OK, so I am way behind on what has been going on in my life. First off, I did something Saturday that I have never done before. I went to the Opera. One of our movie theaters here shows a live broadcast from the Met in New York. We saw Lucia di Lammermoor. It was wonderful. You can read more about it all here. I didn't know if I would like the opera...turns out I do. :)
Now, for my book review...
I am still putting Pride and Prejudice on hold as I still have books on hold at the library. But, my neighbor told me I could borrow her copy whenever I was ready to finish it. Thanks Sue! So, I just finished Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. It is the final installment in the Twilight series. Here goes (SPOILER):
Breaking Dawn
By Stephanie Meyer
I really enjoyed this book, I think that it was my favorite of the 4. She really wrote it well and was EXTREMELY descriptive. I was very glad that she made Bella be strong as a vampire since she was SO not strong as a human. In fact, her character really irritated me throughout the whole series, she was very unselfaware. I will say that this book I was able to connect with her a bit more. She gets pregnant, and no matter what anyone tells her, she is determined to keep the vampire baby, even if it kills her which she knows it probably will. I think this is how people that WANT to be mothers feel. You just want that baby no matter what the consequences to you are going to be. She loved her baby and that was all there was to it. I knew that the connection with Jacob the werewolf was going to be. It had to happen. He hadn't "imprinted" on Bella as they say so there had to be a reason that relationship was so strong. Of course he was going to "imprint" on her daughter, it was very predictable. Again, thoughout the book she was strong and I liked that. It made up for her weakness in the other books. If you haven't read this series, I suggest it. Yeah, it is about vampires and werewolves, but it is a good read. I really want to see the movie Twilight to see how it compares to the book.
Now I am reading The Friday Night Knitting Club: Knit Two by Kate Jacobs. I read the first one last year and it was SO good. So, of course I had to read the sequel. I also have Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich in the waiting. I love her, she is SO funny! Then, I have nothing else on hold and WILL read P&P.
Finally, I forgot about recipe Monday. So, I am going to post two today. We had Recipe Club here this morning with Death By Chocolate. Only one other person showed up, so here are our recipes:
GERMAN'S (R) Sweet Chocolate Pie
Prep: 15 mintues plus freezing
1 pkg. (4 lz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
1/3 c. milk, divided
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 T. sugar
1 tub Cool Whip
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Microwave chocolate and 2 T of the milk in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Add cream cheese, sugar, and remainig milk. Beat with wire whisk until well blended. Refrigerate about 10 minutes to cool. Gently stir in whipped topping until well blended. Spoon into crust. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Garnsih as desired. Let pie stand at room temperature or in refrigerator about 15 minues before serving for easier cutting. Makes 8 servings.
**Weight Watchers--6 pounts for 1/8 of pie**
Striped Snack Mix
1 box Rice Chex
1/2 bag pretzels
jar of peanuts
large package of M&M's
1 pound white chocolate bark
1 pound chocolate bark
Mix chex, pretzels, peanuts, and M&M's. Melt white chocolate according to package. Poor over snack mix and stir until coated. Poor out onto wax paper in one layer to let dry. Melt chocolate bark according to package. Using spoon or fork, drizzle over snack mix in stripes. When completely dry, break up and store in airtight container. Enjoy!
Hope everyone is doing well. Take care!
Love,
Theresa
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Book Review
OK, so I had to take a little break on Pride and Prejudice for just a little bit for 2 reasons. One, I have to read every word at least twice. Now I pride myself on being a fast reader and I can usually comprehend pretty well what I read, but this book is just about KILLING me. If I hadn't made a promise to myself to read it, I would SO stop! But, onward ho! The second reason is that I had 2 books come in that I had put on hold at the library, Cross Country by James Patterson and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I have to get them both back to the library before P&P has to be back, so I had to take a little bit to read it. So, I finished Cross Country so here is my review:
Cross Country
Author: James Patterson
This might be a bit of a spoiler so if you haven't read it and plan to, then you MIGHT want to skip it. Anyway, the book was pretty good. Eric and I are big fans of the Alex Cross series. This one was typical Cross fashion. I did figure out who the bad guy was before the end of the book though. This book was a little more political than his usually are, sending Alex Cross to Nigeria, Africa to chase a killer. There was a lot of portrayal of the horror in Darfur. I have to admit that I really haven't paid too much attention to what has been going on over there. As bad as I felt for those people, it has been difficult for me to listen to it all, but this book really opened my eyes. I know that it is a fiction book, but I am going to guess that it is pretty spot on with what is happening over there. Like I said, the ending was fairly obvious, well, except for the last couple of pages. But, on the whole, good read. If you haven't read any of the Alex Cross series, I highly suggest them. Patterson writes really well.
I am still working on Breaking Dawn right now, so I will let you know what I think of it (and the entire series) when I finish. It is going pretty quickly.
I am currently retyping what I had typed on my own novel. I am so frustrated. I had quite a bit typed up, and I tried to put the disk in and it won't pull it up. So, I am retyping. Thank the LORD mom made me learn how to type, I would be a bit screwed if she hadn't!
I worked out a TON today. I went to Body Pump Class and then did my second installment of the Couch to 5K program. So, I burned off a lot of calories and worked up a good sweat. I feel really good though, although my legs are a little weak. Feels good!
All for today,
Love,
Theresa
Cross Country
Author: James Patterson
This might be a bit of a spoiler so if you haven't read it and plan to, then you MIGHT want to skip it. Anyway, the book was pretty good. Eric and I are big fans of the Alex Cross series. This one was typical Cross fashion. I did figure out who the bad guy was before the end of the book though. This book was a little more political than his usually are, sending Alex Cross to Nigeria, Africa to chase a killer. There was a lot of portrayal of the horror in Darfur. I have to admit that I really haven't paid too much attention to what has been going on over there. As bad as I felt for those people, it has been difficult for me to listen to it all, but this book really opened my eyes. I know that it is a fiction book, but I am going to guess that it is pretty spot on with what is happening over there. Like I said, the ending was fairly obvious, well, except for the last couple of pages. But, on the whole, good read. If you haven't read any of the Alex Cross series, I highly suggest them. Patterson writes really well.
I am still working on Breaking Dawn right now, so I will let you know what I think of it (and the entire series) when I finish. It is going pretty quickly.
I am currently retyping what I had typed on my own novel. I am so frustrated. I had quite a bit typed up, and I tried to put the disk in and it won't pull it up. So, I am retyping. Thank the LORD mom made me learn how to type, I would be a bit screwed if she hadn't!
I worked out a TON today. I went to Body Pump Class and then did my second installment of the Couch to 5K program. So, I burned off a lot of calories and worked up a good sweat. I feel really good though, although my legs are a little weak. Feels good!
All for today,
Love,
Theresa
Monday, February 2, 2009
New Recipe Monday!
Here is the recipe for this week...it was GREAT!
White Chicken Chili
(taken from allrecipies.com)
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.
Changes I made: I used 3 CANS of cooked chicken, only because I didn't have any chicken breasts thawed. I used 2 cans of green chilis instead of one of each of jalapenos and one of green chilies. I also mashed up another can of white beans and threw that in. Oh, DON"T drain the beans...this one I figured out the hard way!
No dessert recipe today, go fix yourself some fresh fruit! :)
White Chicken Chili
(taken from allrecipies.com)
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.
Changes I made: I used 3 CANS of cooked chicken, only because I didn't have any chicken breasts thawed. I used 2 cans of green chilis instead of one of each of jalapenos and one of green chilies. I also mashed up another can of white beans and threw that in. Oh, DON"T drain the beans...this one I figured out the hard way!
No dessert recipe today, go fix yourself some fresh fruit! :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
You Know You Want To Give It A Try!
Lucky you!
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}
4. You have no clue what it's going to be.
It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!
*Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!*
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}
4. You have no clue what it's going to be.
It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!
*Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!*
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I'm All Good!
Just wanted to let everyone know that my skin biopsies all came back normal. Well, all safe anyways. One of the spots WAS atypical, but he wasn't worried about it. He said to just keep an eye on it. They went ahead and biopsied one more spot. He said that if I didn't hear anything than all was fine. They would call me if there were any problems with it, but for the most part No News Is Good News! So what a relief. I have really been stressing about this. So, I am so glad all is well. Thanks for the prayers.
It is SO white outside here. We have gotten anywhere from 5-7 inches of snow. It really is beautiful. I think Layla and I are going to play some games and do puzzles. It is too cold to go outside and play in it, so when Jillian goes down for a nap, it is PLAY time!
Thanks again everyone for the prayers,
Love,
Theresa
It is SO white outside here. We have gotten anywhere from 5-7 inches of snow. It really is beautiful. I think Layla and I are going to play some games and do puzzles. It is too cold to go outside and play in it, so when Jillian goes down for a nap, it is PLAY time!
Thanks again everyone for the prayers,
Love,
Theresa
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
25 Things About Me!
Taken From my Facebook Page
1. I know the book "Good Night Moon" by heart
2. I LOVE to cook and bake. I wish that I could make all the things I want to, but I would weigh 400 pounds!
3. I really enjoy lifting weights and wish I could find time to do it more.
4. I love to knit and sew and really enjoy making very "girlie" things for my 2 daughters even though I'm a big tomboy.
5. I've never really given up on the dream of being a writer, it has just gone from being a song writer to a fiction writer.
6. I have owned 2 Ipods and have not paid for either one, The first was a gift from one of the teenagers I worked with (she had won 10 free ones) and the second Rian gave me (Thanks Rian).
7. I had NO desire to be in a sorority and was so angry at my friend Stacey when she joined Phi Beta Chi. She made me go meet the girls and they turned into my closest friends. So glad I joined!
8. When I had Jillian, I gave birth to 2 kidney stones too...Eric called them Mick and Keith, the Rolling Stones!
9. I have had close to 300 stitches: 3 in the head, 6 in the back, 2 in the chest, 10 "after baby" ones, and around 250-275 in the knee after 2 knee surgeries.
10. I have started the "Couch To 5K" Program about 5 or 6 times...this time I am sticking with it.
11. My all time favorite movie is "The Princess Bride". I can recite the entire movie. Eric HATES watching it with me. Runner ups are "The Fugitive" and "Jurassic Park".
12. I love music so much it is difficult to pick a favorite song, but I think that it is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" by George Thorogood or "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane. Admit it, you thought I would have said a Garth Brooks song, didn't you?
13. Garth Brooks is my favorite singer...I used to want to marry him. If he ever tours again, I WILL go see him, I don't care how far I have to fly or how much I have to pay for tickets.
14. I love to color and play with play dough and I get excited when Layla wants to do either!
15. I bleed black and gold and had ALWAYS wanted to be a Purdue Boilermaker, but I NEVER thought I would stay here and live.
16. We own 3.5 acres that we are waiting to build on...let's pray this market gets better!
17. One of my favorite things to do is to just sit and watch the girls play. After 10 months, Layla is FINALLY starting to play with Jillian and it is too darn cute!
18. My grandmother wanted so badly for me to be a nurse, but I can't stand the sight of blood or the sight or smell of puke...don't think it would have been the best choice of career for me.
19. I make the BEST brownies. Sorry, no modesty here...is anyone going to argue me on this? If so, you've never had my brownies!
20. I love to read, I can never get enough of books...I go to the library at least once a week and love it there so much, that I hope I can find a job there once the girls go to school.
21. I'm a little scared of horses. My mom has 2 and she wants to put Layla on them. She knows she isn't allowed to without a helmet, but I am still terrified. Oh, and she has NO idea I feel this way.
22. I LOVE to pile blankets on when I sleep...the more layers the better.
23. My new favorite drink is Smirnoff Mojitos...they are very yummy and it is all in one bottle!
24. A part of me missed going out almost every night and getting plastered, but then I wise up and realize I really hated puking so much!
25. My secret dream is to sing on a grand piano while wearing a red dress with a slit up the leg, silly I know, but what can I say?!?! Crap, guess it isn't so secret anymore huh?!?!
1. I know the book "Good Night Moon" by heart
2. I LOVE to cook and bake. I wish that I could make all the things I want to, but I would weigh 400 pounds!
3. I really enjoy lifting weights and wish I could find time to do it more.
4. I love to knit and sew and really enjoy making very "girlie" things for my 2 daughters even though I'm a big tomboy.
5. I've never really given up on the dream of being a writer, it has just gone from being a song writer to a fiction writer.
6. I have owned 2 Ipods and have not paid for either one, The first was a gift from one of the teenagers I worked with (she had won 10 free ones) and the second Rian gave me (Thanks Rian).
7. I had NO desire to be in a sorority and was so angry at my friend Stacey when she joined Phi Beta Chi. She made me go meet the girls and they turned into my closest friends. So glad I joined!
8. When I had Jillian, I gave birth to 2 kidney stones too...Eric called them Mick and Keith, the Rolling Stones!
9. I have had close to 300 stitches: 3 in the head, 6 in the back, 2 in the chest, 10 "after baby" ones, and around 250-275 in the knee after 2 knee surgeries.
10. I have started the "Couch To 5K" Program about 5 or 6 times...this time I am sticking with it.
11. My all time favorite movie is "The Princess Bride". I can recite the entire movie. Eric HATES watching it with me. Runner ups are "The Fugitive" and "Jurassic Park".
12. I love music so much it is difficult to pick a favorite song, but I think that it is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer" by George Thorogood or "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane. Admit it, you thought I would have said a Garth Brooks song, didn't you?
13. Garth Brooks is my favorite singer...I used to want to marry him. If he ever tours again, I WILL go see him, I don't care how far I have to fly or how much I have to pay for tickets.
14. I love to color and play with play dough and I get excited when Layla wants to do either!
15. I bleed black and gold and had ALWAYS wanted to be a Purdue Boilermaker, but I NEVER thought I would stay here and live.
16. We own 3.5 acres that we are waiting to build on...let's pray this market gets better!
17. One of my favorite things to do is to just sit and watch the girls play. After 10 months, Layla is FINALLY starting to play with Jillian and it is too darn cute!
18. My grandmother wanted so badly for me to be a nurse, but I can't stand the sight of blood or the sight or smell of puke...don't think it would have been the best choice of career for me.
19. I make the BEST brownies. Sorry, no modesty here...is anyone going to argue me on this? If so, you've never had my brownies!
20. I love to read, I can never get enough of books...I go to the library at least once a week and love it there so much, that I hope I can find a job there once the girls go to school.
21. I'm a little scared of horses. My mom has 2 and she wants to put Layla on them. She knows she isn't allowed to without a helmet, but I am still terrified. Oh, and she has NO idea I feel this way.
22. I LOVE to pile blankets on when I sleep...the more layers the better.
23. My new favorite drink is Smirnoff Mojitos...they are very yummy and it is all in one bottle!
24. A part of me missed going out almost every night and getting plastered, but then I wise up and realize I really hated puking so much!
25. My secret dream is to sing on a grand piano while wearing a red dress with a slit up the leg, silly I know, but what can I say?!?! Crap, guess it isn't so secret anymore huh?!?!
Yummy Recipies Monday!
Yeah, Yeah, I know it is Tuesday, but I didn't get this done yesterday. Each Monday, I will post some recipies. I have tried many, some I want to try, some just look good. All will be easy! So, here is this weeks installment, just a day late!
Chicken & Rice
4 Chicken Breasts
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Instant Rice (we use brown, but white is fine)
Milk
Seasonings (I usually do salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder).
Mix 1 1/2 can of the cream of chicken soups with the other soups. Stir in seasonings. Add Rice. Add milk so it is creamy, but not runny. Spray 9x13 dish. Put rice in dish. Place chicken on top. Spread remaining cream of chicken soup on top of chicken. Bake at 350 until chicken is done, usually about 45 minutes depending on size of chicken breasts.
Pudding Pie
1 Graham Cracker Crust
1 Pkg Chocolate Pudding Mix (or flavor of choice)
Milk
Whipped Topping
Mix pudding according to Pie Directions on the box. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with Whipped Topping before Serving.
Chicken & Rice
4 Chicken Breasts
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Instant Rice (we use brown, but white is fine)
Milk
Seasonings (I usually do salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder).
Mix 1 1/2 can of the cream of chicken soups with the other soups. Stir in seasonings. Add Rice. Add milk so it is creamy, but not runny. Spray 9x13 dish. Put rice in dish. Place chicken on top. Spread remaining cream of chicken soup on top of chicken. Bake at 350 until chicken is done, usually about 45 minutes depending on size of chicken breasts.
Pudding Pie
1 Graham Cracker Crust
1 Pkg Chocolate Pudding Mix (or flavor of choice)
Milk
Whipped Topping
Mix pudding according to Pie Directions on the box. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with Whipped Topping before Serving.
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