We're invited to a picnic!

Wooohooo! I love potlucks, picnics & bbq's...I've just never been to a virtual one before!!! lol

Here's the deal...Shaye at Smarter than Pancakes is holding a blog event for her birthday because...well, because she can!! ^.~

Here's the invite...

You'll find the deets at her invite post.

Ok...for this we need to bring a dish, drink, etc. Here's mine:

MY TIA'S PASTA SALAD!!!

No worries, people...I actually made it myself...this time!
Although normally...I would just beg my tia to make it for me! lol
However, in keeping with the event, I actually made it myself...with my very own short cuts!!! ^__^

Normally, the ingredients are as follows:
1 large bag, or 2 small bags, of rotini (cork screw) pasta, cooked al dente
1 head of broccoli florets, cut or break apart the florets into bite-size pieces
2-3 tomatoes, we usually use roma tomatoes, diced
1 med can of sliced black olives
1 small bag of shredded carrots
1 6-oz. tub, or 4-5 large, white mushrooms, diced
1 24-oz. Italian dressing, we use Wishbone

This is pretty simple to put together, as I found out today. My thing is that I usually overcook the pasta...but today I got it!
...and my auntie didn't even need to remind me! lol

1. Cook the pasta to al dente: My aunt told me to bring the water to boil first, then add salt to flavor the pasta. Bring to a boil again, then add the pasta and cook for about 8-10 minutes.

2. Prep the veggies while pasta cooking is going on, as described above.

3. Drain and cool the pasta.

4. Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl.

5. Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing onto the ingredients, and toss.

6. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This finishes cooling off the pasta, and allows the dressing to be absored into all the little corkscrew crannies!!

Very tasty...and I'm not even particularly fond of dressing, but I eat this!!!

Tips, and family peculiarities...
Not everyone likes mushrooms, so we keep them separate in an airtight container and set them beside the pasta bowl. That way everyone can decide if they wish to toss some into their salad.

Also, my short cut today was that I didn't have all the ingredients, such as the mushrooms and individual carrots & broccoli! I had on hand a bag of California Slaw...which is a broccoli slaw with the florets in it. Love it!!
Oh...the slaw had red cabbage in it...I like the color, so I think I'll be adding that to the list of ingredients!

Also, since this is made sans mayo, it's relatively safe to keep out on the picnic table for a while...barring ants & other critters!!

Bon appetit!!

The Library Thing's "Popular Books" meme

Hey everyone...found this at Christine's blog....which is where I find most things lately! lol Of course, she found this at ....so on, and so forth...

I filled this out just to compare, but do not agree with the list completely. One of my lj friends has a different list. At some point, I will work on that one as well, and compare that list to this one...if I'm ever up to it! lol

Books in RED are those that I've read at some time in my life.
Books in BLUE-GREEN are those that actually sit on my bookshelf, yet are unread by me.
Books in PURPLE are those that appeal to me and I hope to read in the not too distant future.
Books in YELLOW are those I can not remember if I've read them or watched the movie of them. Wha? O.O ...seriously, I have no recollection of that incident, ma'am! lmao

1. Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone by J.K. Rowling (32,484)
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) by J.K. Rowling (29,939)
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) by J.K. Rowling (28,728)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J.K. Rowling (27,926)
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J.K. Rowling (27,643)
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J.K. Rowling (27,641)
7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (23,266)
8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (21,325)
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling (20,485)
10. 1984 by George Orwell (19,735)
11. Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics) by Jane Austen (19,583)
12. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (19,082)
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (17,586)
14. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (16,210)
15. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (15,483)
16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (14,566)
17. Jane Eyre (Penguin Classics) by Charlotte Bronte (14,449)
18. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (13,946)
19. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (13,272)
20. Animal Farm by George Orwell (13,091)
21. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (13,089)
22. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (13,005)
23. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (12,777)
24. One Hundred Years of Solitude (Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (12,634)
25. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien (12,276)
26. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (12,147)
27. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (11,976)
28. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Part 2) by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,512)
29. The Odyssey by Homer (11,483)
30. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (11,392)
31. Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut (11,360)
32. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (11,257)
33. The Return of the King : Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,082)
34. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (10,979)
35. American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman (10,823)
36. The chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (10,603)
37. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (10,537)
38. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (10,435)
39. The Lovely Bones: A Novel by Alice Sebold (10,125)
40. Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1) by Orson Scott Card (10,092)
41. The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman (9,827)
42. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman (9,745)
43. Dune by Frank Herbert (9,671)
44. Emma by Jane Austen (9,610)
45. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (9,598)
46. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) by Mark Twain (9,593)
47. Anna Karenina (Oprah's Book Club) by Leo Tolstoy (9,433)
48. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (9,413)
49. Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (9,343)
50. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (9,336)
51. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (9,274)
52. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (9,246)
53. The Iliad by Homer (9,153)
54. The Stranger by Albert Camus (9,084)
55. Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (9,080)
56. Great Expectations (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (9,027)
57. The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel by Margaret Atwood (8,960)
58. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (8,904)
59. Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt (8,813)
60. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery (8,764)
61. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (8,421)
62. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (8,417)
63. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (8,368)
64. The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition) by John Steinbeck (8,255)
65. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (8,214)
66. The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (8,191)
67. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (8,169)
68. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (8,129)
69. The Complete Works by William Shakespeare (8,096) [The complete works? No. But I have read A Mid-Summer's Night Dream...which I loved, Romeo & Juliette, Julius Ceasar, MacBeth, & Hamlet.]
70. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (7,843)
71. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (7,834)
72. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (7,829)
73. Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare (7,808)
74. Of Mice and Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck (7,807)
75. A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (7,793)
76. The Alchemist (Plus) by Paulo Coelho (7,710)
77. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (7,648)
78. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)(Barnes & Noble Classics) by Oscar Wilde (7,598)
79. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk (7,569)
80. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (7,557)
81. The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) by Philip Pullman (7,534)
82. Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan (7,530)
83. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (7,512)
84. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (7,436)
85. Dracula by Bram Stoker (7,238)
86. Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions) by Joseph Conrad (7,153)
87. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (7,055)
88. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (7,052)
89. The amber spyglass by Philip Pullman (7,043)
90. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Penguin Classics) by James Joyce (6,933)
91. The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Milan Kundera (6,901)
92. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (6,899)
93. Neuromancer by William Gibson (6,890)
94. The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Classics) by Geoffrey Chaucer (6,868)
95. Persuasion (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (6,862)
96. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (6,841)
97. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (6,794)
98. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt (6,715)
99. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (6,708)
100. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (6,697)

Stats:
Read: 29
Shelf: 6
Want: 19
Movie: 2...lol

So...how about you? How many have you read???

Happy Independence Day!!!

Well, not actually doing much today as I just got off 2 days of 12-hr shifts & return tomorrow for another 2 days of 12's. Need to rest.

Got up a little early and just poked around, made some papas and eggs. Lazed around some more. Went to the grocery and picked up some baby back ribs...mmmmm.

That's what I'm making right now, with corn on the cob & some nice french mixed waxed beans, green beans, & baby carrots. May pop some potatoes into the microwave, not sure. Will add the bbq after awhile....when my auntie says it's ok! lol

I'm so not a cook! I must have a recipe...and even then it's not a sure thing. I just can't seem to multitask in the kitchen!!!

Give me various patient's with multiple conditions, injuries, meds, dressing changes, tests, and all manner of things to coordinate ...and I'm good to go.

...but get me in the friggin' kitchen to cook food and I'm a MESS!!!
LMAO

Anyway...watching Celebrando el 4th de Julio con Christina. They just had a section with Wisin y Yandel, along with Gloria Estefan & David Bisbal doing their songs with them. Very good section!! Not watching right now as they are showing Enrique Iglesias...not a fave.

Anyway, here are the links to my box.net for a 2 of the 3 songs they sang.
No Llores by Gloria, W & Y
Torre de Babel by David, W & Y

The other song was Sexy Movimiento which for some reason can't find in my music list. Sorry.

Lastly, we had a baby shower potluck yesterday at work...lots of yummy food! Rotisserie chicken, steamed rolls (like egg roll), crispy asian cabbage salad, potato salad, mexican/spanish rice, candies, soda, fruit, veggie tray, and best of all a pot roast!!
OMG! it was so good...I asked my boss for the recipe! I apparently was the only brave one to do so...then, everyone wanted copies!! lmao

My Boss' Spicy Pot Roast (which isn't spicy hot...lol)
2-3 lbs beef pot roast (I used a chuck roast)
Salt and Pepper
3/4-oz packet Brown Gravy mix (I used McCormick brand)
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp garlic
1 cup water

1. Salt & pepper meat and place in slow cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meat.
3. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, or on high 4-5 hrs.

She arrived and set to cook between 7-8 am and it was ready by 1230!
Was very tender, and had a great mix of flavor...but then I like the gravy-salty-worcestershire/soy-saucey flavors!!!

I'm not a chef, and my palate is pretty simple...so not so good with the description!

I'm gonna give this a try...seems simple enough...not too much multitasking involved.
Right?
mmmhhhhm.

originally posted at my lj...except i added a pic! lol

I claim illness...

Ok...was talking to my auntie and all of a sudden noticed a pile o books I purchased TWO WEEKENDS AGO!!!

*facepalm* I'd Gibbs slap myself but i already have a headache in the works!

So, I've been fighting these non-existant allergies/non-cold symptoms for almost 2 weeks now. Well, I was tired of being cooped up in the house, so I went to Wally world with my auntie because she needed to buy something or other. I proceded to the book aisle and did not pass go.

Here are my purchases:

This is sooo funny in a ditzy way because my friend DarlingDiva asked me just last night whether I had read Gena Showalters' books yet!

I was all, "No, but I saw a big poster @ Central Plaza for the series and want to read them..." ...or something to that affect.
*eyeroll*

Hello!!! I alread bought a couple of them! I think someone else asked me about the books! And Christine has been raving about Sugar Daddy for weeks...and I was like "I still need to buy it!"

Yeesh! And how the hell do I FORGET THAT I BOUGHT ODDIE???!!!

In HARDBACK! o.o

LMAO...I was discussing books with a patient just last Friday because he's a Dean Koontz fan. Again..."I need to buy Odd Hours." blahblahblah

What a yutz.

originally posted at my lj

Book Nearest You meme...

Hey there, everyone!
The whole...two...peeps I know...here on blogger.
O.O

lolz

I've been tagged by Christine at The Happily Ever After... with the following meme:


Open the book nearest to you and open to page 123. Then post the 5th sentence. Very simple.

"Is it odd that it bugs me that we don't have to do anything with the number 4?" ...per Christine...'cuz she a lil crazy like that... O.O

So...C seemed to have a prob with leaving out the #4 and posted 2 lines, which I assume are the 4th & 5th sentence on page 123. Therefore, I shall do the same as she is the one who tagged me...
^__^


Here goes:
The closest book to me right now is...a friggin' stack of 'em!
But I will take the top one off... DARKLING! by Yasmine Galenorn.

Page 123...4th & 5th sentences...full sentences, per me:

"If I have to stake myself before letting that happen, I'll willingly do it."

"What say we stake Dredge instead?"

*claps* WOOT!! Good scene between Menolly and Roz!!! Love it!
Darkling is the 3rd novel in The Otherworld Series. I happen to love this series. The 4th book, Dragon Wytch, is due out on the shelves July 1st!!!


Wooohhhoo! Can't wait...so wanna Smokey!!!

So...I know like...two people here...Nancy & Christine. hmmm...and I'm guessing we can't pick the same people. So...I shall steal borrow some of C's commenters. lol...and I'll also pick a few from LiveJournal.
ooo...I lied...I know a couple more people!! ^.^

Consider yourself tagged:
Bebe @ blogger: My Life in a Nutshell

Katie(babs) @ blogger: Ramblings on Romance, etc.

:Candice: @ blogger/myspace: Shh! I'm Trying to Read

blodeuedd83 @ lj/myspace: At the court of Mur-y-Castell

dark_x_huntress @ lj: Things People Say

Because Christine did....

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

...Based on a True Story!!! WTH! o.O

Round Deux:

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

*facepalm* I so suck.

Let's try my icon lj name...

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Now that...that has some promise... G.I. Jane has one of my fave quotes...*points to header*

Giggles for my girls...especially you, DarlingDiva!

Why Women Lie...

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled out a golden thimble set with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes."



The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.



Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water.

When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney.

"Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes!" cried the seamstress.


The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"




The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt!


Then if I said 'no' to him, You would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' You would have given me all three.





Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands!
So THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney."






And so the Lord let her keep him.


The moral of this story is:
Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others.

That's our story.

...and we're sticking to it.

Signed,
All Us Women, Amen.

My 0715 wake up call this am....

...was an EARTHQUAKE!


It's quite disorienting to wake up to the sound of a very loud train coming at you...especially since I live about 4 blocks from one...and NEVER sounds that loud!!! Then of course the shaking hit.

Wasn't bad...just took me by surprise...which it shouldn't have as it was bound to happen with this extreme change in weather.
Anywho...all is well. No damages reported that I know of.

So, called my auntie & brothers...got most of them. Then called my moms...as she freaks, panics when she sees the news...then starts to frantically try and get ahold of us. Thought I'd head her off at the pass today as I am home.
She was thankful...especially since they just got back to Wyoming last night after just having been here visiting! Thank God for this...I don't think my stepdad or stepbrother could have handled it! O.O



Then I sat to watch the telly for a bit...and wonderfully came across DUNE!!! One of my all time faves!!! It was the one with Kyle MacLachlin, made back in 1984. I think we had just gotten cable back in 1985...must have been in the summer between junior high & high school. I remember driving my moms caahrazy...I watched at least 2 times a day, every day HBO aired it....ALL summer long! lmao




I had such a crush on Kyle MacLachlin back then! I so loved that movie!! This may have been my first sci-fi movie that I really enjoyed.






Also, I thought Virginia Madsen's character was so very pretty. I believe she narrates the movie. Most of all...I fell in love with her name.

Irulan.

I have NO idea why...I still love that name. If I should ever have a girl child, I would seriously consider naming her Irulan.

Is that odd? or an odd name...like...mean to give a child, so that she's picked on by other children? hhhmmm....my nickname would be Iri, pronounced eerie. heh. I so like that.

Ok...so I'm a bit odd. meh.

I leave you with this...


screencap of Dune intro found here

originally posted at my lj

Phury Phiend Phollies...

And I so scored!!!

My purchases:
Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward *bounces*
Damien by Jacquelyn Frank *drools*

and Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series:
Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Caressed by Ice
Mine to Possess



I could not find Doc Jess' book...well because I could not remember her friggin' name!!! gggaaahh! Then I couldn't remember the dayum title...Night something or other...Nightkeepers maybe? Or is that the name of the series...argh!

I went through every book of the romance section hoping to find a Jessica something with a cover I recognized... O.O

By the time I realized I needed serious help...it was time for check out. *sigh*

Besides...I think the B&N dude wasn't feeling my...OMG I CAN'T FIND PHURY...moment...
*snickers*

Weeelll....damn...it wasn't with the other BDB...wasn't in the 2 new books racks, which the B&N guy could not find EITHER...what the heck is a girl to do, I ask you???

...FREAK!!! THAT'S WHAT!

He finally found them at the FRONT OF THE STORE! on the backside of a display....*facepalm*

All is well, I have Phury. He will accompany to my CT tomorrow. I will take him into the room tomorrow...even if I can't read him, I will at least get to hang on to him while in the blasted chamber!!

*sigh* I don't like these tests much...Never had a CT but I imagine the chamber can't be that different from an MRI, which I've had a couple of...1 of my right knee and 1 of my head...yeah that was special!! O.O

Thank God I'm not particularly claustrophobic or I'd have some serious probs tomorrow.

*deep yoga breath*
*lets out the air slowly* sss'all goood...I got Phury...
I'm gonna be just fine!

Also...I keep finding books in series I want to read...but they're like the 3rd or 4th dang book...*hrumph*

I suppose that is good as the TBR pile in now beginning to topple!
^__^

Ok...need to get ready for bed as I must be up early to get to my test by 0800.

Oh! btw...I bought a new book mark!!! See it there at the bottom of the books? It says "believe"....I bought it to remember Criss Angel's Believe with Cirque du Soleil is coming soon!!

It is to remind me that I want to go....which means that I need to save $$$!!

...so maybe I shouldn't have bought all those boo....nah!!! lol

p.s. Shooot! I forgot to look for The Host by Stephanie Meyer!
*headdesk*
orginally posted at my livejournal

Ka by Cirque du Soleil

"KÀ tells the vibrant, epic saga of separated twin heirs — a boy and a girl — who embark on a perilous journey to fulfil their linked destinies..."


I was so excited to see Ka by Cirque du Soleil!!!

It was my first Cirque show ever...and I was just in awe of them! The performances, the stage, lighting, sound...everything!!

There was no actual "stage"...it was moving platforms & props. The battle scene was FREAKING AWESOME! It was totally VERTICAL! When the perfomers stepped on the vertical platform, it looked like they were stepping on water because the lights cause a ripple effect...so very cool! And the sound...lmao! At the very beginning...I was like...oooo...what was that! So very detailed...so much going on. I turned my head at one point...and then I realized the SEATS had speakers IN them!!! Talk about surround sound! Wow.

So give it a rating!

I've always wanted to go to a show when I was in Las Vegas, but didn't because I had no one to go with! Well, this year I went with my aunts and cousin to Vegas again. I went off exploring by myself again and ended up at the Bellagio's Cirque store where I was listening to the soundtraks. I fell in love with the music, most especially Ka's soundtrak!

I bought it!!! ^__^ Here's the link to my box.net: KA Soundtrak

Unfortunately, the links to the songs are not allowing the option to just play the songs...you must download them to hear them. Well worth the time to do so...imho! lol

Here's a link to the MGM Grand's Ka page. It has a small commercial clip for the show...which is wonderful in it's self, but the show... O.O

Photos were not allowed in the theater. So no pics of the inside of the theater for me!! lol But I did take a couple of pics outside the theater and of a couple of the poster out in the MGM.

disclaimer: I only have a camera on my cell...so pic quality is not so hot. *blushes*

Ticket office where I happily handed over $160+ for my dead center, 4th row seat! *grins like a mad woman*


Cirque store for Ka at the MGM Grand...each hotel that had a Cirque show has it's own store dedicated to that particular show's merchandise.


Just as you walk in you see the wall of the theater which is made of wood and looks like the hull of a ship. Where you see that purplish light is the bar/snack shop.


Posters out in the MGM.






I realize that the money I spent was quite a bit. I could have paid off a bill or something very wise like that....but "What happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas"!

O.O ...like my money!!! lmao

However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Besides...I used my "Economic Stimulus" money to pay for the show!!! ^__^

Now that I've been to a Cirque show....I want to see Criss Angel's Believe even more!!! WOOT!!! Vegas here I come again this Fall!!!




I've been wanting to go to see this show this Fall...perhaps not to it's premier...but definitely want to see it sooner rather than later!!! I'm completely looking forward to it!!

Ok...that is enough for now. I found pics and some vid clips of the show via isearching...may post them for all later.

originally posted at my livejournal

Hope by Strangeling

I'm so buying this!!!

Now to get the dayum printer set up!! *glares at box*

She was created by Strangeling aka Jasmine Becket-Griffith! She partnered with Hamilton Collection for this very special, limited edition statue to benefit Breast Cancer Research.

I just happened by the site by accident tonight while link hopping. I'm so glad I did because I'd love to have it!

I recognized Strangeling's work at her site immediately because of 's userpic, which I love! This led me to look further at her site, and voila!!! Pay dirt!!

I hope I get to order it on time! This will only be offered for a short while and will not be available in any other form according to the site info.

If you'd like to purchase it, here's Strangeling's Order Form. I believe this is the only way you can order it. So if you like...go there now!!!

*prepares to tackle printer*

***p.s. I just tried to find it at the Hamilton Collection site, and it is not available there at this time...no mention of JBG. So, yup...this is the only way to purchase it!!

orginally posted at my lj

Amy's Kitchen

I've found some wonderful blogs, sites, & recipes through some of my searches and following links and reviews at various places, starting usually with Go Dairy Free & their blog.

A wonderful resource for prepared no-dairy foods is a brand called Amy's. I believe the family business goes by Amy's Kitchen. You can see their food products in their Kitchen. I like the drop down menu for selections on allergies that provides a list of the major ones. You can select your allery, and it brings up a list of foods that accomodates that allergy. ssswweet!

Once I saw their site, I had to find where the products. I finally found them at a Clark's Food Market. There was quite a selection there, but, not all of it was vegan/no-dairy. I made 5 selections: Vegetable Pot Pie, Roasted Vegetable Pocket, Vegetable Pocket, Shepherd's Pie, & Roasted Vegetable Pizza.

Shepherd's Pie:

The filling was like a nice vegetable soup. Very tasty. I don't get to eat pot pies and such very much anymore, so it was a nice treat. The potato topper was ok. The mashed potatoes had a texture to them...which I've found is true in many frozen mashed potatoes. So that was not a turn off for me at all...was just nice to have mashed potatoes that I didn't have to make!

I would have liked my potatoes browned. So if I had a toaster oven, I would use it with this dish.


Vegetable Pie in a Pocket Sandwich:

Man...was it nice to have a pocket again! I love Hot Pockets!!
The filling was pretty good. Nice veggies...but I missed the meat. I love chicken and turkey pot pies/pockets. Hmmm...it's been a while since I ate that, but, I think their might have been bits of tofu, which I didn't mind. Not my fave thing in the world, but it'll do in a pinch...and someone actually knows how to cook it!! lol
Also, the dough was...umm...dense, maybe? Definitely not a Hot Pocket type of dough. It was a little more like pizza dough...which isn't a bad thing.

Lastly, a Roasted Vegetable Pie in a Pocket.
I know that it exist...because I ate the same day I had the Veggie pocket at work. However, I can't find it on the Products list.
...but I know that I ate!

O.O no....really! lol

Seriously, I remember biting into it thinking...this isn't what I bought! I thought it said Roast & Vegetable Pie in a Pocket...y'know with MEAT!!!

bah! So tricked me!

Anyway...wasn't too bad...I'm just not a big veggie eater. Also, when it comes to veggies...I like them to flavor my food, especially peppers, not necessarily eat them though! Like fajitas, I love the peppers and onions to flavor my chicken or steak...but I tend to leave the veggies on the plate!

Wha? o.O

*Ouch* Stop making like the V8 commercial!!
*rubs forehead*
^__^

Anyway, I haven't tried the other two items at they need to be put in the oven...and as I said...I'm not a kitchen person.
I'm learning.

Snacks for the Milk Allergy afflicted

Here are a couple of treats I found at Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Ginger Snaps:

These are crunchy little cookies with a nice kick of ginger in them!
You get 5 cookies per serving at 140 calories (50 calories fat).
Ingredients: Gluten free flour, sugar, canola oil, molasses, ginger, soy lecithin, eggs, baking soda, sea salt, natural flavors.

Allergy warning: made on equipment shared with milk, peanuts, & tree nuts.

I can eat these and do not seem to have a problem with them. I like to dunk them in my coffee!

My only problem is...I tried their Triple Ginger Snaps first. Big mistake!!! I liked them better...but they had some sort of milk product in them.

Now...I still buy them...for my aunite who loves them! So wrong!

Here's a review I found at Snack Lounge.


Next up...
Trader Joe's Soy Creamy Mini Chocolate Sandwiches
I have tried a soy vanilla ice cream before, but it was just ok. However, I was craving ice cream. When you haven't had it in so long...ya try ANYTHING! So I gave these a try...figured it would hit 2 cravings at once...ice cream and chocolate.

I have to say, I'm rather surprised! Not too bad. Didn't have a lot of after taste, was chocolatey...chocolate ice cream with a chocolate cookie.

According to Trader Joes, they are listed under their Vegan foods, which means: "Vegan
Products that are free of all animal products and /or by-products, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, gelatin, lanolin, confectioner’s glaze and carmine."

So there. I'm good....except I tend to eat 2 at a time.

Serving size is 1 sandwich at 90 calories (20 calories fat). I couldn't find the ingredient list because I threw away my one and only box. *shrugs* Found the calories at The Daily Plate. No reviews or pics there.

Ok...that's it for now.
Coming soon...Amy's Kitchen stuff

Adventures to a Milk-free world

I'm sure I've mentioned it somewhere before, whether here or at my LJ, that I'm allergic to milk....

No...NOT lactose intolerant.

Allergic.

There is a difference.

I can't take a pill and then eat the offending food that will make me sick otherwise. I still get sick! The effects of the offending milk proteins causes anything from GI symptoms to a full-flegded sinus infection...which has led to bronchitis on a couple of occasions. Last fall, it settled in my chest. I had respiratory problems due to the infection for which they had to give me an inhaler.

Thank God I've never had all out respiratory problems, or *horrors!* anaphalactic shock, due to digesting a milk protein...but the feeling of my sinuses, eyes, throat, tongue, or mouth swelling, itching, or tingling...yeah...not so nice!! O.O

*sigh* I must say...I love milk and milk products, but alas, they do not love me. I realized in my early twenties that I could no longer drink milk or eat ice cream...major GI probs there! ack!!

So, I gradually stopped using milk & ice cream. Although, sometimes I just broke down and had to have a bowl of my fave cereal or ice cream at the A&W!! ugh.
I used to work there as a teen...I even have my personalized mug I received from the boss to this day! What's a girl to do?

I continued to have problems with my sinuses throughout my twenties, and eventually asked my doctor in my lil' town-in-the-middle-of-nowhere, Wyoming to check me for allergies because I kept getting sinus infections and they seemed seasonal. She said I had only a mild allergy to Timothy Grass...wha?

So I continued on...thinkin' there were whacked...but hey, who am I to tell a doc they got it wrong??!!

Fast forward to a few years ago, now in my mid-thirties and living in California, I went to my MD again. After so many sinus problems, he sent me to an ENT and an Allergist...God bless him!!

Still...nothing on my radar but a mild allergy to some grass again...but the allergist checked some food allergies this time!!
Double Blessings to Dr. S!!!

MILK!!! ...and yes, I asked the same thing as you may have.

"What? You mean I'm lactose intolerant? Well, I kinda knew that...I don't drink milk or eat ice cream anymore...well, rarely..."

He explained to me the difference.....I have since been in mourning of cheese. *sniffle*

Honestly, I didn't believe him at first. He had me on that diet where I couldn't eat anything but for a few things...and lots of veggies, no bread...blah! But, I did feel better!

After the milk allergy diagnosis, I went back to eating all my foods but tried to cut out milk products. Daaayyum...but it's hard!! See, a year or two before this...I was diagnosed as a diabetic. I was using cottage cheese, cheeses, yogurt, etc, to help control my diet. *facepalm*

And...I LOVELOVELOVE cheese.



I had such a hard time cutting out cheese from my diet. I was still struggling 6 months after I found out about my allergy, and ended up really sick again...sinus infection, bronchitis, antibiotics, lots of missed work days...it was out of control. So, I realized I had to make a real effort to stop eating the cheeses. *deepdeep sigh*

Nowadays, my struggle is with eating out and reading all of the labels to the food I buy. Oh...and coffee creamers!! I love coffee, but I don't always have soy based cream around, so I use the powdered creamers...they have casein in them...even though they say they're "non-dairy"...they so aren't!!!

So I still have flare ups now and then...and I kick myself for it because I can usually pinpoint the cause. (don't ask me about the pumpkin pie filling) O.O And y'know, there seems to be a buildup effect to it as well...like small doses here and there, but too close together causes more severe reactions.

Oh...and worse...since I stopped taking in milk proteins...my reactions seem worse as well. It's like before there was always something in my body...so my body always had elevated inflammatory response, or something, going on. Now that milk proteins in my diet are to a minimum...if I do eat something...OMG!!!

I get soooo sick...and it's multiple reactions...GI right away, with inflammatory responses to my sinus, etc, to linger on afterwards!

GAH!!! That's just so wrong!

Ok...I'm now babbling, and ranting. So, I'm going to end with the fact that I'm still learning and trying to figure my way around foods that are healthier for me....like vegan and gluten-free foods seems to fall into my "no milk" lifestyle.

Except I eat meat, eggs, dislike most veggies, eat some breads...and...yeah.

Anyway...what started this whole post is that I'm planning to post some of the things I find to eat...bought or made. I'll be posting a couple of them later today hopefully...as for now...I need to get some sleep!

Odd Hours to arrive on shelves soon!

I had to post this....because I ♥ Odd Thomas!!!

ABOUT THIS BOOK
Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas is one of those rare literary heroes who have come alive in readers’ imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is irresistibly drawn onward to a destiny he cannot imagine and to undreamed of places where the perils he will face and the stakes for which he fights will eclipse all that he has known.

The legend began in the obscure little town of Pico Mundo. A fry cook named Odd was rumored to have the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead. Through tragedy and triumph, exhilaration and heartbreak, word of Odd Thomas’s gifts filtered far beyond Pico Mundo, attracting unforgettable new friends—and enemies of implacable evil. With great gifts comes the responsibility to meet great challenges. But no mere human being was ever meant to face the darkness that now stalks the world—not even one as oddly special as Odd Thomas.

After grappling with the very essence of reality itself, after finding the veil that separates him from his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, tantalizingly thin yet impenetrable, Odd longed only to return to a life of quiet anonymity with his two otherworldly sidekicks—his dog Boo and a new companion, one of the few who might rival his old pal Elvis. But a true hero, however humble, must persevere. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems. Now the forces arrayed against him have both official sanction and an infinitely more sinister authority…and in this dark night of the soul dawn will come only after the most shattering revelations of all.

Burnishing Dean Koontz’s stature as a master of suspense and one of our most innovative and gifted storytellers, Odd Hours illuminates a legacy of mystery and hope that will shine on long after the final page.
found at Random House, Inc.

So, anyone out read any of the Odd Thomas books?? Would love to hear your thoughts!

btw...Odd Hours will be released in hardback on 5.20.08