For my fellow allergy-ridden folks... My meatloaf recipe called for worchestire sauce. Instead I used a little balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Tasted great!
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Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine's day...
For the record, Mike got me the Wii Fit for Valentine's Day.
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Friday, February 13, 2009
Easy Dinner!
Steak and mushrooms, sauteed in butter and seasoned with salt, garlic pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Served over leftover rice. Mike fried his rice with soy sauce. I am allergic to soy sauce, so I didn't partake.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Say hello to Hammy.
This is Hammy, the newest member of my family. Although he has only been with us a few days, I am already in love. :)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hammy checks out his new home...
...when he hears me singing "Harvey the Wonder Hamster" to him, he can't help but peek his head out to hear what's going on better.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Hammy Cage
This is Hammy's cage. I was very proud of it when I posted this blog, but now that I am editing the post, I'd like to say that we hate this cage and are buying a new one today.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Fluff.
This is a blog entry about nothing. I just thought that you deserved to know that I am still alive and kicking. I haven't made any delicious meals in the last few days. For lunch yesterday and today I had tomato soup, and for dinner last night I had leftover mashed potatoes and gravy, already pictured.
Does anyone have a good recipe or tips on making gravy? I made some out of chicken broth and tapioca flour, and some spices, and it was okay... but nothing to write home about.
In other news, I have been reading like a crazyperson. I would tell you about it, but I don't know that the internet really cares what I think about the books that I've read.
Feel free to contradict me.
Does anyone have a good recipe or tips on making gravy? I made some out of chicken broth and tapioca flour, and some spices, and it was okay... but nothing to write home about.
In other news, I have been reading like a crazyperson. I would tell you about it, but I don't know that the internet really cares what I think about the books that I've read.
Feel free to contradict me.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wii Fit = <3
Two months ago, Mike and I combined our belongings into one new love-and-boogers filled house. When that happened, I got access to some new things I have never had access to before: a fondue pot, a meat thermometer, and a Nintendo Wii are the three things that I am the most excited about.
At first I thought that the Nintendo Wii was a little lame and a little scary, so I was avoiding it at all costs. Also, using it meant learning how to use all those scary remote controls that suddenly have taken over the coffee table. But, I realized that it was worth it the day that Mike downloaded Dr. Mario for me on the Wii. Since then, I have educated myself in the basics of entertainment-center functions. Then, Mike and I one day played Wii Bowling and Tennis and a few other things. Yes, it was fun. It was fun enough to want to play again. But it wasn't great enough to make me daydream about it, and pine for it.
I heard about the Wii Fit just like everyone else in America has... because I only live under a rock four or five days out of the week. I had no interest in learning more about it, because hi, I'm obese, and obese people usually don't like anything that has "Fit" in the title.
But I was at Brian and Kim's the other night, to pump iron (ha, ha, ha) with Brian and Ricky and I found myself sneaking out of the room in search of Kim when the testosterone in the room became too much to handle. She was just taking a break from playing with the Wii Fit, and insisted that I try it out.
First of all, it is incredibly user-friendly. Once you have established that you are a new user, it takes you through a tutorial. The Wii Fit comes with a balance board that you stand on, and it weighs you and measures where the most pressure is. It then tells you how your posture is, and where your balance is. Then it tells you a little about how posture and balance effect your body, and takes you through a few excersizes where it shows you how to correct your posture and stand correctly. I am totally shocked that a little board like that can tell if your hands are resting on your hips or not. It's crazy!
Then, once you get into the game, there are options: strength training, balance games, yoga, and aerobics. I did the balance games first. The first game I tried was a ski-jump game. You have to lean forward and get your center of gravity lined up with what they want. The closer you get, the faster your character goes. Then once you get to the bottom of the ski jump, you straighten your legs quickly to mimic a jump. Then you get scored. After a few tries, I was "ranking", and it was so much fun. Then there was another ski game where your character is going down a mountain and you have to lean to the right and the left to get your character to move on the screen and go between certain markers. Next I tried a tight-rope game, where you have to stand up perfectly straight and stay balanced, and take small steps and walk across a tight-rope that is balanced between two buildings. If you're not balanced, your character splats on the road below. It's harder than it sounds, but tons of fun. Also there is a hula-hoop game where you have to rotate your hips as fast as you can to keep your character's hula hoops going, and you have to lean to the right and the left to catch hula hoops that someone is throwing at you. There was another game, a soccer game, where someone is throwing balls at you and you have to lean to the sides and hit the balls with your head. But as the game goes on, they start throwing shoes and disembodied panda heads at you, and you have to duck from them. Under aerobics, there is a step game that is slightly reminiscent of Dance Dance Revolution, but with no jumping, just stepping on and off of the board in time with the screen. I even tried yoga, and let me tell you, that shiz is difficult! The more minutes you play, the more features get unlocked. The best part of all is that I played for 41 minutes and then all of a sudden realized that my heart was pounding and my muscles were a little sore, and I never realized I was working out - it was just fun. I wasn't even trying to break a sweat, since I wasn't in the comforts of my own home and technically just trying out a friend's game. I also like that the game tracks your weight for you and tells you if you've lost or gained.
I need one. Like, now. Only, I don't have $100 to spend on it. I am totally broke.
My birthday is April 4th. Hint, hint.
At first I thought that the Nintendo Wii was a little lame and a little scary, so I was avoiding it at all costs. Also, using it meant learning how to use all those scary remote controls that suddenly have taken over the coffee table. But, I realized that it was worth it the day that Mike downloaded Dr. Mario for me on the Wii. Since then, I have educated myself in the basics of entertainment-center functions. Then, Mike and I one day played Wii Bowling and Tennis and a few other things. Yes, it was fun. It was fun enough to want to play again. But it wasn't great enough to make me daydream about it, and pine for it.
I heard about the Wii Fit just like everyone else in America has... because I only live under a rock four or five days out of the week. I had no interest in learning more about it, because hi, I'm obese, and obese people usually don't like anything that has "Fit" in the title.
But I was at Brian and Kim's the other night, to pump iron (ha, ha, ha) with Brian and Ricky and I found myself sneaking out of the room in search of Kim when the testosterone in the room became too much to handle. She was just taking a break from playing with the Wii Fit, and insisted that I try it out.
First of all, it is incredibly user-friendly. Once you have established that you are a new user, it takes you through a tutorial. The Wii Fit comes with a balance board that you stand on, and it weighs you and measures where the most pressure is. It then tells you how your posture is, and where your balance is. Then it tells you a little about how posture and balance effect your body, and takes you through a few excersizes where it shows you how to correct your posture and stand correctly. I am totally shocked that a little board like that can tell if your hands are resting on your hips or not. It's crazy!
Then, once you get into the game, there are options: strength training, balance games, yoga, and aerobics. I did the balance games first. The first game I tried was a ski-jump game. You have to lean forward and get your center of gravity lined up with what they want. The closer you get, the faster your character goes. Then once you get to the bottom of the ski jump, you straighten your legs quickly to mimic a jump. Then you get scored. After a few tries, I was "ranking", and it was so much fun. Then there was another ski game where your character is going down a mountain and you have to lean to the right and the left to get your character to move on the screen and go between certain markers. Next I tried a tight-rope game, where you have to stand up perfectly straight and stay balanced, and take small steps and walk across a tight-rope that is balanced between two buildings. If you're not balanced, your character splats on the road below. It's harder than it sounds, but tons of fun. Also there is a hula-hoop game where you have to rotate your hips as fast as you can to keep your character's hula hoops going, and you have to lean to the right and the left to catch hula hoops that someone is throwing at you. There was another game, a soccer game, where someone is throwing balls at you and you have to lean to the sides and hit the balls with your head. But as the game goes on, they start throwing shoes and disembodied panda heads at you, and you have to duck from them. Under aerobics, there is a step game that is slightly reminiscent of Dance Dance Revolution, but with no jumping, just stepping on and off of the board in time with the screen. I even tried yoga, and let me tell you, that shiz is difficult! The more minutes you play, the more features get unlocked. The best part of all is that I played for 41 minutes and then all of a sudden realized that my heart was pounding and my muscles were a little sore, and I never realized I was working out - it was just fun. I wasn't even trying to break a sweat, since I wasn't in the comforts of my own home and technically just trying out a friend's game. I also like that the game tracks your weight for you and tells you if you've lost or gained.
I need one. Like, now. Only, I don't have $100 to spend on it. I am totally broke.
My birthday is April 4th. Hint, hint.
No pics, sorry!
Last night Mike's parent's came over for dinner. I made lemon chicken, rice, and a salad. It was good, and even better, it made leftovers. His family, especially his dad, really liked it. These are my aunt Janet's recipes, and she is an amazing cook.
Lemon Chicken:
In a freezer bag, soak boneless breasts (big chunky ones) with the juice of one lemon for each breast, and a little olive oil. Soak for at least a few hours. Cook in a pyrex dish or, if you're like me and making for a large group, a cake pan. Cook with all the juices that you soaked it in. Just before cooking, grate garlic pepper and sea salt on top. I did 6 breasts, which took about 45 minutes to cook thoroughly.
Spinach Salad:
Prepare in advance. Slice mushrooms and a red onion. Slice as thin as possible to make for a "delicate" salad. Add one can of mandarin oranges. Save the juice from the can. I also added a can of water chestnuts, which isn't necessary if you can't find them. Also add a few stalks of celery, sliced nice and thin. To make the dressing, mix the juice from the oranges with a little bit of olive oil and hot sauce, to taste. I also added a very small amount of vinegar. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours so the spinach starts to wilt.
Just about ten minutes before it is time to eat, heat up a bag of sliced almonds in a dry pan on the stove top. Stir it constantly to ensure that they toast but don't burn. Put half on your salad, and half on the chicken.
Serve with Jasmine rice.
For dessert:
Strawberries soaked in splenda, with hand-whipped cream. Add vanilla and splenda to the cream. Mike and his family had angel food cake, too. I did not.
What a good meal. I have totally fooled these people into thinking I am a good cook.
Oh, and after you eat, slice up the leftover chicken and throw it in with the salad. The wiltier the spinach gets the better it tastes, so the leftovers are even better than the original meal.
Yumm-o!
And to come: pictures of the 1975 crock pot and recipe books that Mike's parents gave me. I am in love.
Lemon Chicken:
In a freezer bag, soak boneless breasts (big chunky ones) with the juice of one lemon for each breast, and a little olive oil. Soak for at least a few hours. Cook in a pyrex dish or, if you're like me and making for a large group, a cake pan. Cook with all the juices that you soaked it in. Just before cooking, grate garlic pepper and sea salt on top. I did 6 breasts, which took about 45 minutes to cook thoroughly.
Spinach Salad:
Prepare in advance. Slice mushrooms and a red onion. Slice as thin as possible to make for a "delicate" salad. Add one can of mandarin oranges. Save the juice from the can. I also added a can of water chestnuts, which isn't necessary if you can't find them. Also add a few stalks of celery, sliced nice and thin. To make the dressing, mix the juice from the oranges with a little bit of olive oil and hot sauce, to taste. I also added a very small amount of vinegar. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours so the spinach starts to wilt.
Just about ten minutes before it is time to eat, heat up a bag of sliced almonds in a dry pan on the stove top. Stir it constantly to ensure that they toast but don't burn. Put half on your salad, and half on the chicken.
Serve with Jasmine rice.
For dessert:
Strawberries soaked in splenda, with hand-whipped cream. Add vanilla and splenda to the cream. Mike and his family had angel food cake, too. I did not.
What a good meal. I have totally fooled these people into thinking I am a good cook.
Oh, and after you eat, slice up the leftover chicken and throw it in with the salad. The wiltier the spinach gets the better it tastes, so the leftovers are even better than the original meal.
Yumm-o!
And to come: pictures of the 1975 crock pot and recipe books that Mike's parents gave me. I am in love.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Inauguration Chili!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/barack-obamas-chili-recipe-in-crockpot.html
I stole this recipe from my favorite blog to make on Tuesday. Yes, I am just getting around to writing about it now, and no, I didn't take a picture. Check out the picture on her blog, though. Mine looked the same!
I am not a big "chunky tomato" fan and usually do not like chili that has large hunks of whole tomato in it. This was a good recipe, though. The flavor was interesting and I liked how chunky and hearty looking this soup was. I will eat and enjoy the leftovers. Honestly, though, I do not think that I will make it again. My basic chili recipe is SO much easier and still delicious. This may have inspired me to start tweaking my recipe, though. I think that the red wine vinegar may have been the OOMF in this recipe.
I hope that everyone has had a great week.
Tonight I am making white-trash dinner for Mike and I to eat while watching LOST, which I tivo'd last night. White trash dinner is basically ground beef, onions, mushrooms, velveeta cheese, and maybe even bacon, cooked until gooey and served over rice. It's very white trashy. It is very delicious. It is one of the many reasons I am fat.
I stole this recipe from my favorite blog to make on Tuesday. Yes, I am just getting around to writing about it now, and no, I didn't take a picture. Check out the picture on her blog, though. Mine looked the same!
I am not a big "chunky tomato" fan and usually do not like chili that has large hunks of whole tomato in it. This was a good recipe, though. The flavor was interesting and I liked how chunky and hearty looking this soup was. I will eat and enjoy the leftovers. Honestly, though, I do not think that I will make it again. My basic chili recipe is SO much easier and still delicious. This may have inspired me to start tweaking my recipe, though. I think that the red wine vinegar may have been the OOMF in this recipe.
I hope that everyone has had a great week.
Tonight I am making white-trash dinner for Mike and I to eat while watching LOST, which I tivo'd last night. White trash dinner is basically ground beef, onions, mushrooms, velveeta cheese, and maybe even bacon, cooked until gooey and served over rice. It's very white trashy. It is very delicious. It is one of the many reasons I am fat.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
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