2/12/13

Tuesday, February 12, 2013
What is your favourite Valentine's Day candy?

Anything chocolate.  Well, I also really like conversation hearts.  Hell, pretty much ANY candy is A-OK in my book!

Today is Lincoln's Birthday.  Happy Birthday, Abe!  I actually almost forgot since I'm no longer at school.  Normally, it would be a big deal, because it would mean a day off. ;-)

Today is also my Aunt Marylou's birthday.  This would have been her 71st birthday.  It's hard to believe she's been gone for 2 1/2 years already. 

Here's one of my favorite pictures from her wedding.  (To see more family pictures that I've posted in the past with my aunt, click here)

This is probably my favorite picture of my mom and her siblings.

Ok, I need to lighten things up around here, cuz the sadness is seeping in really quickly.

The other day, I showed you my breakfast.  Yesterday, I snapped photos of my lunch and dinner for you.  You're welcome!

Lunch was diced avocado and halved grape tomatoes, seasoned with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper.

It was so tasty, I had it again today for lunch.  And, yes, I had pears and goat cheese, drizzled with agave nectar, for breakfast.  I know, I know, I'm one of those people who can happily eat the same thing over and over.  I realize some of you would never do that, but I'm a creature of habit, and when I find something that works and that I like, I tend to stick to it.  (Um, HELLO!  Why do you think Magnum is still around 27 years later?!  tee hee!)

For dinner, I had a bunch of yummy stuff.  Like every night, I made a salad with kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers.  For Stud and Magnum, I made chicken sausage, stuffed with smoked mozzarella and spinach.  I'm not a fan of sausage, so I made myself a "sandwich."  Like I mentioned the other day, I've been enjoying lettuce-wrapped "sandwiches" lately.  Last night, instead of rolling it, I just used two big leaves, much like 2 slices of bread, to make a sandwich.  I had Black Forest ham and baby Swiss in there.  I couldn't get the tomatoes to stay in there, so for every bite I took, I popped a tomato in my mouth. =)

 

The other day, I showed you my island, cover in produce.  I mentioned that I sometimes pick up Cuties at Aldi.  That day, I had bought a bag at Sam's Club, but my basket was still full of the ones I had bought at Aldi.

Well, about 2 days later, those were just about gone, and so I opened the bag I picked up at Sam's.  Now, the bag from Sam's is a bigger bag.  What I had never noticed before was that the Cuties are also bigger.  Look.

Weird, right?  I'm going to have to pay attention the next time I pick them up at both places, to see if this was just a one-time fluke, or if they're always like that.

Yes, I know, this is some riveting stuff right here.  Do you see what my life has been reduced to?  Comparing produce at different stores!!  With the exception of what happens over here, there's not much excitement around here right now. 

Speaking of excitement, I supposed I'll go do my taxes.  Magnum has been on me for weeks to get them done, and I promised him it would get done TODAY.  You'd think I'd stop dragging my feet since Lord knows, we could use those refunds ASAP.

Ok, I'm off to crunch some numbers!!

2/11/13

Monday, February 11, 2013
What is your ideal Valentine's Day celebration?

Well, I tell you what, it's a lot different now than it used to be.  Would I enjoy a nice romantic dinner, and flowers and chocolates?  Of course.  But, it's not really a must-have these days.  I'll be perfectly happy to just spend a nice, quiet evening together, eating whatever dinner I decided to make, and then maybe sitting quietly next to each other in bed while we read.  Pretty exciting, huh?  Yes, I know that's pretty much what happens every night around here, but I like it.

Will I make something "special" for dinner?  Probably.  I'm thinking something that stars shrimp, since it's one of Magnum's favorites.  Normally, we'd be eating left-over birthday cake for dessert, as I know I've mentioned before that Magnum's birthday is the day before Valentine's Day.  But, since none of us are eating cake these days, we'll probably just enjoy a bowl of strawberries, as usual.  Sounds good to me!

Feel free to tell me what your answer to this prompt would be.  Hell, I wish you guys would do that for each prompt this month.  I love hearing what you have to say. =)

Breakfast

I thought I'd snap a shot of my yummy breakfast of pears and goat cheese this morning.  The pears could use another day or two to ripen a bit, so I drizzled a bit of agave syrup over the top today.  It was SO good!!!  The perfect thing to enjoy after my two hours at the gym. =)

I know that looks like a LOT of goat cheese, but it really wasn't.  I just crumbled over the top of the diced pears.  I have no idea why it looks like I put a pound on there.  Although, that would have been just as yummy.  I adore goat cheese!!

For my heart...

For today's post, I wanted to stick to the Feb. theme for NaBloPoMo, which is Love & Sex.  But, I couldn't really pull a post together that was worth reading.  Or, at least Rated PG. ;-)

So, I thought instead I would completely bore the hell out of you.  Well, I can kinda make it fit the theme, as it has to do with my heart.  My heart's health, actually.

I took a little trip to Sam's Club this afternoon, with a very short list in mind.  Basically, my list was "produce, cream, lunchmeat."  Easy peasy, right?

Well, somehow, I managed to fill a cart, as always!  But, I DID stick to my list.

I love the prepackaged lunchmeat at Sam's.  I believe the brand is Castlewood.  There are always containers of it in our fridge.  It's really convenient for us, now that we're all on a no/low carb kick.  I always get angus roast beef, as that's Stud's favorite.  I also always get angus corned beef, as it's Monkey's favorite.  As a matter of fact, here's a cute picture of her from last week, stuffing it in her face with both hands!!

The plate has tomatoes (her favorite!!) and chicken sausage on it.  She wasn't diggin' the sausage very much, which is why I had to go with the sure thing - corned beef!

Anyway, back to our lunchmeat.  (Hey, I WARNED you this was a boring post!)  I usually get some black forest ham, cuz that's what Magnum and I like.  Then I usually get one more container, whatever looks good that day.  Well today, it was oven-roasted turkey AND buffalo chicken.  Oh, YUM!  I tried the buffalo chicken about 6 months ago, when it first came out.  It was some kind of seasonal special or something.  At the time, I also bought giant burrito-sized tortillas, and then made wraps with the chicken.  I put down lettuce and tomato, then the chicken, which I then smothered in Frank's hot sauce.  I then added some crumbled bleu cheese, and rolled the whole thing up.  OMG, my mouth is watering just thinking about that!!

I've been DYING for that chicken ever since, but they never had it again.  Well, that is until about 2 weeks ago.  The package says "specialty flavor," so I hope that doesn't mean it'll be going away again.  Now, instead of using tortillas, I've been making lettuce wraps, and man, they're just as awesome.  It's my favorite lunch lately.

Ok, what else was on that list?  Oh, yeah, cream.  I actually remembered the half&half for my coffee, as well as a gallon of milk.  I also grabbed a log of goat cheese, some fresh mozzarella and some baby swiss. That just leaves the produce.  Here's where I went a little overboard.  Take a peek.

These are the two kinds of grape tomatoes we like around here.  Last Saturday, I bought one of each, and by Wednesday, they were gone.  Stud likes to eat them like candy, which is fine by me!  I got an extra package this week, which naturally means he won't eat ANY, and I'll be throwing them away by next weekend.

 I picked up a package of avocados, which, let's face it, you can never have enough of, right?  Magnum and I put them in our salad, in our soup, and in our wraps.  I've been known to just split them and eat them with a spoon.

 Last week, I bought a big bag of Anjou pears, since I LOVE pears!  My breakfast almost everyday this week was a pear, diced up, with crumbled goat cheese over it.  YUM!!!  Anyway, turns out, Stud likes pears now, too.  Who knew?!  He worked his way through the bowl all week.  However, every time he would be peeling his pear, he would remark that he wished I had bought apples.  SO, this weekend, I bought both.

 

All three of us have become a bit obsessed with Cuties.  I always buy them at Sam's, but some weeks we run out before I can get back there, so we also pick them up at Aldi.  This week, I bought two bags.  Again, that probably means I'll be throwing some out. >:(

 

Something else I always make sure to have in the house for my Monkey is (duh!) bananas.  Yeah, Stud and Magnum like 'em, too, but I make sure they're here for her.  Don't tell them that.

 

Take a look at my VERY overcrowded island, where all these things are kept.  I should take another picture in about 3 days, so you can see what a dent Stud puts in this spread.

 Now, that's the stuff that doesn't have to go in the fridge.  There's more that DOES have to be kept in the fridge though.  (I TOLD you I went overboard!)

Sam's sells these chopped salad "kits" that Magnum just adores. 

One is an Asian salad, with green cabbage, savoy cabbage, carrots, green onion, cilantro (which is why I don't eat it!) wonton noodles & sliced toasted almonds, along with a sesame ginger slaw dressing.  The dressing is awesome!  I REALLY wish they didn't put cilantro in this mix, because all the rest is awesome!

The other kit is a garden vegetable salad.  It has broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, carrots & crumbled bacon, with a slaw dressing.  I freakin' LOVE this one!!

Another thing I always get is big pack of mixed spring greens.  Magnum basically lives on salad, so this goes pretty quickly.  It's too big of a pack to get two, though, so I usually have to make an Aldi run by the end of the week.  I also grabbed a bag of mini cukes for Stud. 

 I can't wait to use this!  I picked up some peeled, cubed butternut squash. 

 My sister made some last week, and I've been craving it ever since.  She bought a regular squash, though, instead of this conveniently prepared stuff.  One of these is actually for her.  I'm going to toss it with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, then I'm going to roast it in the oven.  I'd REALLY like to make soup, but I'm not sure.  I'm afraid I'll end up making it a little too rich, with butter and cream.  Mmmmm....

Another standard weekly purchase is strawberries.  I took a gamble on these, too, this week and picked up two packs.  These will NOT get thrown out, I guarantee.  Magnum loves strawberries, even more than I do, and we usually bring a bowl of them into the bedroom when we're ready to relax and settle in for the night.  The red grapes next to them are also a weekly purchase.  They're a bit expensive, though, so I stuck to one box for the week.  Between Stud and me, we can eat the whole box in one sitting.  We're gluttons.

I somehow missed taking a picture of the mushrooms I bought.  Every week, I bring home two big boxes of sliced white mushrooms.  Stud LOVES mushrooms.  The other night, I made both boxes, sauteed in olive oil and garlic, then covered in a yummy layer of melted Havarti cheese.  How many times can I type YUM today?!  Stud ate about 90% of it.  I'm lucky I got to taste them.

And there you go!  If you're still here, you really are a glutton for punishment.  Speaking of gluttons, I think I'm ready to go wash some grapes and strawberries, and retire to my warm and cozy bed. 

Night, night, my bloggy buddies!!

2/8/13

Friday, February 8, 2013
Name the most romantic movie of all time.

Sheesh, I have no idea.  I just watched Dirty Dancing this past weekend, so that jumps to mind.  And, yes, I think it's romantic!

Holy cow, I really can't think of one!  I think I prefer comedies, or even romantic comedies, so maybe that's the problem?  I know tomorrow, I'll think of 20.  Why don't you tell me what YOUR pick is in the comment section, so then I can feel really stupid.

2/7/13

Thursday, February 7, 2013
Describe your ideal date night.

I think I have two.

1. Nice dinner at a spectacular restaurant that serves decadent food, followed by a heavenly dessert, then back home for some cuddles and whatever might happen after that...

2. Nice dinner that I've cooked at home, followed by a yummy dessert, then maybe some snuggling while we watch a movie and whatever might happen after that...

Really, ANY date night is usually pretty great.  We had a "family date night" tonight, which was nice.  We waited for Stud to get home from school, then all went to dinner at our favorite place.  It's just a Greek diner, but we love it.  Back when we had JOBS, we would end up there 3 or 4 times a week.  (Wow, I should be embarrassed to even admit that, shouldn't I?)  We would usually meet my parents there at least once a week, then maybe another night would be just Magnum and I, and Stud and I usually would go there for breakfast on either Saturday or Sunday.  Well, ok, some weeks it was Saturday AND Sunday.  Shut up.  Many breakfast were shared with one or both of my nieces, and/or Bestest Friend, so that's how we sometimes ended up there both Sat. and Sun.

Like almost all Greek diners around here, this place is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  (Do you all have places like this where you live, or is it a Chicago thing?)  So, we've been there at all different times on all different days.  Back when I was working at the bar, my brother and I would sometimes find ourselves there at 5am, after a long night of slingin' drinks.  Bestest Friend and I tend to make it our go-to place to meet for whatever.  Breakfast on the weekends, lunch on the weekends or when she's on break from school, or dinner anytime.  There's something on the menu to make everyone happy, which is why we go there so often. 

It's definitely my parents' go-to place, as well.  My dad was friends with the former owner, and has since become friends with the current owner.  My parents probably have dinner there a minimum of once a week, but sometimes it's more depending on what they have going on in their schedule.  My mom has been cooking less and less as they've gotten older, so this place is perfect for them.  It's close to their home, it's fast, delicious, and reasonably priced. 

Sheesh, how the hell did this turn into a giant commercial?!?!  I never even told you the name of this place, did I?  Well, it's called The View, and we all love it!!  (FYI, it was The View LONG before the show was ever around)

2/6/13

Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Do you remain friends with ex-boyfriends/girlfriends after you break up?

Truth be told, I don't have a whole lot of ex-boyfriends.  Sure, I dated a lot of guys during the time Magnum and I were separated, but there were very few I was serious enough about to call my "boyfriend."  There are two in particular who stand out.  Ironically, both of them wanted to marry me.

One was The Boy Toy.  (If you missed the scoop about him, you're gonna have to search the archives, sorry)  He actually met my sister, which might not sound like a big deal, but trust me, that's HUGE.  We dated seriously for a couple of years, then kind of saw each other on and off for several more years.  (Yeah, ok, it was more of a friends-with-benefits kinda thing.  Whatever!)

The other was the man I dated most recently before Magnum and I reunited.  We dated for a few years.  Let's just call him JF.  He actually met my ENTIRE family (including extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.), which really IS huge!  He spent a several holidays with us/them, while Stud spent them with his father.  No, Stud never met him.  I always believed that there was no reason for him to meet anyone I dated, unless we were going to be walking down an aisle together.  Now, that being said, I know lots of people let their kids meet the people they date, and that's their decision.  I pass no judgement.  I just decided that was not an option for me.  And, in the windup, I'm absolutely sure it was the right decision for me, as the two of us are, obviously, no longer together.

Funny random fact - there is a 20 year age difference between these two men.  Um...yeah...

Anyway, to answer the question, yes, I would say I remained friends with these two men, as well as many others I dated.  I still hear from both of them often (and occasionally, I hear from some of the others, too).  I sometimes wonder if that's good or bad.   Sometimes it's a little too tempting to call one of them when things get rocky around here.  I know it's just a defense mechanism, and I haven't given in to the temptation, yet sometimes it's there.  I probably shouldn't even admit that, should I?

Since it seems I'm just spilling my guts today, I'll share this little tidbit about Boy Toy.  He was in my life before JF.  I absolutely adored him, and he treated me like a queen.  I know part of that was the fact that he was into the fact that someone so "old" was so into him.  I mentioned before that when we met and started dating, he was 22 and I was 33.  Yikes!  But, it just worked.  Like I said, the boy wanted to marry me.

However, here's the tidbit I was talking about.  When we started dating, I had not been back on the dating scene very long.  He knew the whole story regarding Magnum (well, he was still CSJ then!) and he knew that we weren't technically divorced yet.  (For any new-comers here, we were separated for over 12 years before we actually got divorced.)  Apparently, it didn't sit well with him.  He said to me one day, "If your ex-husband called you right now, and wanted to come back, you'd take him back wouldn't you?"  Who knew the boy was psychic?!  I always felt bad about that conversation, because I couldn't give him a strong and resounding "No."  (This was basically the point where we started to be on and off)  And, now look how things have turned out.

Hmm, maybe Boy Toy deserves a post of his own.  I'm going to consider it.  Ok, before I spill anymore, I'd better just get out of here.