laugh and cry: it was very touching. These are some strong women who do what it takes to survive.

Oh....Junior High Girls....

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

More Rosie Ramblings

R's daddy: Tell Alison who the president is.
R: Huh-bahk Mo-momma

Alison, to R while she was in the bathtub: Would you like to sing a song with me? What shall we sing?
R: Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the seem
Marry, Marry, Marry, Marry
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH (she sing-screams as she smacks her toy boat into the water.)

Row Your Boat, Version 2
lyrics by Rosie

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the seem
Down, down, down down
Up Rosie's leg (as she has the boat 'sail' down her legs, then up them.)

Note that her phrasing perfectly fit with the song. I was impressed!

Firefighter For a Day

Do you have one of those lists of things you want to do or try before you die? I can check 'firefighting' off my list.

On Saturday I went with Amy to a ladies luncheon at her church. It was nice and very well thought out. We learned how to get a picture perfect turkey, as well as how to make center pieces.

About ten minutes after our arrival, an older lady at our table looked over at the dessert table along the wall and said, 'that almost looks like it's on fire."

Ummmmm....that's because it WAS on fire.

The centerpiece was a bunch of plastic/glittery pumpkins and fall foliage with three candles in the middle (with no glass around them.) I jumped up and tried blowing on the fire, but it was no use. It was escalating fairly quickly, and I was worried it would start burning up the wall within a moment or two, and this is a newly renovated church. Amy assisted by bringing me the water pitcher from our table, and I poured it over the flaming centerpiece and put out the fire.

The best part? The women coordinating didn't remove it or do anything about it. The desserts were served on the table, charred centerpiece and all, complete with water all over it. I daresay if you weren't on our side of the room, the ladies didn't know it happened, or notice that it was burned and wet.

The Most Important Commandment

This has been an interesting week, no? So many angry, as well as gloating, folks regarding the election. I have seen friends blog and get not-so-nice comments in return, and have heard stories of arguments between people in relationship.

Earlier this week, however, I was hanging out with two women from my church. One was caucasian, the other African-American. The Caucasian was upset that so many people were wearing "Change Can Happen" shirts or talking about how America now has hope. I finally said, "I think that hope is okay. There's nothing wrong with having hope. Help me understand what you're thinking." She responded defensively with, "It is NOT okay if that hope is being put into one person instead of Jesus Christ." I said that I don't see that as the hope, but in the hope for a different future...one that we as Caucasians can't fathom.

Last night I was at a fundraiser for The Firehouse and heard an incredible story that, I feel embodies the hope. A Pastor talked about young man, let's call him Tom. Tom works a corner in Pastor's neighborhood and does his thing. Every day for ten years, Pastor has stopped by to see Tom and invite him to breakfast or lunch. Because of Tom's responsibilities on the corner, he couldn't really leave it without getting in trouble. On Nov. 5, Pastor stopped by to see Tom, and Tom pulled his ballot receipt out of his pocket and said, "Pastor, yesterday I voted...I voted," and was overcome with emotion. He then asked if Pastor could take him to lunch.

At lunch that day, Tom told Pastor how he sees an opportunity for a better future. Seeing an African-American man who came from nothing get elected gives Tom hope that systems can change and give the same opportunities to his people that the rest of us get. He has hope for grace and forgiveness and the opportunity to work. This week he has been at the tech center at Pastor's church, getting an email address and trying to find ways to get himself out of his lifestyle.

Tom is sure to face obstacles, and stumble on his way to getting off the streets. It will be hard for him to find a job in this market and economy, and its sure to pay a lot less than he's currently making. But that hope that he has is what is life-changing and opens the door for the Holy Spirit. And that is never a bad thing.

I know some will read this and claim that Tom has the same opportunities the rest of us do. As someone who has lived in the country, in the suburbs and the city, I can say that you don't know what you don't know until you've lived for a significant amount of time in an urban center. Things are not the same. The graduation rate in cities is only 50%. Due to gangs and drugs, its difficult to get good teachers, so those that do graduate are given a sub-par education. My boss's daughter has to share a Spanish textbook with two other classmates. Often times, the valedictorians from inner city schools will flunk out at a college.

You are dependent on public transportation to get you around. If a student has to cross gang lines to get to school, they may opt to skip a few days a week to avoid the violence. There was a shooting yesterday where a young man told his grandpa that he didn't want to go to school because he thought he might get killed. His body was found next to another one around 4 pm, Many inner cities have very corrupt police systems, where the police are just as dangerous (in some cases, moreso) than the gangsters. It's a very different environment than even the poorest rural Caucasians can imagine, with very few opportunities to get out.

Sometimes we have to force ourselves to think outside our context. It's necessary for our country to move forward.

I know many may read this and say that they won't support anyone that supports abortion or homosexuality, because those ideals are antithetical to Jesus' teachings. I would just ask people to remember what Jesus response was when asked what is the most important commandment: to love no other Gods before me, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Legalism is when we focus too much on specific acts, and not on relationships and people. It was the downfall of the Pharisees back in the day. Remember how they spent hours questioning Jesus, focusing on legalistic things?

Whether you support Blue or Red, let's embrace something that puts the hope of Jesus Christ within reach for people.

Who Knew Bees Could Be So Interesting?

The movie really isn't about bees. =)

Went to see this film last night, and it was sooo worth it. I was so engrossed in it that I didn't even notice when one of the friends I was with got up and left to go to the bathroom.

I will be shocked if Dakota Fanning doesn't get nominated, and possibly win, an Oscar for her performance.

This is one of those movies where just about every woman can relate in some way. It tapped into all kinds of emotions for me. I will buy both the book and the movie, and cherish them always.

Alison gives it two thumbs up and a heart-felt nod.

Disclaimer - this is not a movie for young girls. I would keep it at age 12 and up because some of the violence is hard to handle. It takes place during 1964, right after the Civil Rights Act was signed.

Halloween

Here's my little R on Halloween as a princess.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I babysat R tonight. She enthusiastically greeted me and kept screaming "Boo!" I asked her if she got to dress up yesterday, and she said, "Yeah! Ghost! Candy! Boo!!!" Her mother, chuckling, informed me that she was not a ghost, but a princess. I'm sure I'll have photos emailed to me in a day or two.

Later on, she was melting down with separation anxiety at bath/bedtime. She has been so good about that for at least six months...I'm not sure what's been bringing this back on the last few weeks, but she's been reverting back to her old ways of throwing tantrums and getting angry/melting down when her parents aren't there when she asks about them a few hours into the evening.

At any rate, this was a monster of a meltdown/tantrum, and I was determined to have her follow instructions on her own and not be 'babied.' She's old enough to understand what you're saying to her, and to be disciplined for misbehaving (time out, picking up things she threw, etc.) Earlier in the evening I had to take her by the hand and make her pick up a DVD case that she threw on the floor then proceeded to stomp on while I told her no. She kept trying the "but I'm so cute" smile when I asked her to pick it up. I finally made her do it. She contemplated throwing a fit, and even opened her mouth and screwed her face up, but made the choice not to throw that tantrum and picked up the case. I was so proud of her.

At bed/bath time, it was a blowout, throw herself on the floor, screaming louder and louder, full on temper tantrum. I actually yelled at her for the first time ever, telling her to, "get up those stairs to the bathroom right now!" when she kept disobeying me. I had told her that she had the choice of staying up another half hour until her bath/bed time by stopping her fit, or we could do it right then and she could go to bed immediately. She opted for the meltdown, so she got a quick bath with no toys and we went into the bedroom to change into jammies. She stopped screaming, reached her arms out, and melted into a hug. Then she sat back and asked, "mommy daddy not come on home?" I usually tell her that Mommy and Daddy went out, and they will be there when she wakes up, and that usually suffices. Not the last couple of weeks.

I finally told her it is like when she and mommy go to Aaden's house (a buddy of her's who lives two houses down) and leave Daddy at home. He misses them, and they come home after they are done playing with Aaden. Then I told her that Mommy and Daddy went to their buddy's house to play, and would come home after they were done. She wiped her eyes, stopped her wimpering and said, "Okay, Alison. Night-night, I love you!" and pointed at her crib. Not another peep out of her. When I told her parents that when they came home, they both went, "REALLY?!?!" I just thought it was funny.

Up and Down

If I could insert an icon for the title of this post, it would be a wavy horizontal line. =) That's been my life and emotions this past week.

I had something fairly rattling happen to me two weekends ago, and spent a few days in shock before it really set in. (For those of you worrying right now, you can stop. I'm really okay.) I have been seeing a counselor, so we're working on it.

The unfortunate thing is that I am feeling some up and down emotions come about during, and in reaction to, various things going on that have nothing whatsoever to do with my incident. I am able to recognize that in the midst of it, but it has resulted in some anxious days this week, nonetheless.

The silver lining is that its triggered some stuff from my past that I think I can finally get some good healing from. The down side is I'm pretty sure this one's going to be around for quite some time, and possibly the rest of my life.

Working a lot of extra hours, plus doing some youth ministry stuff in the last two weeks has left me feeling really tired and without enough time to think and process. I have been doing a lot of craft projects, though. =)

I'm ready to babysit Rosie to get loved on, too, and/or go to Amy and Joe's to play with Iris and Crumley.

My Little R Playing Soccer For The First Time

New Music

I love music. Love it, love it, love it. I don't get to as many concerts as I used to, simply because they are so expensive.

I just downloaded John Legend's new album, and it did not disappoint. I immediately fell in love with the song "Everybody Knows." I encourage you to listen to it here.

Stupid Boys

I took yesterday off because I had to work all weekend. It was blissful. =)

At any rate, a good guy friend of mine called in the afternoon to chat. He asked what I had for lunch, and I shared that I had pulled a piece of lasagna (that I made) from the freezer and made some garlic toast to go with it.

To which he replied, "You eat a lot of junk."

I was totally startled and taken aback. Number one: he's old enough to know better than to say something like that to a woman. Number two: I made the lasagna. Anybody who knows me, knows that I cook my meals to Weight Watchers specifications. I only use Splenda, substitute eggs and the healthy margarine with omega 3s to reduce cholesterol. My lasagna used very little cheese, whole wheat pasta, ground turkey and lots and lots of veggies. My garlic toast was whole wheat toast with enhanced fiber, the healthy margarine, and a little bit of cheddar cheese. Needless to say, I was defensive.

I simply said, "Thanks?" In a confused voice. Then he began his backtracking. He asked if it was storebought or if I made it.

I told my roommate, Chantel, who simply said, "Who the hell is he? He doesn't come over here enough to even have the information to say that he thinks you eat too much junk food." Then she proceeded to go into the, "anyone who knows you knows that you don't buy chips, you cook your meals healthy..."

He totally felt like a schmuck and apologized for saying it. After further conversation, a few self-deprecating comments slipped out of his mouth that led me to believe that he's not feeling so good about his own body right now.

Stupid boys.

Mommas, please teach your boys to NEVER say anything about food or body size to women, especially those that are very thin or very big. =)

Baby I Believe in You....

And every little thing you do....

Went to see the New Kids on Friday night with the Princess. Here's my recap:

6 ish pm: Arrive at Amy's, meet Crumley and Iris. I fell in love with them both. Crumley has got to be the cutest dog on the planet. They jumped all over me and both Joe/Amy were embarrassed. Amy fed me pizza and diet Dr. Pepper.
7 ish pm: Leave for the concert. Excitement is building.'
7:45 ish: arrive and park. Get inside the building and literally stop in our tracks at the site of all these women with their various paraphernalia: old NKOTB gear, jean jackets with giant buttons, groups of women glamed out in 80s gear, etc. I go into a bathroom marked "women" It was actually a men's bathroom: there were so many women at this concert that turned many men's bathrooms into women's rooms for the NKOTB concert. lol
8 pm: enter to locate our seats. First opening act is playing. She looked like a cross between Samantha Fox and Christina Aguleira. She couldn't pull it off. HEr backup dancers were only wearing pink bra tops and super short skirts. They looked, and danced, like skankalicious whores. Even from our high up seats, all I could see was flying boobs in non supporting pink bras. I suggested that they should have thought of their audience - 30 to 40 year old women who love them some NKOTB. We don't respond to flopping, whorish boobs.
8:20ish: Natasha Bedengfield came out. She was fun. I must also add that her backup singer/dancers had bigger boobs that were supported and reigned in with proper bra supportage. Natasha had some bizarre haircut. It looked like she had one side of her hair pulled up in a ponytail, and cut it off. One chunk of her hair was cut short on one side, while the rest was long. Amy kept saying she had a 'half-mullet.'
8:50 ish: Natasha gets off stage, and they begin to strike her set. Anticipation is building.
9:10ish: the lights go down, and I literally jumped four feet off my seat and started screaming like a 12 year old at a Jonas Brothers concert. This didn't stop for 2 and a half hours.

I did not expect to have this much fun. I pretty much expected to spend the evening people watching and reminiscing about my NKOTB years while enjoying hearing their music one last time.

Instead, my love for them was renewed. They put on one of the best shows I've ever seen - even better than Harry Connick, Jr. They were amazing, and totally knew how to appeal to us. Truthfully, they missed us as much, if not more, than we missed them.

A couple of my highlights were when Jordan sang "Baby I Believe in You." I had been waiting all night to hear that song, and when the opening chords were played, I started jumping/running in place while screaming and clapping enthusiastically. My other highlight was an up close time with Danny in a sleeveless Ed Hardy shirt. He's HOT these days. In 2008, I'm a Danny girl all the way. I never thought those words would come out my mouth. He's absolutely grown into his own and is by far the hottest one up there. Blissful sigh.

Check out Amy's blog for many of the details. I decided not to type them redundantly. Let's just say that the "kids" are all grown up and playing a show for grown women. There was more than a little sweatin' goin' on. =)

Greatest. Night. Of. My. Life.

NKOTB

Please don't go gguuuurrrllllll......

Going to NKOTB tonight with Amy. Read her blog entry - it's much more fun than I can write right now, and this will be my first NKOTB concert. =)

I am trying to 'just breathe' right now. I have a big two day event my office is putting on in the south side tonight and tomorrow. It's hectic, I won't be there tonight, but the upside is that it's taking place about 12 blocks from Amy's house, so its convenient for my plans.

Crafty

I decided to get crafty this week.

I tend to get really excited about projects, and love to do them. My creative energy prefers to have projects to work on, especially when I'm stressed out. If they require a lot of time and patience, however, I may not finish them. I am determined to change that.

In reverence and respect to our crazy economy, and in respect to my slimming disposable income, I am making some crafty things for Christmas gifts this year. Right now I am working on a cute blanket for my friend's son. I am not going to disclose which friend, although I don't think he/she reads my blog.

I have some blue-purple fleece, and am sewing a teddy bear on it that I made from an old pair of brown cords that I had worked a hole into. Right now I'm working on the details of the bear: he has button eyes and nose, with twine for his mouth and claws. I cut out some brown patterned handkerchief for the inside of his ears and his paw pads, and he has buttons down his belly. He's super cute and I love him. When I sew him onto the fleece, I'll put some cotton balls behind him to make him puffy. I was cutting him out and sewing the details on his face while my friend Tricia was over on Sunday night, and she adorably asked me if I would make her a teddy bear. She might get one for Christmas. =)

All I have left to do to the bear is sew his arms and legs on, and his claws, then I'm ready to attach him to his blanket. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to 'finish' the sides. Perhaps I'll cut strips of the corduroy and give it a 'framed' look similar to satin edges of baby blankets.

I'll post pictures when I'm done. I plan to make a similar blanket for a little girl with flowers on it, using butt pockets from some clothes as flower pots.

quesadillas with a kick

i've been loooving quesadillas with a bit of hot sauce and ranch dressing mixed in with the cheese prior to cooking.

mmmm!

My Declaration

After getting back from Aldi and spending $25 on what would have cost me $10 three months ago, I promptly downloaded Quicken on my computer and made a vow:

I will only shop at Costco, Trader Joes and Jewel from now on (bc Aldi was seriously the same price or higher than regular grocery stores on almost everything, and they don't take coupons) and only once a month.

Hence, my once a week menu is going to have to become once a month. Here's what I'll be eating the rest of this month:

Week 2:
Thursday: leftover pizza for lunch
beef stew for dinner
Friday: leftover pizza for lunch
winter squash, dried fruit and pine nut lasagna
Saturday: wedding reception lunch, beef stew for dinner
Sunday: brunch (pancakes and turkey sausage) and the lasagna

Week 3:
the lasagna
roast beef sandwiches
tater tot casserole
chicken pot pie soup
breakfast for dinner

week 4: tater tot casserole
frozen regular lasagna
spinach and cheese ravioli
quesadillas
breakfast for dinner
pork chop and veggies

I lost a pound

We're now up to four, and am now at my previously heaviest weight. Woo-hoo! My goal is 8-10 lbs lost this month.

Weekend Bliss

I just got back to Chicago after four days visiting my family. It was awesome.

While I didn't intend this, it was Palmyra's homecoming. Because of that, I got to visit with a former classmate who is now my neice Emily's teacher (Carrie S., formerly M.) and see one of my 'little ones' that I used to babysit all grown up and on homecoming court (Alan K). I almost cried when I saw him in the parade. =) He's a SENIOR! I can't believe it! His sister is a sophomore in college.

I also saw another classmate, Todd F., whom I don't think I've seen since high school. A family friend's baby was being baptized on Sunday am at my church, and he and his family came in support.

A couple of my big highlights were getting to see Madison (6) and Dylan (10 months) the children of Toni S., formerly Toni R. I went to Eddie R's birthday bash to catch up with Toni and clan. For some reason, Madison thought I was going back to their house with them, and it made for an unhappy Madison when it came time to leave. Due to some medical issues (Dylan being in the hospital so long) I haven't really gotten to see them and spend some playing time with Madison. I promised her some special time just for her when I come visit at Christmas. Dylan was so sweet! He is almost a year old, chubby, chubby, chubby and such a snuggler. I could have held him all night. He also definitely knows when Grandma is in the room. =) So cute!

My other fun highlight was shooting handguns with my dad in his newly put together shooting range on his property. I did pretty good, actually, and it was so much fun. Dad's already got the guns picked out that we'll shoot next time I come visit. I tried to get my sister to join us, but she said no. =)

Heightened Senses

I was speaking with some folks outside chapel this morning, and was struck by the sight of leaves falling off a tree. It was so beautiful, and made me slow down and admire the wonder of God's creation.

I've always loved fall. The colder weather makes sleeping much cozier and deeper, I can wear sweaters and long-sleeved shirts I haven't worn in months, the trees turning and the smell of fall in the air is something I'll always associate with happy thoughts of upcoming holidays, football games and hayrides.

Baked Witner Squash, Raisin and Pine Nut lasagna

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that I'm dying to try and thought I'd share.


* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
* 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
* 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
* 10 oz dry lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (about 12 noodles)
* 10 oz cooked winter squash, thawed if frozen
* 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 3/4 cup golden seedless raisins
* 2 Tbsp pine nuts, chopped

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 350°F.

* Place flour in a small saucepan and very gradually whisk in milk and garlic. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce simmers and is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

* Spread 1/4 cup of cheese sauce over bottom of a 9 X 13-inch glass or metal pan and cover with 3 lasagna noodles; top with 1/3 of squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of raisins. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and spread with 1/3 of remaining squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup of raisins. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and top with remaining squash and raisins; cover with last 3 lasagna noodles, pressing sheets firmly down. Top with remaining cheese sauce; sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining mozzarella cheese

* Bake until lasagna bubbles around edges and is browned on top, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

* This recipe is part of our Cook Once, Eat All Week series. To learn more about this month's theme, make-ahead pasta bakes and casseroles, click here.

Notes

* You can add color and flavor to this lasagna recipe by using a medley of dried fruit. Use 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, 1/4 cup of dried cherries or blueberries, and 1/4 cup of golden raisins instead of 3/4 cup total of raisins.

Spiritual Disciplines

I am fascinated by spiritual disciplines. I am so inspired by and admire people who fast and are committed to practicing spiritual disciplines/practices in preparation for something, in thanksgiving, or in honor of God.

I am not good at fasting. The couple of times I've tried it, I've gotten really sick. Last night I was having a conversation with a good friend about fasting. She pointed out that I may be taking the discipline of 'fasting' too literally. She shared that sometimes she will fast from music, or only eat cereal for a day or two, or fast from television.

She then pointed out that I DO fast from time to time. For lent last year, I gave up eating at restaurants if I was paying for it. The reasoning behind it was that I wanted to remember that I can enjoy a simple life and don't suffer from not being able to do 'luxury' things. I don't need to live my life the way man/society has pushed me: to overspend and indulge in unhealthy meals as a form of recreation or hanging out with friends.

I have decided that the month of October is going to be another fast for me in that same sense. With the economic issues that are going on, I am going to fast in the same sense and frame of mind that I did last year during lent. I will refrain from eating at restaurants when I am paying for them. I am also going to try to refrain from buying things I don't need, in remembrance that God provides what I need and I can find contentment, thanksgiving and joy in that. There are automatic blessings that come from that: less calories consumed, and a lot more money in the bank.

What?!?!

I received a violation notice, today, for having ten violations of driving through tollways without paying. They are fining me $210.

Here's the kicker...I have an IPASS, which is an automated device where the reader on the highway is supposed to read it and deduct from it. It's attached to my debit card, and every time it gets below a certain dollar amount, it adds another forty dollars from my checking account.

It came with pretty stiff penalties. I have two weeks to pay up or ask for a review. After the two weeks is up, they charge me $50 per incident. That would be over $500. After another period of a couple of weeks without payment, then they suspend your license and potentially revoke your vehicle registration.

And did I mention that all ten of said violations are from 2007? I have had an IPASS since I moved to Chicago in 2002. Ridiculous. I started to have a minor panic, because that is $210 that will make my budget VERY tight for the next month if I have to pay it, if for some reason the State of IL decides to make my life difficult.

Did I also mention that IPASS is attached to your license plate number? So they could run the number and see I have an IPASS? Seriously irritated right now.

I googled, and found a guy who had exactly the same thing happen to him earlier this year. He didn't have to pay it, and also found a Chicago Tribune article that said the state discovered that tens of thousands of tollway violations had gone unpaid and not sent out to drivers...and it resulted in $10 million of lost revenue to the state. Icky Icky Poo.

** UPDATE
After four hours of trying to get through, I was able to talk to someone and get this straitened out. No fines for me!

I lost 3 lbs!

YAY!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

In response to Nichole's asking (and in anticipation of Stacey asking =), here is the recipe.

It comes from Cindy Griesbaum from the Mt. Olivet UMC cookbook.

2 cans chicken vegetable soup
1 can chicken broth
2 cans water
1 large family sized can cream of chicken soup
4 chicken pot pies
oregano
thyme
salt/pepper to taste

Bake the chicken pot pies while you're heating up the soup base. When pot pies are done, put into the soup and use spoon to break apart the pastry.

I have made this soup quite a bit in the winter, and LOVE it. It's hearty, and filling, and makes a ton of soup. I'm a big fan of making this and taking it to potlucks.

It's even better as leftovers, because the pie pastry gets very much like dumplings. It gets thick - about halfway between a cream based soup and a stew. It also freezes well.

I made a variation tonight, using leftovers. I made three cups of chicken buollion broth, added about two cups of milk, threw in a can of cream of mushroom soup, added some leftover mixed veggies I had in the fridge, cut up the rest of an onion, half a bag of shredded carrots, and green pepper I had in the fridge, and some leftover chicken that had gotten dried out (the soup was perfect, because the chicken pieces picked up the moisture). I had the pot pies in my freezer, in anticipation of making this soup sometime soon. So yummy! I successfully used up all my leftovers and the rest of my fresh ingredients that would have gone bad after I returned to Chicago next week!

Things I'm Proud of This Week

a) I didn't overeat too badly this week.
b) I not only didn't gain weight, I LOST WEIGHT! I can't wait for my weigh in tomorrow.
c) I did laundry. It's been almost three weeks.
d) I successfully talked myself out of picking up takeout on three different occasions.
e) I successfully talked myself into ordering iced coffee or iced tea the two-three times I was in Starbucks instead of ordering a pumpkin spice latte. The savings are two-fold: at least $2.50 and 700-800 calories per drink.
f) Getting my homework done while babysitting Rosie.
g) Getting caught up at work.
h) Knowing that I'm going to Missouri Thursday through Sunday, I looked in my fridge at my fresh food/leftovers. I used ALL of it (except for two apples) making chicken pot pie soup and zucchini bread muffins, both of which I can put the leftovers in the freezer come Thursday. (BTW - made my zucchini bread with splenda, egg substitute, fiber powder and flax seed. And they're delicious with about 1/2 to 1/3 the calories!)

Splenda Trick

If you've tried to bake with Splenda, but found that it produces a spongier, cakier cookie...or a spongie, flatter bread or cake...try adding a tablespoon of hellman's or miracle whip. I've now successfully baked muffins and cookies using this trick, and my roommates couldn't tell a difference between them and the 'real deal.' Hooray!

Meal Plan Sunday

This week week for lunch: veggie casserole and turkey meatballs, leftover pizza, bagged salad and yogurt/fruit.

Dinner this week:
Monday: turkey dogs with swiss cheese, veggies, pita chips, apple
Tuesday: pizza or chicken at a work meeting
Wednesday: quesadillas with chicken, green peppers and onions, peach, yogurt
Thursday: beef stew (from freezer) with quinoa and bread, apple
Friday: Honey BBQ salmon, fried zucchini, fruit, yogurt

A Single Girls Love/Hate Relationship with Leftovers

It's hard to cook when you're a single person. I often feel like I'm throwing at least $10 a week in the garbage in un-eaten leftovers or fresh produce that's gone bad before I can eat it all (e.g. a bag of salad.)

I just had an I'm-proud-of-me moment. I had a girl's dinner party the other night at my house, and had a lot of leftover quinoa and veggies. I also had several chunks of yummy, yet very moldy, cheese. I took a little trip to the grocery, and made myself a casserole that is DELICIOUS!

I made some whole-wheat rotini while i cut the mold off my gouda and swiss cheese, then cut it into chunks. I threw my leftover veggies in the casserole pan with melted butter, chopped fresh garlic and some milk, then added american cheese singles with the pasta in the pan. I stirred it every few minutes in the oven, then added more american singles when necessary. I sprinkled some shredded asiago cheese on and left it in the oven another five minutes. The result? A very yummy casserole that I will love to eat on this week at work! I think I have about four-five meal-sized servings, and bought some turkey meatballs at the store to go with. A nutricious, balanced meal. Go me!

BTW - threw the quinoa in the freezer. I have plans to use it in place of rice and make chicken and rice later this month.

You MUST Go See This Documentary

This film filled me with outrage. It is a documentary of what really happened during and after Hurricane Katrina.

The majority of the footage shot during the hurricane is filmed by a couple who didn't have the means to leave New Orleans. They shot the footage with a camera they had bought off the street for $20 the week prior to the storm. They documented what was happening to them during teh storm because they thought they were going to die and wanted to leave a document to be found in their home.

It is absolutely SICK how the government abandoned the lower 9th ward of New Orleans prior, during and after the storm. Some of it I had heard bits and pieces of via the news, but nothing on the news portrayed the reality. The biggest misconception I had prior to watching this film was that residents who stayed behind had chosen to do so. That is NOT true. There was no public plan by the mayor or governor to evacuate the city. If folks didn't have money or a vehicle, they had no choice in the matter. The same was true after the storm blew threw - the government DID NOT bring in transportation to get people out of the toxic areas and to safety where food, water and assistance awaited them. There is footage of hundreds of thousands of people from New Orleans who are walking out of the city, trying to get to the superdome or a shelter, and they are so weak from the heat/humidity and lack of food and water that they are moving at a snail's pace.

Hospital patients were abandoned while the staff and personnel left them to die in the storm and water. You read that right - they were found drowned in the hospital building in their rooms. The county jail was abandoned by the guards and the detainees were left to die. Thankfully, many of them did not drown, although without guards, it was chaos inside the walls.

911 audio clips are inserted where folks were calling from cell phones in their roofs, begging for someone to come in a boat and get them out because the water was already in their roof at that point and they couldn't break a hole to get out. The 911 operators had to tell these people that no emergency personnel were going in to save people until weather conditions got better. (FYI - when the second hurricane blew through shortly thereafter, they had the nerve to ask residents to write their social security number in magic marker on their arm or leg to make it easier to identify their bodies.)

Meanwhile, residents who had found a way to get out of their house when the water rose above their ceilings were trying their best to go from house to house, saving those they could. If residents, with no life jackets and without boats could save people in their homes and get them to higher ground, I find it hard to believe that emergency personnel or the national guard couldn't have been deployed.

When the couple filming and a large group went to the nearby Naval base to find shelter, they were threatened with M16s, ready to fire. FYI - the government was in the process of shutting down said Navy base prior to the storm coming, and there were over 500 empty barracks yet the military wouldn't open it up for the now homeless people who hadn't had water or food for two or three days.

The lack of humanity prior, during and in the aftermath was literally astonishing. The part that I couldn't grasp was how Christians could do this to other human beings. The most powerful line in the movie came from a resident who saved dozens of people from their homes by using a floating punching bag for them to ride on. It didn't matter who the people were, he saved them. He was a gang-banger, and he even saved one of his sworn enemies. Two weeks later, he was smiling and happy and said, "I never thought that God would use a guy like me." All of those hospital, emergency, government and jail personnel could so easily abandon people for their SURE death, yet a drug using/selling gang banger was one who God chose because he knew he wouldn't say no. Absolutely astonishing to me.

Please support this film. It needs people to come out in numbers for the distribution company to continute to send it to cities. These astrocities MUST be seen by the greater public in order to hold the government accountable and get new policies in place that value ALL human life, regardless of where they live, what color skin they have and what they may or may not do to earn money.

Ugly Betty

I love that show. I've been watching re-runs on ABC.com during my lunch break this week.

I especially adore the relationship between Betty and Gio. I just watched the episode where Betty and Gio chaperone the junior high dance. When Gio tells Betty, "That's just it...I don't want to be the rebound guy, I want to be the guy." I melt, just melt.

Love it! Can't wait to see what this season has in store.

Flooding in Chicago

I called home this weekend, telling my parents that I had flashbacks to being along the Mississippi. We had over 7 inches of rain in a 24 hour period, and more rain that fell over the next 12. It was storms from Ike that made their way up here.

My neighborhood is called Albany Park, and we have the north branch of teh Chicago River that runs through it. It flooded and shut down several streets, many homes, and a good deal of our campus. School was closed yesterday, but we're back in business today.

Two dorms had to be evacuated and sleep in the rec center over the weekend. Thankfully, they were able to return to their dorms to sleep last night. There is water damage in many of our buildings, and a couple of computer labs were destroyed.

I was on my way to babysit Rosie on Saturday when the water began pouring over the street down the way and they began sandbagging it. The water is still covering Foster Ave by Jewel, and traffic yesterday during rush hour was terrible. Traffic was backed up on Foster past Swedish Covenant due to Foster being closed between Pulaski and Elston, and Kedzie was backed up to Peterson with cars trying to get onto Foster Ave.

There are still sandbags on campus surrounding the river. The students seem to be okay, for the most part. I haven't heard that anyone lost any of their posessions, and they seem to be in good spirits now that they can get into their rooms.

Weight Loss and Anxiety

This past week has been interesting for me. I've been very busy the last two weeks. Too busy. It's been too much.

A couple of things I've learned about myself are:
a) spiritual warfare is a very real thing in my life, and anxiety and bad depression can be a result
b) not having time for creative outlets will directly affect me
c) the more i feel a time crunch, the more I will experience anxiety.

This has been an anxiety-filly week for me. I've also gained some weight in the past few months, and I'm officially the heaviest I've ever been. That's got to stop for two reasons: to help my anxiety and spiritual warfare, and because I don't want to experience some significant health issues.

So...I'm going to ask my readers to ask me occasionally and help hold me accountable (ahem - Stacy!). I've started weight watchers online again, and am going to try out Overeaters Anonymous and see what I think. I may start a second blog that is a journey of this stuff.

The Blessings Keep On Coming

Tonight I got to help out with the youth ministry at my church in a way that allowed me to start to get to know some of the kids better. So much fun!

I got home to find a check for $250 for an overpayment to the hospital from an er visit several months ago. I was pretty positive I had overpaid, but was assured that I had not. SSooo surprised to get the refund check, and very happy!

It's a blessings week for me.

And They Keep On Coming

Remember how I got a free Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks last week?

Today they accidentally made me a 'tall' size instead of a grande, so they gave me both for the price of a grande. It's like I got a Venti!

It's the little things in life that make me happy. =)

Yum!

Trying to lose weight, and sometimes need a quick dinner option?

I made Archer Farms Polenta with Chicken Marinara this weekend. It's from Target. I often have looked at these 'meal in a box' options, but find they are often full of calories, fat, and never fill me up.

Color me happy when I made this and was STUFFED after eating one serving. It literally took me about ten minutes to make, was delicious, and it felt like a meal I would order at a restaurant.

I may buy this and make it for a dinner party!

Delightful

Here are some 'delightful' moments of my today...

1) It finally started raining. I love waking up slowly when it's raining outside. there's something peaceful in that.

2) Bagelfuls. I just ate one. Great work breakfast food invention.

3) Our new coffee/cappuccino machine. We just bought it after the one we purchased last year went ka-put. Just say no to Cooks! DeLonghi's the way to go! I'm currently drinking a peppermint mocha with soy milk.

4) Not having pain in my stomach right now. I'm beginning to suspect that my mother passed her lactose intollerance to me. It's unfortunate, really, because I love cereal with milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. I'm still going to eat the ice cream, yogurt and cheese, but try to cut out regular milk and replace it with soy. We'll see how this continues.

God Loves Me

Shortly after my first post of the day, I heaved a deep sigh because I had made myself a cup of coffee from our pot. I drank the lukewarm liquid, and realized it was strong Folgers. That means we've run out of the good stuff and are now brewing ground coffee we keep on hand for events.

I walked over to Starbucks to buy some Sumatra beans...and was THRILLED to see the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back! I was so excited, that the manager gave me a free grande sized one. I told him that he'd totally made my day!

I always say it pays to be nice to people. I'm always nice to the staff in there, and make sure to tell the manager when his employees go above and beyond...and give him tips on when we have large groups or events happening on our campus so he can schedule accordingly. =)

It jumped out at me

This morning felt like a week.

I woke up really tired, because I stayed up until 1 am watching the first hour of 90210 (it was delayed due to a Cubs game that went into extra innings.) My head hurt, and my fall allergies kicked into high gear bc the barometric pressure and humidity are off the charts right now due to going a long time without rain. We're supposed to get thunderstorms today.

I had a meeting with two people at 10 am at a restaurant at Western and Division. I thought it was at Western and Diversey. Diversey is one of those spoke/angled streets, and I have yet to accurately read those signs and almost never turn on the correct street at a spoke (where three streets at varying angles intersect.)

I got horribly turned around, and pulled onto a side street to turn back the other direction. In backing into an alley, I ran into a light pole and dented the back bumper of a work car. I proceeded to turn the wrong way down to more spoke/angled intersections, and finally called my boss for some directional help as I was so turned around I wasn't sure which way was east.

As I arrived at the restaurant, my friend called. I had texted him, asking him to call me because I needed some help with my directions. He proceeded to tell me that I need to invest in a GPS because 'you get lost too often.' SO not true!!! lol

Ohhh....geeezzzz....it's one of those days.

**P.S. Thank you, Nichole! It did get better - see my Starbucks post. Also, due to getting lost and hitting the pole, I was 45 minutes late to my meeting. Thankfully it was with people who love me, and they bought my breakfast at this hot little spot called Nellies.

A Rosie Medley

She's so fun! I love that little girl!

A special prize to anyone who can guess the song she's singing. =) I'd never heard her belt this one out before.

The Botanical Gardens with The S'Moores

I went to the Chicago Botanical Gardens with Amy and Joe today. Apparently our friend Amber calls them the S'Moores, and I loved it.

Here are some photos...

Labor Day Weekend With Bree

My friend Bree moved away in the beginning of the summer, and she came to visit for a long weekend. It has been fun. We've hung out around the fire, eaten pizza, and tonight is dollar burgers! Let's just say that giggles have abounded.
Lol. We were giggly, and we're referring to the photo above, where Bree said she felt like she was pulling her shirt down. =)

Weekend Recap

This weekend was fun, frustrating, a mix of all things in a woman's world.

I read James Patterson's Lifeguard in about two days. Loved it. Robert Ludlum is next.

I spent a couple of hours at the gym, which was much needed after my Oreo cookie/bahama mama binge from earlier this week.

Saturday I had Rosie for a couple of hours. I was already at her house when her dad and she came home from an outing. She usually naps in the late afternoon, and was so tired she threw a knock-down dragout over something we never did figure out the moment she and her dad walked in the door. I successfully distracted her and got her engaged in painting so her dad could get ready to go. Later on, she was watching a Barney video, so I laid down on their couch with my book. A few minutes later, Rosie climbs on top of me, lays down with her head on my chest, and fell asleep for about a half hour. That was such a sweet half hour. I love that little girl, and enjoyed those moments.

Sunday I went to early service at my church (I never make it to early service) then went to Starbucks for what's becoming my Sunday paper tradition...clipping coupons, reading the paper, then leaving my coupon leftovers and my paper for another person to enjoy in the paper bin by the comfy chairs.

Then I went to my 'friend's' house and hung out with him outside while his kids played with others in the neighborhood. It was such a perfect day outside. Fall is on its way, it was cooler than its been, and the sky was clear. I had a blast playing with the kids. I brought bubbles over, gave them a balloon and taught them to blow it up then stretch the lip of it while the air comes out, and coordinated bike races for the kids in the neighborhood. Our speed designations included: fast, super fast, and super duper fast. You were deemed super duper fast if you could keep biking over the big crack in the sidewalk without it slowing you down.

I'm not sure why, but I was exhausted when I got home last night. I found myself falling asleep while watching television. I turned it off and was asleep by 11 pm.

Ahhh....a blissful weekend.

It's been awhile...

I realized what a blogging slacker I've been of late! I've been really busy.

We have new students on campus this week, and classes start next week. I've had a gagillion meetings related to the start of school, as well as for some new departments on campus. I'm also working my tail off on an event we have scheduled for Sept. 6.

I also have a new "friend." He's fun, and we giggle like teenagers and have such a good time. I'm excited to hang out with him this weekend. He's h-o-t, and a homeowner. Those of you who are familiar with the housing market in Chicago understand this is a huge feat in the city. Owning a condo or a townhouse is going to put you out $300,000 to $600,000 for a one bedroom, but a house is something else altogether. Most folks rent. (Read: Alison rents.) =) He also is renovating/decorating it, himself, and he has great taste.

I finally finished Dan Brown's Deception Point. Not my favorite Dan Brown book, but it was still good. I read James Patterson's Honeymoon in one day, and am thinking about reading a Robert Ludlum next (author of Bourne Identity books.) We shall see. I'm clearly in the mood for thrillers these days.

Menu Planning

My only menu planning for this week was to not order out lunch every day. I think I need to put a one-day limit. That way I feel like I can still order out or go out to lunch when I want to, but not excessively.

At any rate, I went to Trader Joe's and bought some yummy stuff. I want to recommend the asparagus risotto and the basil pesto chicken and turkey brats. SOOO yummy! So inexpensive!!!!

I also bought a bag of pink lady apples. They are my FAVORITE and they are in season. Hooray!!!!

Pool Party

Her parents are so resourceful. =) Last Sat when I went over to babysit, I saw this in their yard and burst out laughing. It was a smart idea, though, and R loved it! Her mom sent me this picture this week.

To-Do List for the Weekend

I feel I have gotten too lazy during my time off. I often have all these big to-do lists for weekends or evenings, and don't do them. I thought that publicly declaring my list of to-dos might prompt some of you to ask how much I accomplished.

1) Finish sewing bag. (I designed it and cut out the pattern!)
2) Create pattern for top I sketched, cut out fabric and have it half completed by Monday.
3) Spend a couple hours in office to complete: 2 publicity emails, new job description and my consulting piece. Done - one publicity email.
4) Go to first book club meeting!! (Just finished 'A Brave New World' by Alfred Houxley) Done
5) Exercise both Saturday and Sunday. Done
6) Grocery store for the items I need to make recipes for week. DONE
7) Beach time with a book and a dip. See #5 - perhaps I can combine it all in one. =)
8) Meet with the youth pastor at my church to see about joining ministry team.Done

Nashville Star

I love that Melissa Lawson won Nashville Star! She was by far the most musically talented, but I thought she would have a hard time, given that she is not 22 and isn't a size 6. She was in the bottom two the first couple of weeks of competition.

She's gorgeous, she's got a beautiful family, and she's lost over 70lbs in the last five months. My favorite part was when Jon Rich told her he couldn't take his eyes off her because she's so hot. =)

Free Tuesdays

The Contemporary Art Museum has free Tuesday admission during the summer, followed by live jazz on their terrace.

I went this week with my roommate, Chantel. It was interesting.

I totally felt like I was in that scene of 'Along Came Polly' where Ben Stiller and Phillip Seymour Hoffman go to the art exhibit with the bizarre sculptures. The layout of the galleries were similar, as were some of the exhibits.

There were giant balloon art animals, several instances of vaccuums mounted on the wall or inside plexiglass boxes, and an extremely graphic pornographic section of photos that were blown up to huge proportions. Chantel actually yelled an exclamation when we walked into that exhibit gallery. There were also several pieces of sculpture that consisted of blown up pool toys (think the baby rings or plastic blowup animals that kids sit on in the pool) stuck in ladders or tied to string and hanging from the ceiling. My personal favorite was a small, dark room with speakers inside that were shouting voice-altered recordings in such a way that you couldn't understand what they were saying. I almost burst out laughing when we left the room.

Let's just say I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to art. There were a couple of exhibits I really liked: Leon Golub and Alexander Calder. Calder's sculptures were colorful and something I would have in my house. Golub's art is a political commentary which I found intriguing and important, and his style is impressionistic (my favorite.) Most important, Golub's work evoked an emotional resopnse in me.

My Little Charge

Some new photos that her mom sent. I LOVE her big, huge smile! That's my little R...always happy and smiling.

A Toast at Amy & Joe's Cyber Reception

To make sure credit is given, this cyber-reception is Nichole's doing. =)

My Toast...

I have been thinking on how I would toast Amy and Joe's wedding. Every time I've thought about you two, today, I get an emotional smile. I'm so proud of you both for doing this your way, in your time.

Amy and I go waaaay back. There have been lots of sleepovers, pool june bug incidents, and phone calls while watching competitive eating contests. We've seen each other through family illnesses, tragedies, boys, and lots of laughs. (Ahem-M C.)

Amy and I have watched a lot of our friends get married over the years. We've remained the 'single girls' who tend to understand or feel things differently than our married friends and have spent many an hour on the phone, lamenting about it. I remember a time when Amy didn't think she'd ever get married. I always knew she would.

I'm honored that I get to be a part of such an amazing person's life. I'm so grateful, Amy, that you turned around in the water fountain line in 3rd grade and asked me to come to your birthday party. My life's never been the same.

I've never been happier for someone on their wedding day than I am for you and Joe. You deserve this man, this love, this life together that you're embarking on. I feel like the timing was absolutely perfect for you both: God knew what he was doing when he allowed the past 10+ years' history to happen to you both. He allowed you to meet at the right time to help complete each other and become 'one.'

I love you, princess! You'll always be another sister to me.

Raise your glasses and join me in a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Joe M!

A Dance in Amy and Joe's Honor

Female Super Bowl

I forgot that the Chicago Force (women's professional football) play on the campus where I work. I also forgot that they play in the summer time. For three years, I've tried to make it to some games, and always forget until it's the end of the season.

Last night Maegen, Chantel and I went out to dinner, and on the way home we saw a packed out stadium, with a couple dozen folks standing on the sidewalk outside the packed out stadium. We were able to walk in, because the game had just started in overtime. It was the championship match between Chicago Force and Dallas Diamonds. We only got to watch about ten minutes before the Diamonds scored and won the game.

SO fun!!! Next season I want to buy season tickets! Chantel thinks she wants to try out. =)

I Heart Chicago in the Summer

One of my favorite things about living in the city is the lake. I'm almost exactly three miles from the lake, although it takes about 15-30 minutes to get there, depending on traffic.

I love going, and swimming, in the lake. (I know, I know...this flies in the face of 'the flying fish story' but I've come to love swimming in the lake and ocean.)

Last night Chantel and I went, and it was so peaceful. My intention was to actually swim for exercise, but couldn't because the water was too choppy. There were huge, crashing waves, the water was warm, and the sunset on the skyline was gorgeous. It made me think about Seal Beach, although the current wasn't nearly as strong. I spent some good reflective time, riding the waves and praying about some stuff. It was awesome.

If I didn't have a work meeting tonight on the south side, I'd go tonight as well.

Rock n Roll Stepper

I like it.

It's like a step machine, elliptical and lunges all wrapped in one. The fact that I despise all three of those things with a passion makes it ironic that I like this machine. I could only do 12 minutes before my legs became jelly, however. I felt like I had just done a gagillion lunged with a trainer. This morning I had trouble coming up the stairs at my office. ;)

I will work it up to 45 to an hour!!!!

Impulse Buy

I purchased the Tony Little Rock n Roll Stepper last week. I'm a sucker for a couple things:
1) Impulse buys at HSN or the checkout counter
2) Workout equipment I can use in my home when I don't feel like going to the gym (which is the rut I am currently in)
3) Workout equipment I can use in my room, in my limited, almost non-existent space. =)

I'll let you know how it goes.

Beach Reads

If you haven't checked out Cathy Kelly, I highly recommend you do so. I picked up her book "Always and Forever," thinking it would be a good beach read. I have since realized that it is listed as a #1 International Bestseller.

I had to read it to believe the hype. My two cents is that I can't put this book down. Think writing somewhat on par with "Sex and the City." LOVE IT! It's a good book to take your mind off things. I fully intend to read her other books.

I think I picked this up at the second hand store The Brown Elephant, which is one of my favorite places to shop for books. The books are $.50 for paperbacks, $1 for hardbacks. Every once in awhile they get overstocked with books and will have a sale. I recently bought ten books for a grand total of $3.82. There are great finds in there!

A busy weekend

It's going to be a busy, but fun, weekend.

Tonight I'm going to lake with Chantel. It's so hot and humid right now - I'm totally looking forward to it.

Tomorrow morning I have a wedding of a young lady that I'm SO excited is moving back to Chicago! Read her story - she's an absolutely incredible human being who has lived more in her 31 short years than most of us live in a lifetime.

I'm going to the wedding with my friend Jennifer, whom I adore. We don't get to hang out too often due to our crazy schedules. Tomorrow night I'm picking up a good friend from the airport and having dinner.

Sunday is Girl About Town day!!!

Saving Money, Part Deux

So excited after a coupons shopping spree at Costco last night. While I dropped $150, I have enough supplies to last me at least six weeks to two months, minus a couple of fresh things. I did some super-planning, and bought some fresh veggies in bulk that I used a lot in cooking and am preparing them for my freezer. (E.g. peppers - cutting them up and putting them in freezer bags to remove the amount I need for cooking.)

I also ended up with about seventeen thousand bottles of Starbucks Frappucinno and Diet Coke. Costco + coupons + freezer space = lots of savings!

I'm that geek who is going to calculate how much I saved at the end of my first two months. =)

Saving Money

I've had to do some hard 'restructuring' of my lifestyle in order to pay off debt and make do with these higher grocery and gas prices.

I've tried the hardcore 'only one Starbucks iced coffee and eat out once this week' and then I've found myself completely blowing it because I'm annoyed/deprived. Here's what I've decided: I have to find a nice middle ground. My latest middle ground? Buying a small freezer so that I can buy good stuff I want to eat from Costco for much cheaper. In addition, I've discovered that I love the bottled frappuccinos and double shots from Starbucks. You can buy them in bulk for around $1 a bottle/can at Costco. That's still an expensive beverage, but it's a lot cheaper than the $3-5 I'll spend at the actual coffee shop. Go me!

Did I just have a 'Works for Me' Tuesday?

Welcome to Chicago, Amy!

One of my oldest and dearest friends from Missouri, Amy, is moving to Chicago this weekend. I can't wait for move-in day! I will be giddily jumping around, thinking 'this isn't a visit! She's here ALL THE TIME!' This is my first friend from back home who has moved to Chicago. The timing is perfect, too. Two of my closest friends in Chicago moved or are moving away this summer. =( (I miss you Bree-Bree!)

Amy and her fiance, Joe, will soon be leaving for Jamaica, to GET MARRIED! Congrats, Amy!!!

Heart of the Game

I watched this documentary tonight. It was so good.

I was furious at the WIAA for trying to deny Darniella the right to play her fourth year after she had her baby. FURIOUS! I was especially upset at the sound bite from a radio talk show with all those people saying how she deserved consequences for becoming pregnant in high school, and how she's such a bad role model.

Allow me to get on my soap box for a minute. My opinion is that no child of God's is a mistake. Perhaps she made a mistake in getting pregnant so young, but both she and her child were lovingly created in the image of God. Getting pregnant as a teenager out of wedlock does not a bad or unworthy person make. She deserved the same rights as all the other students. (The movie makes the point that boys don't have to suffer these consequences because they don't carry the baby, and this is what ultimately wins their case in court.)

As for her being a bad role model, all signs pointed to what a great role model she is to other young mothers. After she gave birth, her grades increased. She ended up graduating with honors. She finished school, played incredible basketball, fought an unjust system, was a part of a very supportive and loving family system (including the baby's father's family) and a good mother. I say that's an incredible role model.



Great documentary. NEtflix it!

The Great BBQ

I love food from the grill. My problem is that I hate feeling like I 'wasted' charcoal by only grilling one or two pieces of meat. I've learned by trial and error that only burning 'enough' charcoal for one or two pieces of meat results in meat that doesn't cook...and then I end up having to light more charcoal.

So...that results in my 'turbo cooking' when I have the grill fired up. Tonight I made two buffalo rib steaks (I was expecting small rib sections, but it's actual steak on a rib bone - yum!) two pork chops and some shrimp.

I'm quite proud of my grilled shrimp. I put three tabs of butter in an aluminum foil 'bowl' that i make by folding up the sides of hefty aluminum foil, chop some green pepper and onion, throw in chopped garlic, the shrimp, some lemon juice, and put it on the grill. I wait until the butter is bubbling and the shrimp are nice and hot. YUM! Then I throw some shredded asiago or parmesan cheese on it. MMMM.

I won't have to cook anything except veggies for the rest of the week! I ate my shrimp and part of a pork chop for dinner tonight.

Grand Canyon

Another adult on the trip, Beth, took beautiful photos. I will post some of hers when I get them...her sunset photos were beautiful.

We camped at the Grand Canyon, so there are also some fun photos of the kids. =) I so enjoyed my time with them!

Great Sand Dunes National Park

I had never been here before. Have you? SO worth it!

Colorado has the largest sand dunes in North America, and they were on our way to Alamosa, where we spent the week with Youth Works on a mission trip. I was having pretty significant altitude sickness by this day, so I spent the majority of the time in the van resting while the kids went nuts on the sand dunes!

By the way...for those of you wondering how I came about on this trip...
I was with a church from Glendora, CA. My friend Josh used to be a youth pastor in Chicago that I volunteered with for several years before he moved back to CA. He's always asked me to go on his group's trips since moving away, but I finally went. I flew out to California the day before we left to drive to CO. We camped for two nights on the way, saw the dunes, did white water rafting and went on to Alamosa. After we were finished, we drove to the Grand Canyon for a couple days, and saw the Four Corners on our way home to California. I had such a great time!

I love these guys!!!

Here are various photos of the youth I was on the trip with...















The pig-tailed beauty you see here is Beth. I just met her, and she's already in my top five favorite people! I love it when you meet fun folks like that!!