Meals a la Tobe! #4

Recipes are from This Week for Dinner unless otherwise notated.

Sunday

-- Bistro Chicken

From Jen Schulte - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 1/2 cup chopped onions - 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I get petite diced) - Italian seasoning (or a few shakes of oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder) - 1 can Campbell’s French Onion soup - Swiss cheese, sliced

I cut my chicken breasts into thirds and pound them thin before browning, but the recipe didn’t originally call for that. Brown the chicken breasts in a medium-high skillet in oil or butter. Remove and place in casserole dish.

Cook onions in skillet for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, french onion soup and cook together to reduce liquid for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in the casserole dish, top with Swiss cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

-- Peas

-- Rolls

Very yummy!  I followed the recipe to a T and it came out great.  The only I would maybe change: the sauce was still very runny, but we just strained it a bit before laddling onto the plate.

Monday

-- Blackened Chicken Fetteccinue Alfredo

- 9-oz package fresh fettuccine - 1 jar Newman’s Own Alfredo Pasta Sauce - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 1 teaspoon paprika - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1/4 teaspoon pepper - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan or dish with cooking oil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pound the chicken breast until quite thin (around 1/4″ thick). Mix all of the spice ingredients together thoroughly. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with the spices.  Heat a non-stick grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken breasts in pan and brown both sides, 45-60 seconds per side. Place chicken in prepared baking pan and bake in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and slice chicken into strips.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to warm pot over medium-low heat. Pour in alfredo sauce and mix thoroughly.  Serve pasta with sliced chicken served on top. Serves 4.

-- Garlic Bread

A keeper!  J claims that he likes anything blackened.  And it was super easy.  The hardest part was mixing the spices together to coat the chicken.

Tuesday

-- Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

-- Salsa Stoup (from Rachel Ray's Book of 10)

-- 2 tblsp vegetable oil --2 jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded -- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped -- 1 large onion, chopped -- 3 celery ribs, chopped -- 3 garlic cloves, chopped -- 1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes -- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes -- 2 cups vegetable stock -- 3 tbsp cilantro

Heat a medium soup pot over med-high heat.  Add the vegetable oil and jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, celery, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, then saute the veggies for 5 minutes.  Add all the tomatoes and stock and bring to a bubble.  Redue the heat to a simmer and stir in the cilantro.

I added cayenne pepper to the stoup.  It kicked it up to the next notch.  We like our stuff spicy around here!

Wednesday

-- Very lazy!  We went out and got Boston Market.  Goodness how I missed those half-chicken dinners!

Thursday

-- Korean BBQ Flank Steak

From Rachel Ray 1 tbsp grill seasoning 1/4 cup tamari (dark ages soy sauce) I used regular soy sauce and it worked just fine 1 tbsp honey 1 teas red pepper flakes 2 large garlic cloves, chopped 2 tea dark sesame oil 2 scallions, chopped vegetable oil 2 lbs flank steak Combine grill seasoning, soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, sesame oil, scallions, and drizzle of vegetable oil. Coat the flank steak, let stand for 10 minutes. Grill

-- Spicy Slaw

1 lb bok choy, shredded 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced salt 1 cup sauerkraut 1 tbsp honey 1 teas red pepper flakes 2 large garlic cloves, chopped In a large skillet heat vegetable oil, bok choy, and bell pepper. Season with salt, stir fry 2-3 minutes. Add the honey, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Toss to combine. Add sauerkraut and mix in. Heat for about 1 minute

-- Rice

-- Spring Rolls and Potstickers

Friday

-- J's meeting got pushed to today, so leftovers for me...

Saturday

-- Lazy night.  We had a really late lunch and a birthday party to go to.  I ended up just eating a salad with sunflower seeds, cranberries, and honey dijon vinaigrette.  Very yummy!

Week summary/comments: 

Some interesting recipes from this week. I think they are all keepers.  I have some more Rachel Ray recipes on tap for this coming week.

Friday Fill-Ins #7

And...here we go!

1. How in the world did I have all these boxes in my old room.  I swear it multiplied on the trip over.

2. Rows of corn in front of me.

3. Life's like a cloud, ever moving and changing shape.

4. What I wouldn't give for a handmade picnic lunch.

5. Borders closing its doors next week.  That was where we used to buy books.

6. Nowhere yet: I think of as "our place". We need to find one pronto.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on Trueblood, tomorrow my plans include nothing so far, maybe baking some chocolate chip cookies and Sunday, I want to finished my readathon strong!

Meals a la Tobe! #3

Sunday -- Flank Steak on the Grill (soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and ketchup marinade)

-- Rice

-- Green beans

-- Honey wheat bread

The flank steak was surprisingly juicy and so simple.  A marinade for a few hours and we were ready to grill.  I am so glad J bought a grill, it has been a joy this summer.

Monday

-- Thanksgiving dinner in a crockpot (Recipe from Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes Vol. 2)

1 boneless turkey breast (3-4 lbs) 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup apple juice 1 tbsp cider vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teas ground mustard 1/2 teas ground cinnamon 1/4 teas ground cloves 1/4 teas allspice

Place the turkey skin side up in a 5 qt slow cooker.  Combine the cranberry sauce, sugar, apple juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, cinnamon, clove, and all-spice.  Pour over turkey. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

-- Corn

-- Mashed potatoes

-- Honey wheat bread

One of the easiest dinners I've ever made.  And man, was it delicious!!!  Definitely a keeper.

Tuesday

-- Leftovers/out (J's standing meeting with business partners leaves me alone to scavenge or go grab something quick).  I ate most of the rest of last night's meal, and I have to say it was still scrumptious.  I am definitely adding that to my "to keep" pile.

Wednesday

-- Leftovers/out.  I had my first Stampin' Up club meeting, so no cooked dinner.  I grabbed some Arby's on the way home.  I do love me some Arby's.

Thursday

-- Stuffed Shells (recipe from This Week for DInner)

Half box of pasta shells (about 20) 1 container ricotta cheese A few cloves of garlic, mashed through garlic press About 1 tsp. salt A few shakes of black pepper A few tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 egg, slightly beaten About half a jar of tomato-based pasta sauce Handful shredded fresh parmesan cheese A few handfuls shredded mozzarella cheese

Boil shells as per package directions. Drain and make sure they don’t stick to each other. Mix together the ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and egg. Stuff your shells, maybe about a tablespoon per shell. Use up all the filling for about 20-24 shells. Place shells in a 9×13 baking dish, drizzle with pasta sauce, then sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes or so.

-- Garlic Bread

The shells were a bit undercooked.  J complained that they had too much garlic in them.  I know now not to follow the recipe to the letter.

Friday

-- Brats on the grill (Cajun, Beer, Pineapple, and Jalapeno)

-- French fries

-- Corn on the Cob

The grocery store had an end of summer sale on the brats from the meat counter.  I bought 12 and froze 8 of them.  Great deal!  I couldn't resist.

Saturday

-- Dinner out at Wheatfields.  Yummy yummy apple pie!

Week summary/comments: 

This week was a pretty good cooking week.  I made a few new recipes.  (The turkey one is definitely being put on my "to keep" list.)  Looking forward to some new recipes to try for next week!

Friday Fill-Ins #8

And...here we go!

1. It's fun to make cards....  I just joined a Stampin' Up club and sooooo excited!

2. Stuffed shells is easy to make except when you don't cook the pasta long enough... 

3. I like to be on a beach anywhere.

4. Why some people think it's okay to just take up the whole aisle with their cart at the grocery store, I will never know!

5. Something I'm very much excited about: finishing The Last Survivors trilogy tonight/tomorrow.

6. Rushing to the store before the storm hit was well worth it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to brats on the grill, tomorrow my plans include a movie? and Sunday, I want to go visit Joslyn Castle!

Meals a la Tobe! #2

Back for my second week of documenting my culinary adventures!

Sunday

-- Dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and a movie (Horrible Bosses -- hilarious!)

Monday

-- Hamburgers on the grill (black and bleu and mushroom and swiss)

-- Baked beans

-- Jalapeno potato chips

Sorry no picture on this one.  But it was great to use the grill and a very summery dinner...

Tuesday

-- Leftovers/out: J's standing meeting with business partners leaves me alone to scavenge or go grab something quick.  I opted for Wendy's.  I haven't had fast food in a while and burger and fries was calling to me...

Wednesday

-- Pulled pork sandwiches

-- Pasta salad

-- Coleslaw

Again, forgot the picture.  Another basic dinner...

Thursday

-- Chicken stir fry

-- Rice

-- Vegetable egg rolls (from the frozen section)

-- Cream cheese wontons (from the frozen section)

J got use his wok, although I thought using a wok on an electric stove was going to kill him.  Always too hot or not hot enough.  I hate that thing.  Forgot the pic until halfway through, it was just that yummy.

Friday

-- Altekruse family spaghetti and meatballs

-- Garlic bread

Old family recipe that you can doctor up to be mild, spicy, or hot as hell.  I went with the bit of spice option this time.  Spaghetti sauce just taste so much better when it's freshly made than from a jar.  I should really make more of this and then freeze in little tubs for the future.

Saturday

-- Melty sandwiches

-- Salad

Mine was ham, swiss, and pepper colby jack.  J had a ham and swiss.  Easy dinner for a day when both of us weren't feeling good.  And a Peace Tree root beer (the last one!) to top it all off.

Week summary/comments: This week wasn't a big culinary adventure.  I pulled out some tried and true favorites.  Mostly easy dinners.  I have to remember to pace myself.  I'm not the best cook and my experiments often go awry.  But next week, I'm trying out a few new recipes: thanksgiving dinner in a crockpot, flank steak, chicken gouda, stuffed shells, and broccoli and cheese casserole.  Sounds like it'll be an interesting adventure!

Friday Fill-Ins #7

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. The only question is milk or dark chocolate?

2. Yes, I can read a book in one day.  I did it yesterday!

3. Three things on my desk: sea shells, lotion, and an Edgar Allan Poe book (it's not my desk, I'm temping today).

4. Pick up my hold from the library is the one thing I HAVE to do today!

5. I love playing with puppies!

6. Floral perfume overwhelms the senses.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and maybe a movie, tomorrow my plans include nothing as of yet and Sunday, I want to read!

Top Ten Tuesday: Addicted TV Shows

This week the topic was "Underrated Books" but I was having trouble thinking of good ones.  So I change to my own Top Ten Tuesday topic: Top Ten Addicted TV Shows.  So J has this amazing thing called an Apple TV that I don't think I could live without after now.  We have tons of TV shows at our finger tips.  He's been introducing me to some new TV shows that I have to watch and catching me up on some others that I already love.

1. True Blood -- My soap opera with vampires.  This is one of the very few tv shows where I think the show is better than the books.  Bravo HBO!  And please more shirtless Eric is the right way to go.

2. Game of Thrones -- I wanted to watch when t aired, but couldn't with normal cable. J's friend has been bugging him to watch for like forever.  So finally we watched.  And wow!  Reminded me of Rome (which I absolutely died over).  And the cliffhanger season ender was just too much!

3. Leverage -- Great intriguing show.  We can usually call the whodunit before the reveal.  But still the show is set-up so nicely that it's still fun.

4. Psych -- Hilarious!!!!!!  You have to watch.  All the pop culture references are fun to pick out.  J and I quote this show often.  (Yes, we are that geeky.)

5. Warehouse 13 -- Must have fun scifi show. The crossover episodes with Eureka are great fun.

6. Eureka -- Another scifi show.  The quirkiness is fun. Currently guest starring Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton from the awesome web series The Guild.

7. The League -- I didn't think I would like a show about fantasy football, but that's only one small part to this show.  It is gut busting funny.  I laugh out loud through the whole show.  A must see.

8. Doctor Who -- Cannot wait until August 27th when the new series starts up.  Matt Smith's doctor is really growing on me.  Not as good as Tenant, but getting close.  And Amy and Rory are just great.  And that River Song... awesome character.

9. White Collar -- A new favorite that J introduced me to a few weeks ago.  I'm currently back in the first season watching a few episodes here and there to catch up.  Intriguing premise.

10. Bored to Death -- Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis.... genius team.

11. Torchwood --  Related to #8.  Watched since it spun off of Doctor Who a couple of years ago.  I just love Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper is kick ass awesome.  Was concerned about the move to the states, but the plot line this season is intriguing enough that it hasn't diminished in quality.

Meals a la Tobe! #1

Does this meal plan look familiar?  It should.  I posted this last Sunday.  After posting it, I thought.... now that's silly.  Why would I post a meal plan before I make those things?  I don't know if the recipes are good.  I don't have any pretty pictures to put with my post.  So, I've decided to post my meal plans after the week.  This way I can add comments and pictures.  So enjoy! Recipes are from This Week for Dinner.

Sunday

-- Bertolli frozen shrimp and linguine meal (I was being kind of lazy)

Monday

-- Pork chops: I marinate them all day in soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, minced onion, cumin, basil, oregano (I think that’s it), then we grill them on the BBQ.

-- Green beans

-- Rice

-- Rolls

Notice the yummy mug of rye porter beer from Peace Tree Brewery sitting next to my plate.  Awesomeness is a mug!  Overall a very good dinner.  Easy to fix.  Satisfying to eat.  Going into my "to keep" pile of recipes.

Tuesday

-- Leftovers/out: J's standing meeting with business partners leaves me alone to scavenge or go grab something quick.  I opted for leftover pork chops this night.

Wednesday

-- Orange chicken

INGREDIENTS: - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - 1/2 C flour - 1/2 t. salt - 1/2 t. pepper - 3 T butter

Sauce: - 2 T brown sugar - 2 T vinegar - 1 C orange juice - 1 t. nutmeg - 1 t. dried basil - 1 small can mandarin oranges - Jane Note: I add ground ginger as well. I also 1.5 X the sauce ingredients.

DIRECTIONS: Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag. Shake chicken pieces until coated. Brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat.

Combine sauce ingredients (1 1/2 times the recipe) and add to skillet. Cover and simmer ~30 minutes or until tender. For a “sophisticated touch” add drained mandarin oranges and heat about 5 mins.

Note: cook chicken and sauce in covered skillet, but tip the cover a little to thicken sauce towards the end of cooking time.

-- Rice

-- Carrots: Mini carrots in a saucepan, with the lid on, with butter and dried basil. I also add a bit of salt & pepper. Cook on med-low until done. Pat turns the heat up at the end to “burn” the outsides a bit.

-- Peas

I forgot to take a picture until i had already started eating.  Sorry!  Well the chicken tasted great, but the recipe didn't quite go as planned.  The sauce was supposed to thicken to more of a glaze, but it turned out very thin.  Next time I might just have to cook the sauce separately until it starts to thicken.  The rice was leftover from Monday night.  Thank goodness for rice steamers that also keep it warm for two days.  I love that thing now.  The carrots were quite done enough, but were still very good.

Thursday

-- Tacos

No picture tonight.  Easy simple dinner. I did try my hand at making my own taco seasoning.  I got a recipe randomly from the internet and changed it to suit what we had in the cupboards. It's got a little kick to it, but J and I like spicy so not problem there.  After eating, I made a 3-5 dinner batch of seasoning to put in the cupboard.  And look at me planning for my forgetfulness, I taped the recipe to the baggie.

Friday

-- Leftover/out

I was lazy and we'd eaten all the leftovers.  So J took me to P.F. Chang's.  It's pretty unbelievable, but I've never been there before.  I got Mandarin Chicken.  Decent, but not as good as other establishments, like The Mandarin back in Fort Wayne.  The dinner was okay, but I think overall the restaurant is too high priced for the quality.  So we are on a hunt to find a great Chinese restaurant in Omaha.  J hasn't found an amazing one yet, but a couple of good ones.  We'll keep trying.

Saturday

-- Salmon

-- Black bean and corn salad

From Rachael Ray’s “365: No Repeats” 4 T olive oil 1 med red onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 – 1 t red pepper flakes 1 t ground cumin salt and pepper Juice of 2 limes 3 T honey 1 t chili powder 4 6-oz salmon fillets 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 10-oz box frozen corn kernels, defrosted 1/2 C chicken stock or broth 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 2-3 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 6 C baby spinach

Preheat medium skillet over medium heat with 2 T of oil. Add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 mins.

While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 T oil. In a shallow dish, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the salmon fillets to the lime-honey mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, 3-4 mins on each side.

To the make salad, add the bell peppers and corn kernels to the onion mixture and cook for 1 min. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of the second lime, the cilantro and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the salmon on the warm salad.

A good dinner.  Very light and refreshing.  I just thought it was missing a little something.  Maybe more lime juice and less honey.  Or maybe more garlic.  Or maybe more chili powder.  J remarked that if we ate stuff like this more often, we'd lost weight.  True, very true, and yet I can't give up my other less than healthy choice.

Week summary/comments: I didn't burn anything.  I didn't cut myself.  I created multiple eatable dinners.  I'd say this week was a success cooking wise.  Looking forward to my new week of cooking adventures.  And if you want to share any interesting recipes, favorites, or general comments... please do!

Saturday 9: I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight

Welcome to 

Saturday: 9

What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. Have you ever lost a lover and spent way too much time wondering what they were doing? -- Yes I admit it.  Won't tell you who though...

2. What was your favorite vacation ever? -- High school senior year spring break trip to NYC with my two besties!  Three 18-year-olds in NYC for a week = amazing tme.

3. Do you like surprises? If yes, what kinds? Or are you one of those people who absolutely has to know what's going on before it happens?  -- I absolutely love surprises.  Unfortunately it seems like the only surprises I've been getting lately are the bad ones.

4. Have you ever written a poem? Feel free to share one. Or even a dirty limerick is OK. -- For class.  I'm definitely not ever going to be a poet, I'm horrible.  I'm much better at short prose.

5. Did anything interesting show up in your mail lately besides the bills? -- Does a magazine count?  I get a magazine and bills, that's it.

6. How many of your friendships have lasted more than ten years? Which of your current friends do you feel will still be important to you ten years from now? Family members don't count. -- Hmmm... tough question.  Can I say Josh?

7. Do you own a pet? If so, do you buy them presents for holidays? Do you consider your pet(s) spoiled? If you don't own one, do you think you will one day? -- No pet currently.  At some point, I'm sure Josh and I will get a dog, but not right now.

8. It's Friday afternoon and you're planning your weekend. What's on your agenda on a hot August night? -- Dinner and a movie?

9. What's your worst nervous habit? -- Losing the ability to correctly pronounce words.

Friday Fill-Ins #6

And...here we go!

1. How can I read all the books I have on my TBR list?  Life's great question.

2. Good characters weed out the bad ones.

3. My hair has a life of its own most days.

4. I went to and felt awkward at my high school reunion.

5. My favorite summer fruits are ripe watermelon, peaches, blueberries, and raspberries.

6. Crazy stopping and merging driver on the highway...what was that?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some book reading, tomorrow my plans include maybe some South O pastries and Sunday, I want to go the art museum!

Highlight of the Week and Meals a la Tobe!

How long has it been since I did one of these?  Oh about 8 months.  Yeah I'm slacking, but honestly Sunday has become my lazy day.  It's also contradictorily my crazy busy errand day.  So here we go... Highlight

J and I visited an awesome brewery Peace Tree in Knoxville, Iowa.  J had some in the fridge from the last visit there.  And man was it yummy!  It's even better on tap.  I had the Red Rambler (awesome red ale) and the Blonde Fatale.  J had the Imperial Stout and the triple IPA.  All amazing!  We had to get some to take home.  So of course, we filled the trunk with a growler of the Rye Stout and a case of the IPA.  Now we have a fridge full of beer...

Lowlight

The reason we were in Iowa is my weekly lowlight.  We drove the boys to the Mississippi to let my mom pick them up and take them back to Indiana and their dad's house.  I won't see them until Thanksgiving.  Sad day... but hopefully they adjust well to the new situation.

New Feature -- Meals a la Tobe

In my new place, J and I have made the commitment to cook at home more often.  So I thought it would be easily to make a weekly meal plan.  Two weeks down and it seems to be working.  I'm determined to plan ahead, shop ahead, and eat all the leftovers.  Hopefully this saves us money and time.  While tooling around the internet, I found a great blog featuring weekly meal plans, This Week for Dinner.  Using some of her recipes and plans, here's my upcoming meal plan:

• Sunday -- Frozen shrimp and linguine meal (I was being kind of lazy)
• Monday -- Pork chops, green beans, rice, rolls
• Tuesday -- Leftovers/out
• Wednesday -- Orange chicken, rice, carrots
• Thursday -- Tacos
• Friday -- Leftover/out
• Saturday -- Salmon, black bean and corn salsa, salad, rolls

Extra fun notes from today

• On the way home from the grocery store, The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" came on the radio.  Awesome!
• I had to stop on the highway to let 4 wild turkeys cross.  Craziness!

Saturday 9: I'm Not in Love

Welcome to 

Saturday: 9

What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. Have you ever been in love but tried to deny it? -- I don't think so.

2. Someone throws a party in your honor. The only guests are your past lovers. You're current spouse or significant other is cool with this. They ask you to speak and say something good about those assembled. Would there be someone there you could not say something good about? -- Yes.  There is one person that I just cannot think fondly of at all.  Just one.

3. How long can you go without your cell phone? Do you own a so-called “smart phone”? -- Just a few hours.  I start breaking out in hives if I don't have my phone close by.  It's pretty funny considering it's a crappy phone and hardly anyone calls me.  I guess it just makes me feel safe and connected.  And no, it's not a smart phone.

4. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? -- No.  There  are some acts where the person forfeits a second chance.

5. Would you rather spend a whole day with your mom or your dad? (If either or both have passed, answer as if they're alive.) -- I guess my mom.  I do it often.  Harder now that I live 700 miles from her.

6. Tell us one thing about your first boyfriend or girlfriend. -- A very bad kisser, even thought supposedly he had some experience doing it.  Ugh!

7. Has an ex ever written something about you on facebook or their blog that was nasty about you? -- I don't think so.  But then again, I'm not FB friends with all my exes.

8. What was the last thing you borrowed and never returned? --I'm sorry to say it was a book.  I felt awful, but the person moved away and I lost contact.  So I kept the book until I found someone who would love reading it and then passed it along.

9. Who is someone famous that you've met? -- Heather Headley, star of Broadway (Aida and The Lion King).  She lived in my hometown when she was in school.  I'm a few years behind her, but it was still cool to meet her after seeing Aida in NYC on my senior year Spring Break trip.  Very cool and down to earth person!

Friday Fill-Ins #5

And...here we go!

1. Summer is ridiculously hot this year.  Seriously, did hell break loose?

2. A book is unchanged magic.  Release it!

3. Aargh! Postal office for not allowing me to send a package to someone in the military without actually talking to you in person.  

4. Training for a temp job in the morning.

5. Seven: the number that eight nine.

6. There's always time for chocolate, don't you think?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to Peace Tree Brewing Co in Knoxville, IA, tomorrow my plans include errands? and Sunday, I want to read or maybe got see a movie (Captain America?)!

Saturday 9: White Wedding

Welcome to 

Saturday: 9

What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. Tell us about the most recent wedding you attended. -- Pretty sure my last one was two years ago.  It was a very fun wedding, possibly because a ton of old high school friends were there.  We partied it up!

2. Do you enjoy attending weddings, or do they bore you to tears?  -- They can be fun if the right elements are there: short ceremony, alcohol, good friends, good music, good food.

3. Does marriage in general make you feel confident and good inside, or skeptical? -- Ambivalent.  I am a bit jaded when it comes to things like marriage.  Seen too many fail.

4. Do you have a photo blog? (If so, feel free to share the link with us.)  -- Nope, just a regular blog.

5. Do you find yourself driving less due to the high gas prices? -- No, but thankfully I don't have to drive much anyway.

6. What's the high temperature today where you are? -- 100 degrees with a heat index somewhere around 105.

7. "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Agree, or no? -- I hate humidity.  That's what makes it just so nasty out.  Heat I can do, but 80% humidity has to go.

8. What's the hottest you've ever been in your life? -- Possibly at Disneyworld.  it was nasty hot that day.

9. Non-temperature related last question: In your opinion... who's hot? -- Would it be cheating to say my boyfriend and his great big brain?

Friday Fill-Ins #4

And...here we go!

1. Life is like a raging ocean; grab something and ride the waves.

2. The library is one of the best places to people watch EVER because the weirdest collection of people hang out there...

3. if I was going somewhere, the one thing I have to bring is books, lots and lots of books.

4. I cannot eat this pie soon enough. Yum!

5. Next year, I would love to be getting ready for law school.

6. I was looking for multiple first books in multiple series at the library and I found the second or fifth, but never the first.  Argh!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pie and Monty Python, tomorrow my plans include a possible dinner with friends and Sunday, I want to go the art museum!

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I Hate Moving

Top Ten Tuesday's topic was "Books You Believe Should Be Required Reading for Teens."  I just couldn't think of any.  My brain is not working well this week.  Instead, I thought of my own Top Ten this week.  As I just moved from Indiana to Nebraska two weeks ago, I present: Top Ten Reasons I Hate Moving

1. Realizing how much crap I have -- I organized my things.  I had multiple trips to the Goodwill drop-off.  I filled many garbage bags.  And yet, I still have a mountain of crap.  How did I acquire all this stuff?  Now I have to go through it again.  Weed out the important (I found the boys' savings bonds and my birth certificate, could come in handy), trash the trash.  Finally, I have to figure out where to put all this crap.  J definitely doesn't have enough room or storage areas.

2. Dust bunnies -- While loading and unloading the truck and unpacking, I sneezed almost constantly.  Two days after moving, I got a cold.  I blame you dust bunnies.  Left to your own devices, you've taken over my stuff.  You've irritated my nose and eyes and royally pissed off my immune system.  Be warned, I bought a Swiffer.  Your end is coming.

3. Losing stuff --  How is it that I pack everything I own in boxes and  still misplace things while unpacking?  It never fails.  it used to be that my toys would go "missing" every time I moved as a child.  I believed my mom when she said things just got misplaced.  In my teen years, I swore that she threw my stuff away every move.  Now, I don't know.  I've lost things in this move.  Hopefully they will turn up, but I don't have much hope.

4. Cardboard box paper cuts -- They are so much worse than regular writing paper cuts.

5. DMV crap -- Why exactly does the DMV have to kill me?  They make it so hard to get a driver's license.  I can't even figure out all the forms I need to bring.  It's like a secret association.  I feel like I need the code word to actually talk to a human being and get a straight answer.  I'm dreading having to go this week.

6. Mail forwarding -- I changed my address online with the USPS.  I got a confirmation; J got a confirmation.  And yet, I don't think the USPS has actually forwarded my mail.  This is just the most ridiculous system ever.

7. New crap -- It never fails.  You move but somehow you have to buy more crap.  The first day here, I realized J had no cleaning supplies (typical bachelor guy), ~7 hangers, no furniture for the boys.  So we went shopping.  Great fun!  I like shopping, but not this kind of shopping.

8. Locations -- One of the first things I did... look up the locations of nearby grocery stores, Target, Old Navy, bookstores, and fast food restaurants.  Essential places to know.  Driving around this week, every time I've seen something interesting, I have to make a mental note of where this crap is.

9. New friends -- J has some friends, I've met them.  They're awesome, but now I have to actually make friends with people without J.  Very hard for a shy person like me.

10. Coffeehouses and bars -- Two essentials for me.  I still need to find a good comfy coffeehouse.  I'm really missing Firefly right now.  And I need to find a comfy quirky bar with good alcohol.  Another difficult task.

Honorable mention: Bruises -- I bruise at the drop of a hat.  So imagine me attempting to pack and unpack boxes and load and unload the truck.  I have bruises everywhere.  I'm still finding them.  And most I'm assuming I got while moving, but I can't actually remember how I got them.

Saturday 9: The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. Do you believe in the concept of the devil? -- I believe in the concept of evil.  Not necessarily the Christian entity of the devil.

2. What's your favorite nickname that you're called? -- TFrances.  Hey that's my Wordpress name.

3. What would you do if someone cheated on you? -- Dump them immediately.  If they're cheating, obviously something was very wrong in the relationship.  Cheating is a violation of trust.  Unless you are part of a couple that practices an open relationship.  I would never do that, but I don't ban others for making that choice.

4. Do you ever cry at a movie? -- All the freaking time.  I just saw Harry Potter last night and started bawling when Snape died.  I loved Snape.  And I cried more when we saw his memories through the pensive.  And again when Harry used the resurrection stone.  And when I saw George dead.  Pretty much the last 30 minutes of the movie I was crying.

5. Have you got “a ball & chain” or are you single? Are you happy with your status? -- I do have "a ball & chain."  We are doing great, thanks for asking.

6. Who do you got to for advice? -- No one currently

7. When was the last time someone yelled at you? -- Probably the week before I moved, so three weeks ago.

8. When was the last time you spoke with someone that you met online? -- Hmmm... do blog comments count?  If so, then about two weeks ago.

9. Where did you go on your honeymoon? OR Where would you like to go on your honeymoon?  If I ever get married, I would love to go to Europe.  Any part really.  It's all amazing.

Friday Fill-Ins #3

And...here we go!

1. I hold an apple pie, just baked, smelling delicious.

2. Myself is someone I like to travel with because then I can take my time.

3. That day, I will have a huge two story library with a comfy leather chair, reading lamp, and fireplace.

4. My life has changed for the better this year.

5. Trust me, no one really wants to hear one side of you cell phone conversations.

6. Fireflies can only be seen in the dark.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include watching Torchwood! (it has to download from the server) and Sunday, I want to lounge about a park with a book!

Friday Fill-Ins #2

 

And...here we go!

1. Blue skies make me happy.

2. Trips down memory lane can be painful.

3. Kids are a blessing and a curse.

4. Food, Laziness, Thrills and Chills; these are some of the best things about vacation.

5. Love is very complicated.

6. Cats don't like submarine races.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting settled in my new city, tomorrow my plans include picking up the boys from the airport and Sunday, I want to do nothing, but I'll probably be unpacking!

Saturday 9: Make You Feel My Love

Make You Feel My Love

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. What has someone done unusual to make you feel their love? -- Wrote notes.  I know doesn't sound that unusual, but I've never really gotten love letters before.  Someone took the time to sit and write a series of letters about me, about them, and to me.  I cherish those letters.

2. Do you own a smart phone? If yes, is it everything you wanted? If no, how seriously have you considered a purchase of the new smart phone? -- Nope.  Soon, soon soon.  Right now, I just have a crappy non-Internet phone.

3. Have you ever camped out to purchase something? -- Absolutely not.  Nothing is worth camping out to get it.  I can just wait until I can walk in and buy it quickly.

4. What is your worst habit? -- Messiness.  I am not the cleanest person of all.  I don't leave food and stuff around, but papers, piles of mail...  that stays.  I need to do better at constantly picking things up.

5. What is your best habit? -- Writing...  At least I'm trying to keep it up.  I see writing as a great exercise.  It's a great habit.

6. In your opinion, what is life's greatest mystery? -- Love.  How does it work?  Is it all chemical?  Is it all from that thing called a soul?  Such a mystery.

7. Are you one of those people who is constantly busy with projects, social outings, etc. or do you just like to lay low and stay home? -- I would say half and half.  I like going out and doing things, but I need some down time.

8. Whether you're busy all the time or like to just chill, have you always been that way? -- Yeah.  I love social time, but I have to have alone time to regroup.

9. Is there something you'd like to change about how you spend your time? If so, what is it? If not, why not? -- I would love to actually have a job.  Weird, I know.  But I hate sitting around not having a somewhat semiregular schedule.