Carrie at Confessions tagged me for this book meme. Sorry I'm a little late getting to it.
The Rules:
* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your blog along with these instructions.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one, pick the CLOSEST.
* Tag five other people to do the same.
Okay, the book closest to me is the most recent one I read. I read this because it was supposed to be some great literary work by a Nobel-prize winning author. And it was referenced in High Fidelity and Serendipity. It was okay.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
p. 56
But the old families, ruined by Independence, had to submit to the realities of a new time, and the Academy opened its doors to all applicants who could pay the tuition, regardless of the color of their blood, on the essential condition that they were legitimate daughters of Catholic marriages. In any event, it was an expensive school, and the fact that Fermina Daza studied there was a sufficient indication of her family's economic situation, if not of its social position. This news encouraged Florentino Ariza, since it indicated to him that the beautiful adolescent with the almond-shaped eyes was within reach of his dreams.
I tag these folks:
Tassie at Tassie and her Random Thoughts
Jackie at Empty Nest Full Life
Madeline at My Boy and Me
Amy at In My Life
Jenn at I Hate Whine
I know that all of you ladies lead very busy lives, so if you can't get to it, I understand. I just picked y'all cause you were the last five people to leave me a comment that hadn't done it. Ha. That'll show you to leave comments. Just kidding, just kidding, please keep leaving them, it's nice to know I'm not just rambling to myself...
*Edit* If I didn't tag you and you would like to do it, please do. It's always fun to see what other people are reading.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sassy Apron Swap
I'm really late getting this one posted, but you'll just have to forgive me. I got a package from my Sassy Apron Swap partner, Tammie, a couple of weeks ago. I was SO excited to get this since it's the first swap I've participated in. She did a wonderful job! The apron is absolutely adorable. Here's a picture of it:
Here's a more detailed picture of the top of the apron:
Didn't she do a great job?
With this swap, we had to send a coordinating pot holder to match the apron and a favorite pie recipe. She also sent some adorable recipe cards.
Here's the pot holder:
and here's the recipe:
Sour Cream Apple Pie
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. apples, peeled and chopped
1 unbaked 9" pie crust
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter
Stir together flour, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples, spoon into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 more minutes. Remove pie from oven. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Make topping and sprinkle over top of pie; bake 10 more minutes. Let cool before cutting.
Topping: combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon, cut in butter until crumbly.
I haven't had a chance to make this yet, but I am going to soon! It sounds really yummy.
Here's a more detailed picture of the top of the apron:
Didn't she do a great job?
With this swap, we had to send a coordinating pot holder to match the apron and a favorite pie recipe. She also sent some adorable recipe cards.
Here's the pot holder:
and here's the recipe:
Sour Cream Apple Pie
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. apples, peeled and chopped
1 unbaked 9" pie crust
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter
Stir together flour, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples, spoon into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 more minutes. Remove pie from oven. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Make topping and sprinkle over top of pie; bake 10 more minutes. Let cool before cutting.
Topping: combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon, cut in butter until crumbly.
I haven't had a chance to make this yet, but I am going to soon! It sounds really yummy.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Sorry, I don't know if it was my computer or me doing something stupid, but my post was posted with no post. So anyway...
Okay, I know I'm barely getting it in there, but here's my Menu Plan Monday:
Monday 9/29
Lunch - Turkey sandwiches
Dinner - Cheesy chicken and rice casserole (I made extra last week and froze it)
Tuesday 9/30
Lunch - Turkey sandwiches (we have a lot of leftover fried turkey from Sat.)
Dinner - Lasagna (I made extra of this last week and froze it too)
Wednesday 10/1
Lunch - leftover lasagna
Dinner- Hamburger steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole
Thursday 10/2
Lunch - Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner - Chicken fried rice
Friday 10/3
Lunch - Leftovers or sandwiches
Dinner - Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice - I'm adding some sausage to it.
Saturday 10/4
Lunch - Eat out with family
Dinner - Southwest chicken quiche
Sunday 10/5 We'll be visiting my family so I have no idea what we'll be eating.
Lunch - ?
Dinner - ?
Okay, I know I'm barely getting it in there, but here's my Menu Plan Monday:
Monday 9/29
Lunch - Turkey sandwiches
Dinner - Cheesy chicken and rice casserole (I made extra last week and froze it)
Tuesday 9/30
Lunch - Turkey sandwiches (we have a lot of leftover fried turkey from Sat.)
Dinner - Lasagna (I made extra of this last week and froze it too)
Wednesday 10/1
Lunch - leftover lasagna
Dinner- Hamburger steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole
Thursday 10/2
Lunch - Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner - Chicken fried rice
Friday 10/3
Lunch - Leftovers or sandwiches
Dinner - Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice - I'm adding some sausage to it.
Saturday 10/4
Lunch - Eat out with family
Dinner - Southwest chicken quiche
Sunday 10/5 We'll be visiting my family so I have no idea what we'll be eating.
Lunch - ?
Dinner - ?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Busy, busy, busy
Thursday and Friday were both very busy with cooking and volunteering at the school. Between Thursday morning and Friday morning, I baked, cooked, and/or decorated: 5 dozen cupcakes, 7 dozen cookies (2 dozen of which were decorated as footballs), 2 dozen muffins, a batch of magic cookie bars, 6 quiche, 4 individual size quiche, 3 individual size casseroles, gelatin salad, and pasta salad.
After spending most of the day at the school Friday, Mr. McHacker and I went to see his parents who were camping in West Point. There's a really nice campground a few miles outside of the town. I was pretty tired so I crashed when we got home, I fell asleep during the debate, and didn't wake up until around 10:00 Saturday morning.
Yesterday we went back to the campground and took our friends L and R with us. Mr. McHacker and R had the great idea of asking Mom and Dad to bring the turkey fryer with them, so we brought the turkey and oil, L brought potato salad, and Mom supplied the french fries, pie, gelatin salad and sweet tea, and we had a really awesome meal. We had a great time. We even played on the playground like a bunch of overgrown kids. :-) When we got back home last night, we watched a bunch of episodes of Battlestar Galactica. We've just started season 3. It's such a fun show. I stayed up way too late and slept until 2 this afternoon. It felt SO good to sleep until I felt like waking up. I know all you folks with kids are jealous. ;-) just joking.
I haven't done anything productive today other than going to to drugstore and balancing the checkbook. I guess I'll go try to do something worthwhile until it's time to do whatever I need to for supper. L and R are coming over for leftovers and we'll probably watch more Battlestar. As much as I want a baby, it sure is nice to have weekends like this were I can just do what I want and enjoy time with adults. I know I'm going to miss having times like these one day so I'm going to take full advantage of it while I can.
When I find my camera, I'm going to post a picture of the adorable apron I got in the Sassy Apron Swap, so that post will be coming up soon. I hope y'all are having a great weekend!
After spending most of the day at the school Friday, Mr. McHacker and I went to see his parents who were camping in West Point. There's a really nice campground a few miles outside of the town. I was pretty tired so I crashed when we got home, I fell asleep during the debate, and didn't wake up until around 10:00 Saturday morning.
Yesterday we went back to the campground and took our friends L and R with us. Mr. McHacker and R had the great idea of asking Mom and Dad to bring the turkey fryer with them, so we brought the turkey and oil, L brought potato salad, and Mom supplied the french fries, pie, gelatin salad and sweet tea, and we had a really awesome meal. We had a great time. We even played on the playground like a bunch of overgrown kids. :-) When we got back home last night, we watched a bunch of episodes of Battlestar Galactica. We've just started season 3. It's such a fun show. I stayed up way too late and slept until 2 this afternoon. It felt SO good to sleep until I felt like waking up. I know all you folks with kids are jealous. ;-) just joking.
I haven't done anything productive today other than going to to drugstore and balancing the checkbook. I guess I'll go try to do something worthwhile until it's time to do whatever I need to for supper. L and R are coming over for leftovers and we'll probably watch more Battlestar. As much as I want a baby, it sure is nice to have weekends like this were I can just do what I want and enjoy time with adults. I know I'm going to miss having times like these one day so I'm going to take full advantage of it while I can.
When I find my camera, I'm going to post a picture of the adorable apron I got in the Sassy Apron Swap, so that post will be coming up soon. I hope y'all are having a great weekend!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Randomness
Every time I open up my blogger dashboard, I think "I've got to take another picture to use for my profile!" That's the problem with always being the one behind the camera, you never have any good pictures of yourself.
So, the past few weeks I've been volunteering on Fridays at the school where I used to work. It's always Friday since that's when folks have been ordering cakes. (Except for that Monday, but I was there again on Friday). Well, it seems that I'm going to be able to make about a hundred dollars or more each week from the baked items I'm selling there. I never really intended on selling anything but occasional cakes and cookies, but a couple weeks ago when I was asked if I would make a quiche, I thought "sure, why not." So I got 3 quiche orders last week and sold over 50 dollars worth of bake sale items. After I paid myself back for cost of ingredients, I made a profit of about 60 dollars. For this Friday, I have 6 quiche orders, an order for 3 dozen cupcakes, and am planning on taking bake sale items again. Also, the ladies at the school usually order lunch from one of the local restaurants and have it delivered to the school. I was asked if I would bring a couple of extra quiche (and casserole) and some type of salad to sell as a plate lunch on Fridays (they're getting tired of the usual choices). Of course I said yes! I'm really excited about my new little unexpected business.
*edit* Apparently the secret government agency wants him to "keep it on the down low", so I've taken out the name of the agency. Guess if he takes that job, we'll be living a life of secrecy lol.
Mr. McHacker had an interview with a *secretive government agency* this week. They want him to work for them. He has another interview with another of their departments in a couple of weeks, and may be going to take a polygraph and do the other stuff necessary for a security clearance. He also has interviews with two other private security corporations pretty soon. I'm really proud of him. He's worked so hard and it's great to see him getting these awesome job offers. If he took the *government* job, we'd have to move to *New England*. It's a long way from home, but it might be kinda cool. I think he really wants to work with one of the other private companies though. If he did, we would be able to stay here and he could work from home. And he would probably be able to start working before he's finished with the PhD in May.
If we stay here, I want to open my own business. If we move, I'm not so sure. Either way, I feel like things are really starting to go well for us now. I feel like a new chapter has started in our lives and I'm very excited.
So, the past few weeks I've been volunteering on Fridays at the school where I used to work. It's always Friday since that's when folks have been ordering cakes. (Except for that Monday, but I was there again on Friday). Well, it seems that I'm going to be able to make about a hundred dollars or more each week from the baked items I'm selling there. I never really intended on selling anything but occasional cakes and cookies, but a couple weeks ago when I was asked if I would make a quiche, I thought "sure, why not." So I got 3 quiche orders last week and sold over 50 dollars worth of bake sale items. After I paid myself back for cost of ingredients, I made a profit of about 60 dollars. For this Friday, I have 6 quiche orders, an order for 3 dozen cupcakes, and am planning on taking bake sale items again. Also, the ladies at the school usually order lunch from one of the local restaurants and have it delivered to the school. I was asked if I would bring a couple of extra quiche (and casserole) and some type of salad to sell as a plate lunch on Fridays (they're getting tired of the usual choices). Of course I said yes! I'm really excited about my new little unexpected business.
*edit* Apparently the secret government agency wants him to "keep it on the down low", so I've taken out the name of the agency. Guess if he takes that job, we'll be living a life of secrecy lol.
Mr. McHacker had an interview with a *secretive government agency* this week. They want him to work for them. He has another interview with another of their departments in a couple of weeks, and may be going to take a polygraph and do the other stuff necessary for a security clearance. He also has interviews with two other private security corporations pretty soon. I'm really proud of him. He's worked so hard and it's great to see him getting these awesome job offers. If he took the *government* job, we'd have to move to *New England*. It's a long way from home, but it might be kinda cool. I think he really wants to work with one of the other private companies though. If he did, we would be able to stay here and he could work from home. And he would probably be able to start working before he's finished with the PhD in May.
If we stay here, I want to open my own business. If we move, I'm not so sure. Either way, I feel like things are really starting to go well for us now. I feel like a new chapter has started in our lives and I'm very excited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
