Target Thursday

In honor of Halloween for my Target Thursday I will share with how I made it through without eating the Halloween candy. To me there are two main rules to survival.


1. Don't buy the candy ahead of time- we bought ours last night.

2. Don't buy candy you like: So I am sad to report the trick or treaters at our house did not get Reese Peanut Butter Cups, M & M's, Hershey Bars, or Snickers but instead got Kit Kats & Butterfingers

Weekly Progress: down 1 pound :)

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A side note to my Halloween Costume (I am the short one). Now procrastinating on the Halloween candy is a good thing. Procrastinating on the Halloween outfit a bad thing. I spent 2.5 hours store hopping last night trying to find cat ears and a tail. So I finally realized I would have to make the cat ears- so people with a weak stomach might want to look away:

Wordeless Wednesday

Ode to Carver

This picture was taken Dec 2006 by me holding up the camera through the sun roof. (For people who do not read Carvers sight she is famous for her car photography)

Time Travel Tuesday

This week Annie has us travelling back to our favorite Halloween costumes.

When I was a kid, I can only remember 3 of my costumes,a bunny rabbit, a painter, and hippie. I think I was more into getting the chocolate candy than dressing ups.

In college (1982)my roommate and I dressed up as Raggedy Annie and Andy- I was Annie, and Sue was Andy.

At work the department usually has a theme so the groups I have been a part of have been:

Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolfe (I am the short one-1986)

Football Players (I am #67, 2002)

...and last year we dressed up as Math Super Hero's. I was Protractor Girl who "Righted" all wrongs. (on the end with the black cape)

As groups we have also been Domino's, M&M's, Construction Workers, and High School Graduates. This year we are doing "Cats" the musical, although I haven't started on my outfit yet-yikes!!

Menu Plan Monday

Well last weeks plan did not go that well. The only thing I accomplished was the Chicken Marsala- and we are giving the recipe that I posted 4 stars, very easy and very tasty.

One of the goals I set with my self is to try one new recipe a week, it has been fun finding and trying these.

This weeks plan: (some our left over from last week since they did not get made. )

Monday: Left over crockpot meatballs that I made on Sunday

Tuesday: Green & White Lasagna.
*This is the new recipe of the week.

Wednesday: Tuna Casserole

Thursday: Chicken on the Grill

Friday: I am going to Vegas baby!!

Click recipe to enlarge






As a side note Renee was kind enough to give me "Your Blog is a Treat Award" . I would like to pass it on to Laura at the Safe Harbor since she has a very nice "G" rated blog, a great sense of humor, and gives lots of **hugs** and **smiles** with her comments.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!!

Photo Hunt: PINK

This week we photo hunted for something PINK, now from the pictures I have seen so far there are two camps, people who like PINK and people who are not crazy about it. I happen to like pink and used to wear it all the time.

The first time I wore pink was back in the late 70's early 80's when the preppy style was the way to dress. I bought a pink oxford shirt. I loved it, but was not sure I could pull it off. Well regardless if I pulled it off or not, it quickly became my favorite shirt and I had my senior high school picture taken in it. (Proud graduate of NHS class of '81)

I met Michael 2 months after my 25th birthday. It also was 2 months after his 21st birthday. To me it was love at first site.

When Michael and I started getting serious, within the next month we exchanged photos- So I dressed up in my black skirt and pink top. It was after seeing this picture, Michael's mom thought I was a brazen hussy that was way too old for her precious first born.

And of course you can't talk about PINK without a final plug for breast cancer awareness. If you haven't donated to the cause yet this month please do so at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure website

Friday's Feast

Happy Friday Everyone! Since it is almost Novemeber I am already dreaming of Thanksgiving. Here is a picture of Linda, Thomas, & I about to enjoy a Turkey Day Feast. (picture taken by Michael-2003)


Appetizer: Name a great website you would recommend to other people.
I don't really visit any websites othere than blogs and my finacial stuff so I am going to say:
Free Battered Women Site: I was reading about a battered women who killed her husband in self defense and she is currently in jail, this site helps fights injustices like that. The reason I recommended it is mainly just so people can be aware of this issue.


Soup: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?


7

My friend Kerry (of my salad group) asked if we had reacurrent dreams, because she did but they were always bad. So she always likes to tell my reacurrent dream instead.

My parachute doesn't open, but for some reason I land smack in the middle of my back yard of where I grew up unharmed. Kerry loves this dream because she feels it must be so nice to have such a safe place in my life.

Although the picture doesn't do our back yard justice- when I think of our backyard, I think of all the games we played plus I think my sister and I are really styling !(1973)


Salad: Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?
Rusty a Cocker Spaniel
Flipper : a beagle
Sam: A pure bread English Setter
Snoopy: Sams' son & the neighbors pure bread Irish Setter
Rufus McDuff: Carrien Terror
Bear: mostly German Shepard
2 bunnies that both ran away.

Main Course: If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?
The Stay in school commericals.

Dessert: What is your favorite kind of hard candy?
Not really a fan of hard candy(chocolate candy now your talking). Up until last year I would of said wintergreen lifesavers, however I cracked my tooth on one and no longer eat them.

Target Thursday

One of the things that has helped me is having a workout "walking" buddy. My buddy is my husband Michael. It seems if one of us is not in the mood for our nightly walk the other one will make sure they get in the mood. It is very easy to just quit on yourself- it is harder to quit on your buddy.

Get a neighbor, join a ladies walking group in town, I used to walk with a co-worker at lunch, but it can be after work too.

Before we moved to California my best friend Sue was my once a week work out buddy. It is ok if one of you is more athletic, I roller bladed while Sue jogged. But then we discovered we were pretty equal on the tennis court and started playing once a week.

But I do have to warn against being too good of friends with your workout buddy, because then we started going out afterwards, and eating more calories than we burned off. And then we would cut our games short and eat even more treats, until one time Sues hubby asked, "Are you sure you are playing tennis tonight with Theresa?" To which she replied "yes" and then he replied "won't you be needing your racket?" :) {not to make excuses but in our defense we were living about 45 minutes away from each other at this time and we had to pack a lot in our visits}

Status Report: no gain :), but no loss either.

On another note I would like to thank Nancy for the BFF award. We just discovered each other blogs and seem to share a lot of the same 80's memories.

About this award: "Presented to awesome blog owners who keep their readers excited about their posts. Their blog posts are interesting and worth reading and keep their readers looking forward to each and every post."

For a couple of months before I started blogging I read only one persons blog. It is due to her I started blogging, so since she has been their from the start I wish to pass this award onto (now don't cry nepotism) to my sister-in-law Linda. We are sister-in-laws due to the fact our husbands are brothers- but we are also friends in our own right- and have an awesome girls weekend planned at the end of November (she lives in Arizona)

Wordless Wednesday

Can you tell what Michael is Scaling from the Shadow?

Here is a Hint


If you guessed Half Dome in Yosemite Park, you win today's prize: My admiration of your geology skills :) . I'll blog more about this fantastic park and why there are so many kids in my picture when it isn't Wordless Wednesday

Time Travel Tuesday

This week Annie has us travelling back to a serious accident or illness. Although I have had accidents and illnesses, luckily for me none of them have been the serious kind.

I have had a few incidents where I have needed to get stiches so I have scars on the following spots on my body:

My scalp from where I got hit in the head with a golf club.

My side of face from when I fell off backwards from my grandmas' porch (about 3-5 ft) and hung myself on a nail.

My bendy part of the finger to remind me never to use scissors to cut wire again.

My ankles due to IV's I had when I was little due to dehydration, .....

But I think I will tell you about my funniest scar- even the doctor couldn’t wait to tell this one at the dinner table- he thought it was hysterical. Want to guess where else I have a scar due to stitches? You guessed it my bum.

First off you need a little terminology lesson. A pilot chute is the gadget you use to open your parachute. Now a days it is located underneath the bottom of the parachute, but it used to be located on a leg strap.

Anyway it came time to open my parachute and I reached for my pilot chute, and I thought that’s funny I didn’t get it, I tried again and I still didn’t get it, then I looked backed for it and I saw my leg strap bobbing back and forth in the wind (at 120 mph) because it somehow loosened making it impossible to get the pilot chute.

I tried for it one more time, but didn’t get it, so I pulled my reserve parachute. My reserve parachute is round and does not have much maneuverability. When I looked down, I realized I would never make it back to the dropzone (Michael knows why). Unfortunately we were jumping in Hazleton PA at the time which has lots of huge trees which were the only thing under me at the time.

But all the theory said, tree landing are not bad, just cover your face with your arms. I remembered this, so I was nice and calm as I was about to go through a 30-40 foot tree. Well yes tree landings are soft if you pick a live tree—I happened to pick a dead tree whose branches stuck me all the way down, and yes one pierced me in the bum- and that my friends is why there is a scar there.

Menu Mondays

Last week the menu broke down a bit because of how much food the meatball recipie made. We had if for three nights-It was pretty easy to make, and was tastey-I cut the recipie in half next time. And for the other two nights we had the spaghetti chicken caserole- so I need to watch the proportions this week.

This Weeks Plan:

Monday: Ceaser Chicken Salad

Tuesday: Chicken Marsala (this is Michael's favorite meal) And this is the meal I will be trying out a new recipie for which is called Easier Chicken Marsala and the recipie is at the end of the blog.

Wedneday: Tuna Caserole

Thursday: Tri-Tip Steak on the Grill

Friday: Leftovers

On a side note I have a couple awards to share, thanks to Alison.

First the Wonder Women award: It didn't come with a description- but I am giving to Nancy at Nancy Nonsense of Nothingness because reading her blog I have been very impressed with what a wonderful person and mother she is and her home made Halloween costumes. I linked to her A to Z meme which was done last week and was also quite impressive.


The second award is the Community Blogger Award which is given to someone that promotes other blogs, and helps to extend the Blog community. Although I know she has already received this award I am passing this award onto Jeni at Down River Drive because she will post paragraphs on the blogs she reads which includes synopsis of what the blog and blogger is about. She also share the new ones that are worthwhile to read. And she intertwines this with Princess Maya stories, and the going ons in her small western PA town.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Easier Chicken Marsala
SUBMITTED BY: D. Alexander PHOTO BY: Caroline C
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, garlic salt, pepper, and oregano. Dredge chicken in the mixture to lightly coat.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken in the skillet for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned on one side. Turn chicken over, and add mushrooms. Cook about 2 minutes, until other side of chicken is lightly browned. Stir mushrooms so that they cook evenly.
Pour Marsala wine over the chicken. Cover skillet, and reduce heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Blogging Without Obligations

I ran across this sign at Sabine's and since Sunday is my only day that I do not have a specific meme to do, I thought it would be a great title for my Sunday's blog.

I just came from Jeni's sight where she talked about Sunday being a family day which is perfect because ever since I visted Shelby's post about two weeks ago I had this picture in mind to post. I thought of it again with the cousin question on Friday's Feast.

This is a picture of one of my aunts, who is also my godmother.

I am in the blue with the late 80's hair do. I am holding my sister's first born, whom I am the godmother of. (Time has flown-just this year her mother and I dropped her off at college).

I have always liked this picture of the generations of godmothers.

Picture taken July of 1989.


On another note Alison was so kind to give me this treat, it is for the person that you enjoy reading their comments they left you.

As I mentioned before, I love getting comments, and value all of them. I decided to pass this award onto one of my new readers whose comments I enjoy: Michelle of Shells Life

Photo Hunters

This week we were to hunt for something practical. I chose my parents- although my mom is less practical now then she was when I was growing up (Sorry mom but it is true- too many QVC & HSN gadgets).

I grew up in a house that my dad built, and he built most of the furniture inside. Our toys included stilts that he made, a bumper pool table that he made, doll houses complete with furniture that he made-ok I think you get the picture. I don't recall him ever buying anything frivolous when I was growing up.

My mom made most of our clothes until we were in third grade. She also made our doll's clothes. And made the curtains for our house. She rarely used the dryer -even in the winter time with snow on the ground she would hang the clothes on the clothes line (which by the way my dad made). I remember her having at least a zillion coupons for every possible item.

But growing up I can't remember wanting for anything, and I had a great childhood. But most important they instilled these practical values in me-which I believe keeps me very well grounded and happy with what I have.

So without further ado I give you my parents: Mr. & Mrs. Practical (for 49 years and counting!)

Picture taken by Michael in 2002

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why? This is a tough one I love dogs- it would definitely be a bigger one, in the running are:

St Bernard -I can sympathize with their drooling problem-don't ask:)
German Shepard -I like their take charge attitude
Golden Retriever-because I feel these are the friendliest dogs on earth

but I am going to chose a cross between a full bread Irish & English setter (one it would be considered a mutt like me and 2 it was the best dog we ever had growing up he had a white chest a white star on his forehead and a tad of white at the tip of his tail and everywhere else red)

Soup: What does the color purple make you think of?

2 things first thought was of the movie "the color purple"

second thought was of a room I painted in our last house, it was supposed to be a cross between lavender and a light purple- Instead it came out looking like Barney Purple.

Salad: Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

1/2 hour- I do not wear makeup and I don't blow dry my hair.

Main Course: How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

First cousins a total of 16: 8 on my dad side, and 8 on my moms side, although on my mom side a lot of her cousins are near my age and I think of them as 1st cousins too -however counting in 2nd cousins the total would be over 70

We were close when we were growing up lots of reunions & weddings to go to.

Picture to my right my mom side 1st cousins (3 missing) Below, my 1st cousins on my dad's side.

Dessert: Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

TBM: Three Blind Mice (not original but it works!)

Target Thursday

As I mentioned 2 weeks ago- one of the goals my life coach set for me is to exert myself a bit more when I workout.

So Michael and I decided to go on a hike in the mountains on Sunday, because I do exert myself when I walk uphills.

Our goal was to go to Sturtevant falls which was 1.2 miles from where we started out. Well after hiking for about a 30 minutes we came across this sign- somehow we were now 1.25 miles from Sturtevant falls-hmmmm how could that of happened!

But none-the-less I did exert myself while hiking uphill, the best part is we actually passed another couple going uphill which is unheard of for me.

Weekly Progress: lost 1 pound

On a different note: Linda, over at {this & that} presented me with the Community Bloggers Award. She told me this award was created by Cellobella's over at Sultana Blog, where you can read why she created this award.

Thank you Linda for feeling my blog is a friendly place to come to visit. I do look forward from hearing from my little "blog community" on what they think of my posts.

I would like to pass this award on to Carver at Carver's Sight or is that Site? because when she blogs about her travels I feel I am right there walking with her. (I also admire her car photography)

Wordless Wednesday

This week you have a double dose, since these pictures were taken one right after the other.

I Don't Care What the Map Says: We Need to go THIS WAY!

Oh wait, Stop auguring and *SMILES* for the Camera

Pictures taken by my friend Sue in April of 2006 in the British Virgin Islands

Time Travel Tuesday

This week Annie wants us to:
Tell us the most adventurous thing you have ever done! What gave you the courage to do it or try it and how did you feel afterwards?

I love this topic but it is hard just to pick one, so I am going to go with my first skydive.

My best friend and I were sitting around watching TV one late summer day, and something about skydiving came up on the TV and I said "I have always wanted to do that" to which she replied "me too"

So we found a place in the yellow pages and the following weekend we were jumping out of an airplane. Although I was terrified all the way up (and promised my self I would never do anything this stupid again if I live). When the door open I was thinking what did I get my self into? I remember I was to be the 4th jumper out so I had to watch 3 1st time jumpers before me. Right before me was my friend Sue. Sue never is afraid of anything- and I looked at her and she is very white. I was thinking don't chicken out-because then I will too.

Sue went, then the plane did a circle and it was my turn. I had to climb out on the strut of the plane, and when my instructor said go- I let go and away I went. Now I learned on the static line method so my chute automatically opened after 5 seconds. I don't remember much of that 5 seconds, but when my chute opened- I thought wow that was fun!

The picture is taken right before our first jump in September on 1986. This is one of Michael's favorite pictures- he keeps it on the wall on his side of the bed.

I skydived seriously for about 13 years and have over 1000 jumps. It is how I met my husband (maybe that should be my biggest adventure).

Blue Skies Everyone!!

Treats!

One of my new blog friends MommyBa gave me this treat for Halloween. The goal of this "treat" is to keep it going until Halloween.

Now the idea behind the "TREAT" is that you pass it on to a fellow new blogger that was a TREAT to discover. I have to admit sometimes I am a lurker and do not leave comments, but I did come across a blog this Sunday that I enjoyed and definitely was a TREAT to discover.

So I am giving this treat to:

**part of the idea of this treat is to introduce people to new blog sites, therefore although they are not new to my blog circle, I would like to give honarable mention to both Jeni and Shelby for always supporting and advertising other peoples blogs.

Menu Plan Monday #2

I was really impressed with how I stuck to my menu last week if I do say so myself (except for the sides due to left overs). So I am back planning again.


Michael really enjoyed the pork chops last week, he raved about the sauce which had apples and he didn't even know he liked cooked apples. So I decided I would try one new recipe a week- which is really easy because I have quite a cookbook collection thanks to my mom. The picture only represents about 1/4 my recipe collection.

So with out further ado here is my plan for the week...

Monday: Apple Hamburger balls in Pastry (see recipe below if interested). This is my new recipe of the week- in honor of Michael's new found love of apples. Sides-Michael, corn Me-some kind of beans.

Tuesday: Tri-Tip Steak on the grill (we have a local butcher that has great Tri-tip) Sides: Broccoli and Potato

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Wheat Pasta, Chicken, Broccoli, casserole in a cream of chicken sauce.

Friday: Chicken Cesar Salad


Here is Monday's Recipe from the Southern Living Meat Cookbook

Have a Great Week Everybody!

Over at Laura's the home of Monday Menu Plan, she had a cute fast personality test to take The Hundred Acre Personality Quiz my result is recapped in the following picture.