tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73452607287854603532024-03-04T23:24:05.513-06:00...Hiccups Happen...The habits and hiccups in The Haley Household.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-7337108937037987552012-03-29T23:28:00.000-05:002012-03-29T23:28:16.020-05:00How to Boil an EggSeriously. I found this on Pinterest and I thought, what kind of idiot doesn't know how to boil an egg? Apparently, I am an idiot!<br />
<br />
I have always put the eggs in the pot, covered them with water, put them on the stove on high and once they started boiling, I would let them go for 10 minutes! Of course, my yolk would never come out all yellow and nice looking. It always had the grey tinge to them, and so I figured if I added vinegar to the water, that would work. Nope. Same results.<br />
<br />
So I read through <a href="http://its-fitting.com/2012/01/good-enough-to-eat-do-you-know-how-to-boil-an-egg.html" target="_blank">THIS</a> post by Ashley and figured I would give it a try!<br />
<br />
Here are her directions completely:<br />
<br />
1) Grab your eggs (I’m using large eggs), and a pot. Pretty easy start, right?<br />
<br />
2) Put the eggs in the pot and cover them with water, only about an inch overhead.<br />
<br />
3) Put them on the stove and turn it on medium high heat.<br />
<br />
Now this is where you NEED to pay attention.<br />
<br />
4) As SOON as that water starts to boil (and I mean boil, not just a few bubble here and there), turn the stove off.<br />
<br />
5) Set the timer for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
6) When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the pot and put them in cold water. (Sometimes I put them in an ice bath, but I haven’t found that it really matters either way)<br />
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7) Let them sit for about 5 minutes and then dig in.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">And here is her picture:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxU1UiIKR75i4r3_7s86XqIiRzfVaaIZxSQvuJTkt6-3uzTptXxYUW9wpMOIB5SXKM3PY-roEZBnDUn1W7UylzbTeWrRxtPcC5BHOHvY2VD_XXPCUvYU2A-Gcs0HwvlVeI4x44KeTeVQV/s1600/hard_boiled_eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxU1UiIKR75i4r3_7s86XqIiRzfVaaIZxSQvuJTkt6-3uzTptXxYUW9wpMOIB5SXKM3PY-roEZBnDUn1W7UylzbTeWrRxtPcC5BHOHvY2VD_XXPCUvYU2A-Gcs0HwvlVeI4x44KeTeVQV/s320/hard_boiled_eggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My eggs came out looking exactly like hers on the left side!!! I only had one egg that didn't want to peel properly, but hey! At least I didn't have grey yolks!<br />
<br />
And for those who want to know why your yolks go grey: "That gray ring around the yolk is actually the iron in the egg yolk reacting with the hydrogen sulfide from the white… and only happens when you over cook it."<br />
<br />
So there you have it!<br />
Give it a try if you don't believe me!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-4266511408393563292012-03-26T16:19:00.000-05:002012-03-26T17:10:31.278-05:00The Force was Strong TodayFor the past couple of weeks I have been participating in my friends' Star Wars T-shirt Friday. Basically, you wear your Star Wars t-shirt, take a picture of it and post it. He would then take it and add it to his blog etc.<br />
<br />
Well, today I woke to find that The Force was pulling at me. Drawing me ever closer to wear one of my t-shirts even though it isn't Friday. The Force cannot be denied! So today I threw on my Return of the Jedi t-shirt!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5YLLYmoPQw8Wy_Wio25inhqL1L3FxJebBMbTRab9xbiftSA_pFKzBWqbVIfqjEETF-507c1fqLS3n79INTEzGy03Zhyphenhyphen0Hf5oY-S1nrdMN_dlyGvG1YtVwBBkoN7207UU4e-soxM1Wmyi/s1600/RotJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5YLLYmoPQw8Wy_Wio25inhqL1L3FxJebBMbTRab9xbiftSA_pFKzBWqbVIfqjEETF-507c1fqLS3n79INTEzGy03Zhyphenhyphen0Hf5oY-S1nrdMN_dlyGvG1YtVwBBkoN7207UU4e-soxM1Wmyi/s400/RotJ.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>I love it! My friend Christy found it and of course she knew I just absolutely needed to own it! LOL<br />
<br />
So my husband came home at lunch today and proceeded to scold me because today isn't Friday. So I told him "... you just don't get how The Force works. It called to me and so I had to put it on!" LOL<br />
<br />
Of course, I know I can wear my t-shirts whenever I want, but I also enjoy doing the whole Friday thing. And I have several others I can wear as well. :)<br />
<br />
Yep, The Force could not be ignored today!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-70999039347107891972012-03-22T22:16:00.000-05:002012-03-22T22:16:15.636-05:00Swagbucks!!!!I know there are a lot of people who currently hunt for swagbucks. Of course, there are those who have no idea what swagbucks is. Take a second to read and I will break it down for you. ;)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Haley32"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to go to Swagbucks!</span></a><br />
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Swagbucks is a search engine like Google, just not as powerful. When you use swagbucks to search online, you have a chance to earn points, or 'swagbucks' which can be traded in for gift cards and other prizes. <br />
<br />
First off, you should go to swagbucks.com daily and get your 4 bucks.<br />
Install the toolbar, and you will get 1 bucks every day. (Works for firefox and IE).<br />
Do the Daily Poll.<br />
Do the NOSO offers (skip all of them to the end).<br />
<br />
After you do those, then it is just a matter of searching with the engine! You don't really need to be searching for anything in particular. Most times, I search for things like "it's a small world" or "rocky top Tennessee". Like I said, the search engine isn't super powerful, so it doesn't really matter what you search for. We search throughout the day and sometimes win 3-4 times. Other days we only win 1-2 times, but it still doesn't take much to rack up your swagbucks!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ymGbjmPWA8ZtmLQQe2CMvYBkEBRxVpBqESS8ryFFEwcHvTXauDXEfM68dUZsH1aaAzSFnQRJE-8x7MCu4VxlzvlLFlt_9PG3xEe4TNcJAW3RYE7Neh-X93Wp4JFwNN-hRUdwuCs-UkG4/s1600/swag+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="138" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ymGbjmPWA8ZtmLQQe2CMvYBkEBRxVpBqESS8ryFFEwcHvTXauDXEfM68dUZsH1aaAzSFnQRJE-8x7MCu4VxlzvlLFlt_9PG3xEe4TNcJAW3RYE7Neh-X93Wp4JFwNN-hRUdwuCs-UkG4/s400/swag+lunch.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Friday's are Mega Swagbucks days! This means that you will most likely win a prize higher than 10 swagbucks throughout the day. Be sure to search on Fridays! ;)<br />
<br />
When you first sign up, don't forget to put in the captcha when you win, or else your swagbucks will not be counted. The captcha eventually disappears, and you might only have to enter one a week after that. (Swagbucks does this to ensure that it isn't a program running to find swagbucks.)<br />
<br />
Swagbucks also has Partner Sites that you can use to search, keep in mind however, that the swagbucks you find on those sites are only usable on said site. <br />
<br />
Swagbucks has many gift cards available for purchase! Our favorite is Amazon, so every 450 swagbucks = $5 Amazon gift card! We just go to the swag store and snag our gift card. It takes anywhere from 6-14 days for you to receive it, but it comes online, so all you have to do is enter the code in your Amazon account and bingo! Your gift card is ready to use!<br />
<br />
That's basically it.<br />
Enjoy swagbucks! Enjoy free gift cards!<br />
Have a great day!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-68022809433518060672012-03-21T19:37:00.000-05:002012-03-26T17:10:48.203-05:00I have started to rearrange my blog, but what a giant pain in the rump it is. Right now I have switched my header out with a little something created by my amazing friend <a href="http://worldofblackout.blogspot.com/">Blackout!</a><br />
<br />
I know I have to get rid of the bicycles and red and green - but I also know that I do not want my blog layout to be solely Star Wars. I have checked around and talked to a few graphic designers - let's just say that I am definitely not going to go that way. Yeesh!<br />
<br />
Recipes - I have a bunch that I need to post, but I don't want to post them until I know how my blog is going to look - because I have to make sure that my pictures will post on the proper orientation.<br />
<br />
So yeah, that's all I have got right now.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-55386354558511082012-03-18T18:32:00.000-05:002012-03-18T18:32:06.869-05:00Revamping the blogIt appears to me that my blog background doesn't exactly suit me anymore. So now I am on a journey to find and/or design it myself. I wish I still had Microsoft Access - that ish was awesome for playing out html and copy/paste to the 'edit html' section. Unfortunately, it bit the dust when my CPU with XP went bye bye.<br />
<br />
Not sure what I am looking for or what I am going to end up with... perhaps I should contact some designers online and see what is what with them. I know some of them charge though, and that is definitely not what I am looking for.<br />
<br />
So for now, I will sign off, but I must leave you with a little ditty.<br />
By my friend, The Mighty Blackout, I give you:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV41aHKqKu-zVWJRA2-U5A_GAZLbgqgfDcj01VyqSIU2Djp_NosiFTy9m0_JRrW-mQiycDoZY4H1RHI-EsMF0o9CxeitteZLtryRMupJTl6UjJa3ckBmY1W1bTv9jPTOD3irm4AZRia7Y/s1600/NerfLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV41aHKqKu-zVWJRA2-U5A_GAZLbgqgfDcj01VyqSIU2Djp_NosiFTy9m0_JRrW-mQiycDoZY4H1RHI-EsMF0o9CxeitteZLtryRMupJTl6UjJa3ckBmY1W1bTv9jPTOD3irm4AZRia7Y/s400/NerfLarge.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://worldofblackout.blogspot.com/">http://worldofblackout.blogspot.com/</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I can hardly wait until this is a t-shirt!! You know I am going to be all over it!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-89463684616814669412012-02-22T00:25:00.002-06:002012-02-22T01:37:41.498-06:00Chicken Mozza RanchI have been looking for a while now, for a good ranch recipe for my chicken. I have found some that add the weirdest ingredients and others that sound so completely bland. Finally today, I decided I was going to make my own ranch and chicken recipe.<br />
<br />
This is simple and quick. Total cook time is 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear. (165°F )<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_QZxRhrpqM_-Oe2-xUXP3tmBw5fVYIVIka3q7lHvvouRVQdFRhEpZTKn_dlu1eTowtZnb4_3mPLZMnxC4EQnZtLpdwNyjQNuaDj4NuD9iexzmfEdjo8m00rGoAx1iXt9bqG1w73xuXmb/s1600/P1040878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_QZxRhrpqM_-Oe2-xUXP3tmBw5fVYIVIka3q7lHvvouRVQdFRhEpZTKn_dlu1eTowtZnb4_3mPLZMnxC4EQnZtLpdwNyjQNuaDj4NuD9iexzmfEdjo8m00rGoAx1iXt9bqG1w73xuXmb/s320/P1040878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ingredients:<br />
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved<br />
1/2 cup ranch dressing (whichever you prefer)<br />
1/2 tsp flour<br />
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375°F <br />
Combine ranch dressing and flour in a measuring cup. Mix well to ensure flour does not clump to itself. Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a small spoon, coat one side of the chicken with ranch dressing and place in a shallow, 1 qt. or 1-2 qt. glass casserole dish. Once all pieces are placed in dish, use remaining dressing preparation to cover chicken entirely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoSafESEvpATP6UFxbDgdby4_BCgrRf7cGosS8Bdxs9fqx9e895vHp7MNp9XeEJMX9M6O8jNwaSSd7KepL-ZsHuF2ttsebs20O6gc3Hxu11jgXZG53Tfh8caepKH69Zx4MfjSpqmV4kUK/s1600/P1040874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoSafESEvpATP6UFxbDgdby4_BCgrRf7cGosS8Bdxs9fqx9e895vHp7MNp9XeEJMX9M6O8jNwaSSd7KepL-ZsHuF2ttsebs20O6gc3Hxu11jgXZG53Tfh8caepKH69Zx4MfjSpqmV4kUK/s320/P1040874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Bake in over for 40 minutes, (uncovered) or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. (165°F) Turn off oven. Remove casserole dish from oven and top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and let the natural heat that is left in it to melt the cheese. About 10 minutes so the cheese has a chance to brown a little bit, but not burn.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSlHRWr2DBqy6JBxpBqPPON1NojaQ7MOKIJxO9yJOPIllAeiEoWCQnTw6VnPKddMD1h_WbcKyG1ao778nDf0zY11ERIGcJkpaTrAdN8ZHMC1Sg85OY6xxyKyQ2CfExk6NfeS3tH_CzwND/s1600/P1040876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSlHRWr2DBqy6JBxpBqPPON1NojaQ7MOKIJxO9yJOPIllAeiEoWCQnTw6VnPKddMD1h_WbcKyG1ao778nDf0zY11ERIGcJkpaTrAdN8ZHMC1Sg85OY6xxyKyQ2CfExk6NfeS3tH_CzwND/s320/P1040876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Remove from oven and serve with whatever sides you like. I chose Sazon Goya seasoned rice and string green beans. Also, you can use the ranch and cheese mixture that is left in the casserole to top your rice or mashed potatoes.<br />
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Now, I am sure this isn't the most healthy dinner, but I am pretty sure that if you have ranch lovers in your family like I do, this will become a regularly revisited meal.<br />
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TamTamTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-41820402292183017822012-02-12T13:17:00.001-06:002012-02-27T15:08:20.746-06:00Chubby Hubby Buckeye Peanut Butter TrufflesThis was a brilliantly simple recipe! As long as you follow all of the directions, you shouldn't have problem. I found the original recipe over at <a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/chubby-hubby-buckeye-peanut-butter.html">Six Sisters' Stuff</a> and didn't make any changes at all.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnggVVTjHqv7Anrq55nGZKEWWKPrYpaENqtbUQ2f7e74FchUB1XmQJ4kXol3j4OA1Rvj38xzHsR20If8PnANn8h0fTpj53qzAdQTBns8HWF0zD_evqk2ZpiF5ZkT1vO0LpLyY6RyEgWFI/s1600/P1040696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnggVVTjHqv7Anrq55nGZKEWWKPrYpaENqtbUQ2f7e74FchUB1XmQJ4kXol3j4OA1Rvj38xzHsR20If8PnANn8h0fTpj53qzAdQTBns8HWF0zD_evqk2ZpiF5ZkT1vO0LpLyY6RyEgWFI/s320/P1040696.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Yield: About 18 truffles<br />
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill Time: 1 hour, total<br />
<br />
1½ cups pretzel pieces<br />
½ cup creamy peanut butter<br />
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
2 tablespoons light brown sugar<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
3 tablespoons powdered sugar<br />
1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening<br />
<br />
1. Put the pretzel pieces into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this).<br />
2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.<br />
3. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips. Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.<br />
4. When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening together in a small bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.<br />
5. Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, ensuring that it is completely coated with chocolate. Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet. Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.<br />
6. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.<br />
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<b><i>Please, please, please follow the directions outlined in Step 4. </i></b>Do not think that you know exactly what you are doing and try to melt your chocolate in a homemade double boiler. And do not try to melt your chocolate in a saucepan over heat like I did. It will not work. Your truffles will not be appealing. The melted chocolate will result in the following:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpnTPrMjg1sDNAhwkrWLOS8KOFJctt5i8IGarStC5bN83pXYJm29PB-X-cgmOOYYmhyEu8LHd0YuoryvQ7_HBvTzQ__aIlEXv7Y5oWrOsQ35NJ5vvXQSieCEewrlE5moOesSF4xlwhGZr/s1600/mixed+truffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpnTPrMjg1sDNAhwkrWLOS8KOFJctt5i8IGarStC5bN83pXYJm29PB-X-cgmOOYYmhyEu8LHd0YuoryvQ7_HBvTzQ__aIlEXv7Y5oWrOsQ35NJ5vvXQSieCEewrlE5moOesSF4xlwhGZr/s320/mixed+truffle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Not to mention that your truffle will also resemble what looks like little doggie droppings, like pictured above. Trust me, the microwave really does work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-742653628330389172012-02-10T22:46:00.001-06:002012-02-27T15:08:31.642-06:00Poutine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSG37PbJ7B94pTmSwgWfEFqi-PK3gQa3c0FUijjDsmIxsiP_a33Dp6TpSDfdbMXppu3IOnUxHTk3GKYcVpvUAyvovFgLh3ky96yu4xGLoGijkL4kzD9rgwSLvafwVXo_TNZRCUxJ7jZTA/s1600/IMG_6621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSG37PbJ7B94pTmSwgWfEFqi-PK3gQa3c0FUijjDsmIxsiP_a33Dp6TpSDfdbMXppu3IOnUxHTk3GKYcVpvUAyvovFgLh3ky96yu4xGLoGijkL4kzD9rgwSLvafwVXo_TNZRCUxJ7jZTA/s320/IMG_6621.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Poutine is a French-Canadian dish that originated in the Province of Quebec. Basically, it is french fries, cheese curds and gravy. There are many different variations of it, to include meats and different sauces. The poutine I make is more traditional and straight forward.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
Cooked french fries<br />
Shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
Beef gravy (I use canned)<br />
<br />
Cook your french fries as you normally would. Deep frying is the best, but be careful not to over cook them.<br />
<br />
When your fries are done, place a layer in a bowl. Sprinkle cheese over fries, then spoon gravy over top. Repeat layers 2-3 times, depending on the size of your bowl.<br />
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Eat immediately.<br />
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It's pretty basic and delicious.<br />
You can also substitute the gravy for meaty spaghetti sauce, making it Italian poutine.<br />
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Other ways to make it:<br />
Chicken chunks with chicken gravy and cheese<br />
Caviar and your favorite sauce<br />
Ground beef and beef gravy<br />
Shrimp or lobster and your favorite seafood sauce<br />
<br />
Keep in mind though - french fries and cheese are always the basis, so make sure what you add is going to taste alright.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-50022604049018448722012-02-09T18:00:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:08:53.458-06:00Ramen Stir Fry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfzAdO7fotyN0z1Xu-uksv-Hddw6VEJwZcn5DCnFvt127nOt-SAInKCl9RFdSTxVEEd0c9_XdLz5qcepMBbpP5sNw0V1azco08FiTwtHI_exKWZrTnibq-gT4p66y5SusCm-sY7Zbs4HM/s1600/ramenstirfry.png.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfzAdO7fotyN0z1Xu-uksv-Hddw6VEJwZcn5DCnFvt127nOt-SAInKCl9RFdSTxVEEd0c9_XdLz5qcepMBbpP5sNw0V1azco08FiTwtHI_exKWZrTnibq-gT4p66y5SusCm-sY7Zbs4HM/s320/ramenstirfry.png.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I have always searched for the best home stir fry I could find. On my recent trips around the recipe internet, I have found a few but thought I would try this one out tonight. For my taste, I do not love this recipe like I thought I would. My DH, who is a self-proclaimed Ramen Expert, told me I cooked the ramen too long. Me - I am not a ramen lover, so I ate all of the chicken and veggies out of my bowl. But don't let my like or dislike influence you. Give it a try if you like.<br />
<br />
It is relatively easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes from start to sitting down at the dinner table.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Ingredients</span><br />
2 skinless boneless chicken breast, diced<br />
3 pkg Chicken or Creamy Chicken flavored Ramen <br />
2 cups mixed fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, celery and carrots)<br />
2 Eggs <br />
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce<br />
Shredded cheese for topping<br />
<br />
Cut your fresh veggies how you desire. If using celery, julienne them and place in saute pan. Add diced chicken to saute pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken is cooked. Add the rest of your fresh veggies to the saute pan. cover and simmer over medium-low heat until veggies are desired tenderness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW93cgEtyhQueGFGSCbCacccljeVvcwEOBIGqpiywPkVrFSu_uj27Zsz6NWRE2KQegIhdxzrmAGEUMk4enD3h2ZshTLoh7mfBYGn7PsVnyIlB-c8uI_-vtblfcY2UTScfs0hYbih_H9Og/s1600/IMG_6615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW93cgEtyhQueGFGSCbCacccljeVvcwEOBIGqpiywPkVrFSu_uj27Zsz6NWRE2KQegIhdxzrmAGEUMk4enD3h2ZshTLoh7mfBYGn7PsVnyIlB-c8uI_-vtblfcY2UTScfs0hYbih_H9Og/s320/IMG_6615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simmer your veggies and chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Cook ramen as you normally do, reserving season packet. Drain noodles. Stir veggies and add eggs. Scramble them with the veggies and chicken. Once eggs are cooked, add ramen noodles to pan. Add soy sauce. Mix everything together and heat through. Serve with any topping you prefer. DH put cheese on his.<br />
<br />
This should serve 4 people.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-19058797937498916562012-02-08T20:06:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:08:53.458-06:00Smothered Pork ChopsI always have a hard time thinking up things to do with pork chops. They are a versatile meat, but after a while they just become boring. I get tired of just meat, veggies and potatoes. There isn't anything interesting about it and eventually you start eating the same thing over and over again.<br />
<br />
So I searched online today for a good smothered pork chop recipe. Pretty much the same everywhere. Cream of Mushroom Soup. My DH is not a mushroom fan (he refuses to eat mushrooms because it is a fungus and he calls it athlete's foot). At any rate, I found <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/ex-mother-in-laws-pork-chops-with-cream-of-mushroom-105260" target="_blank">this recipe by BamaKathy</a> and thought I would give it a try - with a modification or two of my own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtedqkjx8QqcTD5VO4wothQyL7Vz5kcSQPAxuLpbfOxcJKe4fysWrpx8QyVa2p0QypoyWtUYTkL23pncTPfPdNZrUhL7_VR59WN89SVlvda1mZ9kIe2iLGwYaR9HkQ9X1EBnYbiIsfHoWn/s1600/IMG_6613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtedqkjx8QqcTD5VO4wothQyL7Vz5kcSQPAxuLpbfOxcJKe4fysWrpx8QyVa2p0QypoyWtUYTkL23pncTPfPdNZrUhL7_VR59WN89SVlvda1mZ9kIe2iLGwYaR9HkQ9X1EBnYbiIsfHoWn/s320/IMG_6613.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
4 pork chops - blades or loins<br />
1 (10 ¾ oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup (buy the NAME brand, creamier-cheaper soups stay lumpy)* I agree 100%<br />
Lawry's Seasoned Salt<br />
Onion Powder<br />
¼ cup butter<br />
1 (4 oz.)can of mushrooms, pieces and stems, drained<br />
<br />
I followed all of BamaKathy's steps, substituting onion powder for the Lawry's pepper. <br />
<br />
In skillet with melted butter,sprinkle both sides of pork chops with seasoned salt and onion powder to taste and brown.<br />
<br />
Put into 9 X 13 inch glass casserole and spoon mushroom soup (do not dilute!) and smear all over pork chops.<br />
<br />
Cover and seal tightly with heavy aluminum foil and put into pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.<br />
<br />
Remove foil last few minutes.<br />
<br />
*When the pork chops have approx 10 minutes left in the oven, place mushrooms in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp butter. Heat on medium until the mushrooms are warmed through. When pork chops are done, top them with the cooked mushrooms.<br />
<br />
Serve with your choice of sides. Tonight I served mine with kernel corn and Velveeta Cheese Shells.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-68130654743554566212012-02-07T19:39:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:08:53.459-06:00Sweet Curry ChickenI tried my hand tonight at making my favorite dish ever: Curry Chicken.<br />
<br />
So I hunted down a couple of recipes and mixed and matched what I like and removed everything I don't like. This wasn't too hard to do - as the only thing I needed to remove was Cayenne Pepper. I am not a spice nut so this was easily removed. That being said, my DH doesn't like curry. At All. So I took this same recipe and instead of the 1½ tsp of curry, I changed it to ½ tsp cayenne pepper and made it into Sweet and Spicy Chicken. (I tried to get a picture, but my flash was too bright and bled out all color.)<br />
<br />
I made my own recipe and proceeded to make Sweet Curry Chicken. It didn't turn out too bad, but it was still missing something. I have no idea what, but I have asked my dad to let me know what he thinks it might need.<br />
<br />
At any rate, here is the picture and my recipe:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpiRzGXBiX2CRUQ6CQIyyaw591CGwVBcqVeMjcEH9iuU3raGc3g44hhFUaHYd94snNVTL7nnAyHyyXi_VpRyorVO1HYNbFgbJ9hfcRKERz0w3HvipPX5R19QOgL7IMPvLiydq7TXHdhLV/s1600/IMG_6603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpiRzGXBiX2CRUQ6CQIyyaw591CGwVBcqVeMjcEH9iuU3raGc3g44hhFUaHYd94snNVTL7nnAyHyyXi_VpRyorVO1HYNbFgbJ9hfcRKERz0w3HvipPX5R19QOgL7IMPvLiydq7TXHdhLV/s320/IMG_6603.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sweet Curry Chicken<br />
<br />
2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken, think sliced and cooked<br />
1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1 8 oz can fruit cocktail (separated from juice, saving juice for later use)<br />
1/3 cup chopped onion<br />
1 cup diagonally sliced celery<br />
1 tbsp margarine or butter<br />
1 ½ tsp Curry powder<br />
3/4 cup water<br />
1 tbsp corn starch<br />
2-3 cups cooked rice<br />
<br />
Thinly slice and cook chicken as you desire. Cook rice.<br />
<br />
Drain fruit cocktail, reserving juice. In a medium saucepan cook onion and celery in hot butter until tender. Stir in curry powder. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir together the reserved fruit cocktail juice, water and cornstarch. Stir into saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add fruit cocktail. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the sauce. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes to ensure chicken is heated through. Serve over rice.<br />
<br />
This should be approx 6 servings, however in my household it was barely 3 servings.<br />
<br />
If you make it and figure out what the recipe is missing, please let me know! I am willing to try almost anything in order to get the 'pow' part of the curry flavoring right. ;)TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-32964981748845977002012-02-05T23:48:00.001-06:002012-03-07T14:12:11.875-06:00Hubby's Hot WingsMy hubby made hot wings today for the Superbowl. The whole house smelled of cayenne pepper and hot sauce! He finally wrote down his recipe (which he concocted from different recipes online) and so I am finally able to post it for you.<br />
<br />
There are two recipes here. One is for the wings and the other is for the wing sauce.<br />
<br />
Wings:<br />
3 lbs chicken wings<br />
3 tbsp cayenne pepper<br />
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
<br />
- Fill large pot (boiler or dutch oven) half way with water and then add ingredients.<br />
- Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and boil for 15 minutes.<br />
- Transfer wings to an oven safe container (casserole dish) coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on Broil for 15 minutes, then turn wings and broil for another 15 minutes. (For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, roughly no more than 20 minutes per side however.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pWRwziEQBTx7K-8BTEhpyQyhbHvmC1S4J_tgT7fvWvMuIAQpOw0jSF8Cu-h83AYVNzbnkGEeD9WvOo3A_R4YjNla65VLFM2SGqCxqE3LvVmmmLLm2P2c_Jxapy0SXp4vTFQIZC_k9NdR/s1600/P1040688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pWRwziEQBTx7K-8BTEhpyQyhbHvmC1S4J_tgT7fvWvMuIAQpOw0jSF8Cu-h83AYVNzbnkGEeD9WvOo3A_R4YjNla65VLFM2SGqCxqE3LvVmmmLLm2P2c_Jxapy0SXp4vTFQIZC_k9NdR/s400/P1040688.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce<br />
<br />
3 cups hot sauce<br />
1 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce<br />
3 tsp sugar<br />
3 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp black pepper<br />
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper<br />
<br />
3 egg yolks<br />
6 tsp water<br />
6 tsp cornstarch<br />
<br />
While wings are broiling:<br />
- In a small saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients. Heat over medium heat until sauce begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPU6PLpOYvnqG_hquOlxY2tpvtUIkLtp7U1tLjr_sfMSbCuRnb83DI_HgztFmb-y2CTaizhO2eal-0D2h4ywmoh2wtDEbQe_4rNLnQM9HBSEzkWazWvIqrcY263_W2VXzLl_1yink2pUY/s1600/P1040685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPU6PLpOYvnqG_hquOlxY2tpvtUIkLtp7U1tLjr_sfMSbCuRnb83DI_HgztFmb-y2CTaizhO2eal-0D2h4ywmoh2wtDEbQe_4rNLnQM9HBSEzkWazWvIqrcY263_W2VXzLl_1yink2pUY/s400/P1040685.JPG" /></a></div><br />
- Whisk egg yolks and water together in a bowl. Add cornstarch and continue to whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved.<br />
-Slowly add warm hot sauce mixture to egg mixture. Continually whisk to create an emulsion.<br />
<br />
Now, in a large bowl, combine your cooked wings with sauce and voilà! Serve them warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx-di-jU05wOVfR62gyj2HpvhisC8a-qHngk4lu11ew4kSxOb1p_0p91Kp5T9kAHJSSC_UVqbbWuFK_5Gv2OKtELwlRDwgOnSsFS5a1MTGbrXoslmXhnXnws_Zurs3i8EziMkpb6bj6sL/s1600/P1040689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx-di-jU05wOVfR62gyj2HpvhisC8a-qHngk4lu11ew4kSxOb1p_0p91Kp5T9kAHJSSC_UVqbbWuFK_5Gv2OKtELwlRDwgOnSsFS5a1MTGbrXoslmXhnXnws_Zurs3i8EziMkpb6bj6sL/s400/P1040689.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Enjoy!!!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-61174323638834899022012-02-05T23:04:00.001-06:002012-02-27T15:08:53.459-06:00Cheddar Bacon Ranch BloomI originally found this recipe on Pinterest, it led me to Steph at Plainchicken.com, and of course I knew I had to try it immediately. So I set out to buy all of the ingredients, only to find that the sourdough bread called for in the recipe, was a little more than my frugal heart would allow. I made on the spot changes and it turned out brilliant. Give it a try if you like.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS6JQzhK_qI39H-7VbYH5S3Zm35MheTkCLahSQerW_iFPTSMl3i-OVQB8_zHkPivb3dewpsYiU6gMJzsGlXk2qD9UCrj7PFK8N7ev81VloMELc8IggDIyqH32JJ6FfE453e9dwCpeSGBM/s1600/IMG_6596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS6JQzhK_qI39H-7VbYH5S3Zm35MheTkCLahSQerW_iFPTSMl3i-OVQB8_zHkPivb3dewpsYiU6gMJzsGlXk2qD9UCrj7PFK8N7ev81VloMELc8IggDIyqH32JJ6FfE453e9dwCpeSGBM/s320/IMG_6596.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
1 unsliced loaf of Italian Bread<br />
8-12 oz Colby Jack cheese, thinly sliced<br />
3 oz jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits<br />
Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix<br />
1 tsp Parsley Flakes<br />
<br />
Preheat oven 350°F<br />
<br />
Using a bread knife or very sharp knife, cut bread in slices in both directions. Do Not cut all the way through. Place slices of cheese in between cuts going in both directions as well. Sprinkle bacon on bread, in between slices as well. Then place handful of shredded mozzarella on top, lining it with the slices lengthwise.<br />
<br />
Mix butter, ranch and parsley flakes together, then pour all over bread, making sure it gets in between the slices. Foil wrap the entire loaf and place in preheated oven on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 mins. Open foil and bake for an additional 10 mins. Remove from oven and serve warm.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcHe6vLxQQM0H8olHnu_nWw7_GqNpx9CG5MYQSrTxQcau1uzzhJiq2OaBFgGfvCqGYFBb38iEOELaRSGcxNMrUek3t0_DRuL-ipdU21q2KLrIcb_jbU_sUSWBcuW7HITTL7gJ89cLpKnJ/s1600/IMG_6597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcHe6vLxQQM0H8olHnu_nWw7_GqNpx9CG5MYQSrTxQcau1uzzhJiq2OaBFgGfvCqGYFBb38iEOELaRSGcxNMrUek3t0_DRuL-ipdU21q2KLrIcb_jbU_sUSWBcuW7HITTL7gJ89cLpKnJ/s320/IMG_6597.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I do understand why the sourdough bread is favored. It stays together better when heated because of it's thicker consistency. The Italian Bread did just fine though. <br />
<br />
It was a hit with my friends and with my husband - who of course is the judge of all things cooked by me. ;)<br />
<br />
There you have it. Give it a try and if you make your own modifications, let me know so I can try them out too!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-75355515091476203282012-02-05T22:03:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.060-06:00S.N.A BreakdownSocial Network Addiction Breakdown<br />
<br />
Well, here it is. The final calculation of my week long social network addiction log. At the end of 7 days, I logged 59¼ hours online. In days, it breaks down to roughly 2 and a half days. Figure this:<br />
<br />
2.5 days/week<br />
52 weeks in a year<br />
totaling 130 days consecutively online in a year.<br />
<br />
How disgusting is that?<br />
<br />
I can say that logging my time has definitely opened my eyes. Obviously I spend way too much time sitting in front of my monitor, worrying about what I am going to miss. So starting today, I am going to try and change this.<br />
<br />
My first step has already been accomplished, thanks to Zynga not functioning properly. I have only been in Cafe World once today, and that was just to see about answering requests for others. I put one thing on one stove and haven't been back in since.<br />
<br />
Second, I have barely been on facebook at all today, but in all fairness, with it being Superbowl Sunday, there really wasn't much going on. I need to rethink facebook and what it really offers me.<br />
<br />
Third, Pinterest. Now, this could truly turn into a sever addiction, but as long as I monitor what I am doing and for how long, I should be able to survive. Something doesn't become a habit until 21 days or more, so I have to make sure that I take it easy on there.<br />
<br />
Finally, the one thing I cannot limit is my use of google/pinterest for recipes. In a world where fast food seems to be taking over, I like a home cooked meal that I know isn't mechanically separated meat or soy - made to look like vegetables. I will also not limit myself on oovoo with my friends or gmail, because friends are my line and the mail must go through.<br />
<br />
I am not going to log anymore, but I will pay attention to the number of hours I am spending online.<br />
<br />
There could be one small problem though - if I get on the phone with Jenn in Italy... there goes any sense or reason online. LOL ;)TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-54482794468812625432012-02-05T01:56:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.061-06:00S.N.A Day 7Social Network Addiction Day 7<br />
<br />
11:21 am turned on the computer<br />
11:30 am facebook, blogger, USPS<br />
11:41 am Pinterest<br />
11:44 am Cafe World<br />
11:57 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
12:09 pm fb messages<br />
1:11 pm log out of mine and into Michele's cafe<br />
1:21 pm log out of Michele's and back into mine<br />
1:22 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
3:23 pm facebook, pinterest, blogger<br />
3:58 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
4:19 pm gmail, pinterest, facebook<br />
4:45 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
6:12 pm amazon, pinterest, facebook<br />
6:36 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
6:51 pm bed bath and beyond, facebook and Cafe World<br />
7:14 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
Now, I don't know if I should log this, because technically, I am on the internet... Playing COD MW3 with hubby, Joe Leone and some other people...<br />
<br />
7:35 pm COD MW3<br />
10:43 pm got up from xbox cod mw3<br />
10:44 pm fb, blogger, pinterest<br />
10:58 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
12:44 am facebook, pinterest, gmail etc<br />
1:32 am cafe world<br />
2:00 am shutting down computer<br />
<br />
Total = 8.75<br />
<br />
With tomorrow will come a final breakdown of my week of internet usage. For now, I am exhausted and just want to go to bed. Superbowl tomorrow. Good night.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-22548655308180772492012-02-04T01:18:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.061-06:00S.N.A Day 6Social Network Addiction Day 6<br />
<br />
Ugh - here we go with another day of logging my usage. This definitely sounded like a better idea 7 days ago. Thank goodness I have only today and tomorrow and I am done!<br />
<br />
10:16 am turned on the computer<br />
10:23 am blogger, facebook, gmail<br />
10:26 am Cafe World<br />
10:45 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
11:12 am cafe world, mine and Michele's<br />
11:37 am pinterest, recipes<br />
12:49 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
1:17 pm recipes, pinterest, facebook, cafe world, fb messaging<br />
1:55 pm calculator to total yesterdays hours<br />
1:59 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
2:52 pm photos, facebook, pinterest, blogger<br />
3:04 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
3:17 pm scentsy, pinterest, facebook, gmail<br />
3:28 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
3:39 pm pinterest with Jenn<br />
3:51 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
3:59 pm pinterest etc.<br />
4:38 pm google recipes, pinterest, facebook<br />
5:07 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
9:35 pm facebook, pinterest, cafe world<br />
10:16 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
10:26 pm pinterest, facebook - actually, I don't know what I am really doing. Force of habit I guess. Just sitting here doing nothing of importance.<br />
10:28 pm blogger to put in my Snickerdoodle Bread Recipe<br />
10:49 pm Pillsbury<br />
10:55 pm pinterest, facebook<br />
11:04 pm signout and sign into Michele's cafe<br />
11:06 pm log back into my fb...<br />
11:08 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
11:14 pm google looking for an HTML designer, changing the outer wrappers and main wrappers and sidebar wrappers on my blog<br />
11:38 pm pinterest, facebook<br />
12:08 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
12:16 am blogger, pinterest, facebook<br />
12:23 am ebay<br />
12:28 am IMDB, pinterest<br />
1:04 am Cafe World<br />
1:13 am calculating my logged time<br />
1:20 am turned off computer<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Total = 7 hoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-41139739793842437672012-02-03T22:51:00.002-06:002012-02-27T15:09:43.438-06:00Snickerdoodle Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCszNzkkWHy4CmwxAYXDzaBzK1ydvhPjgWGTD8QSaFufpi3q-vq_Pj9qWjVrDnIFvFMpUoigZ2vKzy6dfJJTPYMbKloI1F6kCnM54t3twDDwzTakdIfem5S8Z_BIETeYDhZlvw5ZUENjZw/s1600/snickerdoodle+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCszNzkkWHy4CmwxAYXDzaBzK1ydvhPjgWGTD8QSaFufpi3q-vq_Pj9qWjVrDnIFvFMpUoigZ2vKzy6dfJJTPYMbKloI1F6kCnM54t3twDDwzTakdIfem5S8Z_BIETeYDhZlvw5ZUENjZw/s320/snickerdoodle+bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My girl friend Kara loves snickerdoodle cookies and so for her birthday I decided to make her a Snickerdoodle bread. I looked for recipes but just couldn't find one that I liked. Somehow, adding sour cream to bread just didn't sound right to me.<br />
<br />
So instead I took a Pillsbury Quick Bread and made some of my own changes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mybrands.com/images/products/large/154_5150073080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://mybrands.com/images/products/large/154_5150073080.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I mixed it according to the box directions, but then added 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla. I mixed it all together in my kitchen aid with a wire whisk on speed 6. Then in a ziploc sandwich bag, I combined 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.<br />
<br />
Spray the bread pan with baking spray then dust it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. (Don't use it all - just a little). Pour half of the batter into your bread pan, then I sprinkled half of the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Cover with remaining batter and top with all of the left over cinnamon sugar. Bake in 375F preheated oven for 45-50 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.<br />
<br />
Let rest in pan for 10 minutes then remove and place on a dish.<br />
Serve warm with ice cream or confectioner's sugar icing.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-86035669729612561392012-02-03T01:10:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.062-06:00S.N.A Day 5Social Network Addiction Day 5<br />
<br />
10:35 am turned on computer<br />
10:48 am facebook, gmail, blogger<br />
10:51am got up from computer<br />
<br />
11:17 am Cafe World<br />
11:27 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
12:50 pm facebook<br />
1:00 pm oovoo with Jenn<br />
1:10 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
1:25 pm pinterest, facebook messaging, blogger youtube, amazon, pinterest<br />
2:52 pm during this time I am on the phone with Jenn and she is telling me to look at this and view that and she is sending me emails... Haha! I got to blame you first Jenn!!!<br />
2:59 pm gmail, amazon, pinterest, cafe world<br />
4:21 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
6:48 pm google recipes<br />
7:22 pm Cafe world, log out of mine and into Michele's<br />
7:41 pm log out of Michele's and back into mine<br />
7:46 pm pinterest, facebook, blogger, amazon, walmart<br />
7:55 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
8:44 pm amazon<br />
8:58 pm proofread James homework<br />
9:21 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
{At this point, I am pretty much wanting to shut down the computer just so that I don't have to log anymore, but then that wouldn't be a fair survey, now would it? lol}<br />
<br />
9:33 pm facebook, ESPN Basketball, amazon<br />
9:54 pm cafe world clicks<br />
11:04 pm cafe world<br />
11:19 pm log out of mine and log into Michele's<br />
11:28 pm logged back into my fb.<br />
11:29 pm contemplating turning off the computer. It will all be here in the morning...<br />
11:30 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
12:09 am pinterest, gmail, amazon, facebook<br />
12:47 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
(I am waiting on Michele's cafe, if you can believe that...)<br />
<br />
12:54 am fb messages<br />
12:57 am log out of mine and log into Michele's Cafe<br />
1:06 am log back into my facebook - messages<br />
1:12 am shutting down computer<br />
<br />
<br />
I am exhausted and really don't want to look at this anymore so I will do the total time tomorrow.<br />
<br />
<br />
ETA: Total = 8 hoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-12115858369535659742012-02-02T01:47:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.062-06:00S.N.A Day 4Social Network Addiction Day 4<br />
<br />
11:11 am turn on computer<br />
11:18 am facebook messages<br />
11:19am google to help a friend with her laptop problem<br />
11:36 am Cafe world<br />
11:48 am log out and log into Michele's cafe<br />
12:10 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
12:25 pm facebook messages<br />
12:29 pm research to help friend with laptop problem<br />
12:45 pm blogger to start this<br />
1:00 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
1:30 pm facebook messages, facebook<br />
1:45 pm cafe world clicks<br />
2:09 pm cell phone going crazy. Phone calls and fb at the same time!<br />
2:50 pm still researching to fix the son's Cruz reader<br />
3:01 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
3:34 pm cafe world, blogger, amazon, company's coming<br />
5:24 pm got up from computer for dinner<br />
<br />
6:35 pm facebook messages, blogger and Cafe World<br />
6:45 pm laptop to do Michele's cafe<br />
6:59 pm back on desktop<br />
7:09 pm www.nt-tree.co.kr Don't even begin to try and guess what the heck I was doing LOL<br />
7:19 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
8:45 pm facebook, amazon,blogger<br />
8:09 pm start updating firmware for Son's cruz reader<br />
9:26 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
9:45 pm laptop to proof read for hubby then cafe for Michele<br />
10:05 pm back to my desktop<br />
10:27 pm got up from the computer/cruz/laptop<br />
<br />
10:59 pm cruz, ESPN basketball, weather.com, blogger, facebook, cafe world, amazon, gmail, swagbucks<br />
12:10 am facebook messaging<br />
12:14 am on the cruz trying to update the andappstore<br />
12:49 am got up from computer<br />
<br />
1:14 am facebook, cafe world<br />
1:50 am turn off the computer<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Total = 10 hoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-29059515438520368752012-02-01T00:53:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.062-06:00S. N. A Day 3Social Network Addiction Day 3<br />
<br />
Tuesday<br />
<br />
11:12 am turn on computer<br />
11:18 am facebook, cafe world, pinterest etc. until:<br />
12:38 pm Comcast Internet went out UGH<br />
<br />
12:55 pm Internet came back on<br />
12:58 pm Cafe World...<br />
1:10 pm Internet went out again<br />
<br />
1:24 pm Internet came back on<br />
1:25 pm facebook, pinterest, Gmail<br />
1:36 pm Cafe World<br />
2:16 pm recipes<br />
2:20 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
2:49 pm Blogger to start this post<br />
3:05 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
3:24 pm google, amazon, blogger, facebook<br />
3:35 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
4:05 pm blogger<br />
4:08 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
4:42 pm back online, blogger, facebook, amazon etc.<br />
4:45 pm Cafe World<br />
5:00 pm ESPN Fantasy Basketball<br />
5:10 pm done with cafe world<br />
5:11 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
5:12 pm on the laptop to work on Michele's cafe<br />
5:34 pm got off laptop<br />
<br />
5:58 pm Blogger, facebook, google news, weather<br />
6:06 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
6:55 pm Pinterest...<br />
7:18 pm facebook cafe world and posting<br />
7:36 pm move to laptop to proof read James' homework, then log into Michele's cafe<br />
8:00 pm Online trying to fix my son's Cruz Reader... this will take a while<br />
8:41 pm cafe and still working on the Cruz...<br />
10:08 pm gave up on finding the cure for the Cruz and getting up from the computer.<br />
<br />
10:38 pm facebook and cafe world<br />
11:27pm got off computer<br />
<br />
12:11am looking to fix the son's cruz reader again<br />
12:49 am Cruz is frustrating me so I am going to shut down the computer and go to bed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Total = 9 hoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-82472034933760351322012-01-31T00:50:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.063-06:00S.N.A Day 2Social Network Addiction Day 2<br />
<br />
Monday<br />
<br />
11:33 am Turn on computer<br />
11:36 am gmail<br />
11:37 am facebook<br />
11:38 am Cafe World... until 11:55am<br />
11:55 am log out of my fb and log into Michele's Cafe<br />
12:09 pm log out of Michele's and log back into mine<br />
12:10 pm Pinterest<br />
12:16 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
1:04 pm facebook, Pinterest, IMDB, Cafe World (from 1:04 - 4:00 pm) Gah!<br />
4:00 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
5:27 pm facebook, Pinterest, Cafe World, google for recipes, Blogger: adding info to this post - constantly going through pages and games... got up from computer to go have a smoke etc until:<br />
6:58 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
8:00 pm facebook, Pinterest, google, cafe world, blogger, facebook... it's a vicious cycle until:<br />
9:07 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
10:17pm facebook, pinterest, YouTube and back<br />
10:46 pm Log out and into Michele's Cafe<br />
11:01 pm log back into my facebook, pinterest, weather, google ugh! It goes on and on...<br />
11:18 pm banking, paid bills<br />
11:24 pm facebook etc...<br />
11:37 pm messaging on facebook<br />
11:39 pm pinterest, facebook, cafe world etc.<br />
12:05 am Cafe World<br />
12:08 am log out of fb log into Michele's cafe<br />
12:10 am log back into my fb<br />
12:12 am inthe00s<br />
12:13 am facebook, cafe world, pinterest<br />
12:17 am google for red kitchen<br />
12:25 am Home Depot<br />
12:27 am Walmart<br />
12:30 am Blogger to start writing this<br />
12:39 am went to facebook to post a goodnight status and thought "It's not likely people care that I am going to sleep..." so I didn't post anything at all.<br />
<br />
So yeah, this proved to me today that I spent the better part of the day sitting in front of my computer. Why is it that I am afraid that I will miss something? I know that I am not a self-absorbed individual per se. but I must think that something will be posted to facebook for me to be so attached to it. Can I say I honestly read every single post? No. I do check on my niece's page and I do check my dad's, step-mom's and sisters' pages. I check on friends I consider near and dear. But I do not 'stalk' every single post. Why do I feel the need to be connected all day long???<br />
<br />
I can hardly wait to stop tracking this and it is only Day 2.<br />
<br />
Turning off the computer once I post this.<br />
<br />
<br />
Total = 9 HoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-67563068836053834322012-01-30T00:36:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.063-06:00S.N.A Day 1Social Network Addiction Day 1<br />
<br />
Today is Sunday and as I said, I am going to log everything I do on the internet, every day for a week. So I am starting with today. Basically, I am just going to outline my days online and then at the end of the week, breakdown my results.<br />
<br />
Sunday<br />
12:40 pm Turned on computer<br />
12:47 pm Facebook<br />
(12:47 - 3:30 pm messaging with a friend on facebook off and on)<br />
12:50 pm Blogger<br />
12:53 pm Cafe World on Facebook<br />
1:02 pm log out of my fb and log into Michele's fb to do her cafe<br />
1:06 pm Gmail<br />
1:16 pm log out of Michele's fb and log into mine<br />
1:22 pm Google News<br />
1:30 pm walk away from computer<br />
<br />
1:54 pm Fb messages<br />
1:57 pm looked for pulled chicken recipe - google<br />
2:00 pm checked fb group for my niece<br />
2:02 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
2:28 pm Fb check messages<br />
2:51 pm Fb check messages<br />
2:54 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
4:16 pm double check recipe for pulled chicken<br />
4:49 pm check recipe again for pulled chicken<br />
4:50 pm Facebook - just being nosy and checking the news feed<br />
5:12pm ESPN Fantasy Basketball<br />
5:37 pm Facebook<br />
5:38 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
6:14 pm Fb Cafe World<br />
6:19 pm sign out of my fb and sign into Michele's for her Cafe<br />
6:42 pm sign back into my fb<br />
6:43 pm ESPN Fantasy Basketball<br />
Facebook - check news feed<br />
7:13 pm Shop My Exchange<br />
7:14 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
7:45 pm Gmail<br />
7:51 pm Fb - checking news feed<br />
7:54 pm Cafe World<br />
7:58 pm inthe00s<br />
8:08 pm fb - news feed<br />
8:09 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
8:25 pm Blogger to start this blog<br />
8:36 pm got up from the computer<br />
<br />
8:37 pm remembered I have to do Michele's Cafe - log out and log in<br />
8:53 pm log out of Michele's and back into mine<br />
8:56 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
9:08 pm facebook news feed<br />
9:17 pm google<br />
9:21 pm Pintrest<br />
9:35 pm back to facebook<br />
9:36 pm got up from computer<br />
<br />
10:06 pm Blogger<br />
10:10 pm Fb - clicks for Cafe World<br />
10:40 pm IMDB<br />
Pintrest (this could prove to be highly addictive)<br />
11:10 pm Log out of fb and log in to Michele's cafe<br />
11:16 pm log out of Michele's fb and log in to mine<br />
11:20 pm Pintrest<br />
12:04 am get up from computer<br />
<br />
12:06 am back on Pintrest<br />
12:11 am IMDB<br />
Pintrest<br />
12:34 am closed facebook<br />
12:35 am shutting down the computer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Total = 7.5 hoursTamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-49629407624759851742012-01-28T23:22:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:09:32.063-06:00The Social Network AddictionMy husband said tonight, something to the effect that, facebook is an unhealthy addiction.<br />
<br />
When he used the word addiction, I kind of went on the offensive. I will admit that I am addicted to an app on facebook - Cafe World - but I do not think that I am addicted to facebook itself. His argument of course, is that the app I am addicted to is part of facebook, thus making me addicted to facebook.<br />
<br />
Well, now I am going to study myself and my interactions with facebook.<br />
<br />
I will keep a journal starting tomorrow, of how many times a day I am on facebook and what I am doing. I am not sure if I will post my actions every day or every couple of days. That will depend on how large my daily journals becomes. I will do this for one week. Sunday to Saturday. (Of course, I will post my journal logs for all to see.)<br />
<br />
After that, I will change those habits the following week and compare the two weeks.<br />
<br />
Will this ultimately make me change my habits on facebook? I can't honestly say, but it will be interesting to see the outcome none the less.TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-68895210086072659032011-10-24T22:32:00.000-05:002012-02-27T15:09:32.064-06:00Random Questions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black; color: #009898; font-family: Unkempt; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div>A girl friend of mine posted this tonight so I thought I would go ahead and use it. Her answers were hilarious - mine won't be... so much.</div><div><br />
</div><div>1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?<br />
Gah I am getting old.<br />
<br />
2. How much cash do you have on you?<br />
Change in the wallet.<br />
<br />
3. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR?"<br />
Whore.<br />
<br />
4. Favorite planet?<br />
Uranus.<br />
<br />
5. Who is the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> person on your missed call list on your cell phone?<br />
Misti.<br />
<br />
6. What is your favorite ring on your phone?<br />
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.<br />
<br />
7. What shirt are you wearing?<br />
Grey and burgundy Redskins hoodie.<br />
<br />
8. Do you "label" yourself?<br />
Yeah - I am a nerd.<br />
<br />
9. Name the brand of your shoes you're currently wearing.<br />
Zigs.<br />
<br />
10. Bright or Dark Room?<br />
Bright so no matter what, I can read!<br />
<br />
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?<br />
She is amazing. She battles with so much every day and is an inspiration to me.<br />
<br />
12. What were you doing at midnight last night?<br />
Reading.<br />
<br />
13. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?</div><div>SwagCodezAlertz: SBCodez Alert: Swag Code 24/10/11 http://t.co/GYT2XJHI</div><div><br />
14. Where is your nearest 7-11?<br />
183.6 miles NorthWest - In Missouri<br />
<br />
15. What's a word that you say a lot?<br />
Goodness.<br />
<br />
16.Who told you he/she loved you last?<br />
Jenn - on the phone.<br />
<br />
17. Last furry thing you touched?<br />
My cat.<br />
<br />
18. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?<br />
None. Well, I smoke cigarettes... does that count?<br />
<br />
19. How many rolls of film do you need developed?<br />
3. Yes, 3 rolls of film. They are about 8 years old if not older.<br />
<br />
20. Favorite age you have been so far?<br />
29.<br />
<br />
21. Your worst enemy?<br />
Self doubt.<br />
<br />
22. What is your current desktop picture?<br />
It is a black background with all of The Twilight Saga Books and their reflections. Yes, I am one of those people, but not near as bad as some of those people.<br />
<br />
23. What was the last thing you said to someone?<br />
"I don't know what I am watching. You left the tv on this channel... (Grab clicker and check) Skin to the Max. Thanks for leaving it on soft porn for me Babe."<br />
<br />
24. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?</div><div>The money :(<br />
<br />
25. Do you like someone?<br />
Depends. lol<br />
<br />
26. The last song you listened to?<br />
Family Guy theme on tv.</div><div>Something off of The Throne when we were in the truck.</div>TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345260728785460353.post-9958643003209489392011-07-01T11:33:00.000-05:002012-02-27T15:09:32.064-06:00Changing Bases, Faces and TimeI finally have a block of time to sit down and write about my adventures thus far. Moving from Fort Drum NY to Fort Campbell KY has been an experience, to say the least.<br />
<br />
We left out of Fort Drum on the 19th of June. We were supposed to get on the road early, but didn't end up leaving until around 3:30pm. Seems even though we bought a Hitch Haul for our truck (cargo hitch rack) we didn't actually do a load up to make sure that everything would fit. James managed to make it work though, and so we were off!<br />
<br />
Our first day we drove to Conneaut OH. Just over the PA/OH State line. The hotel we stayed at was conveniently located right along the interstate. We went to dinner that night, literally, and the restaurant had already turned itself into the bar/tavern/night club of the area. It gets better! We ordered some food and the waitress actually let me order off of the kids menu. (See, I have a small appetite and can hardly finish any meal I order at restaurants, so kids portions are always the best for me.) We are eating and having a beer, when these two ladies came in the bar and sat at the table next to us. No big deal. Or was it???<br />
<br />
I am proud to say that James got to see a Transvestite in person for the first time!!! LOL It was nothing new to me, since my hairdresser from years ago is a one. I finally said something to James after they moved to the bar, and James said something to the effect of "She has a bigger Adam's Apple than me!" lol My poor Baby.<br />
<br />
Saturday rolled around and we hit the road again. The only thing we missed seeing in Conneaut was the covered bridges. We thought about going, but then decided to just get on the road and get done with the traveling. We stopped in Jeffersonville OH at the outlet mall, walked around trying to find James some Fibram 5 finger shoes to no avail. We got gas, and rolled out heading to Cincinnati/Newport.<br />
<br />
We made it and were completely surprised to find that the hotel I had booked was right on the riverfront! We could see the Cincinnati skyline, Reds Stadium... everything. We ventured out that night and walked the Pagan's Pathway bridge to Cincinnati. Craziest thing I have ever seen? Someone rented the ENTIRE bridge for their wedding reception!!! (A fool and their money are soon parted.) We tried to check out the aquarium, but it was too late to entire. We found Hooter's and so we went to eat dinner. BEST HOOTER'S EVER! It is on a barge in the Ohio River. And the women were actually nice to look at. I mean, most are pretty from the neck down, but these women have pretty faces too! lol<br />
<br />
We went back to the hotel, slept and then got ready and on the road Sunday.<br />
<br />
Sunday morning was gorgeous and warm! We hit the road heading to our destination: Fort Campbell. We were stopped on I-71 for a while. We aren't exactly sure what happened, but we did see a burned up cargo box from a transport, and the road and grass was scorched pretty bad. At any rate, we continued on our way. We were planning on stopping in Louisville in order to see about getting James his Vibram shoes. Going up one side of a mountain, our trucks cruise control rev'd super high, the wrench light came on, the ABS light came on and the Slip Control light came on. GREAT! But after about 3 minutes or so, the lights all went out and the truck continued on as if nothing happened. Ok?<br />
<br />
We made it to Louisville and found the Running Store we were looking for. We parked, went inside, bought James his shoes finally, and then went back out to the truck. As we backed out of the parking spot, the truck made a grinding noise and slowed us down. I asked James what it was and he said "You felt that too?" GREAT! We tried to drive and anything over 5-10 miles an hour, the truck would grind and slow us down again. We managed to back into a parking spot and then we called USAA. Roadside assistance should be good to go...<br />
<br />
Tell me How The Heck we don't have roadside assistance on our policy???? Really??? We never called them and removed it, James made sure it was in the policy when he went with USAA 10 years ago!!!! Needless to say, I am ticked right off, James is not impressed, it is Sunday and we are calling around for hotels and a tow truck. Thankful for the website I had been using - I called my Girl Michele and she took my credit card number and booked us a hotel for at least 2 days. The hotel was only about a mile and a half from where we were stranded. Then we called several cab companies. Finally found one that was willing to take the animals and us to the hotel. We checked in and got settled, then James and I walked back to the truck to wait for the tow.<br />
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The tow truck came, loaded our truck up and took us another mile and half in the opposite direction to the Ford dealership. We dropped it off, not relishing the fact that we were now going to have to walk about 3 miles to get to the hotel. Our tow truck driver decided he wasn't going to let us do that, so he drove us back to our hotel. Of course, I slipped him a little bit of cash for doing us that favor. ;)<br />
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Great. We are at the hotel, no vehicle and we are starving. Back to heel and toe express. Need I say that our hotel was conveniently located across the street from yet another Hooter's? LOL We walked in that general direction then headed further down the street hoping to find someplace to eat. We walked about a mile, turned around and headed back. We were going to eat at Subway, but apparently Subway in Louisville/St. Matthews closes on Sunday's at 6pm. Ugh. So we cross the street and head to Denny's. I am not a fan, but at least they had meal deals so dinner didn't cost us an arm and a leg.<br />
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We get back to the hotel and pass out. In the morning James' cell rings and it is dealership. They tell him that it is our front left wheel speed sensor (if I am remembering correctly) and the total cost will thankfully be under $1000. We tell them to go ahead and fix it. We got up, got dressed and headed back to Denny's for breakfast. After that we decide to walk over to a little strip mall we saw the night before. As we are over there, James receives another call telling him that the truck is fixed and ready to go. w00t!!!<br />
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We head out on foot again, back to the hotel to change shoes, then the walk to the dealership. We walked about 10 miles in a day and a half! We get to the dealership, get ready to pay and we find out that we have an Anonymous Angel. See, through this whole experience I was keeping family and friends apprised of our situation through facebook. Apparently by my doing so, I gave enough information for this Anonymous Angel to lend a helping hand. We will forever be grateful!! And we will be sure to pay it forward.<br />
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We stayed one more night in the hotel, because we had already paid for it and it was well past checkout time. Tuesday morning brought gorgeous weather and we were on the road again. We made it to Fort Campbell in a thunder storm, went to our hotel room, unloaded a bunch of stuff and finally went to The Bandy's. They are amazing people too! They are housing our animals until we get a place to live ourselves.<br />
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Wednesday and Thursday were spent looking for a place to live. What an experience! No one in the area wants to house animals over 25lbs and if they do they want a decent pet deposit. No problem there but the issue always seemed to be that when we called about seeing a place, it had conveniently just been rented. Just our luck!!! The whole experience was a giant pain. I decided that on Friday, we were going to housing on post in order to make sure we were on the list and what our wait would look like.<br />
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We were told anywhere from 2 months to 4 months for a house on post. UGH! Can this be any more useless? Over the weekend, we scoured the internet, AHRN and local ads still trying to find a place. We went back to housing on post and told them that we did in fact want to be on the list because at this rate, we were getting no where. Amazingly, a lady that works there offered us a house!!!!!!! She told us the address and we went and checked it out. It is 2 bedrooms but it has a double garage and a fenced backyard. It is a corner lot so the front yard is huge! Of course, we said we would definitely take it! The catch? The current resident doesn't move out until the 19th of July, and then there is a turn around period for maintenance to go in and fix anything that might need fixing. We have been told that we might be moved in by the 3rd of August. Irregardless of the time - we still have a house!!!<br />
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So now James has to go see about extended temporary lodging. No worries because if they say no, our amazing friends, The Bandy's have told us we could probably crash in the room that our animals are currently inhabiting. Of course, we are not going to take advantage of them, so we are trying to figure things out so that we don't have to stay there and inconvenience them. As well, The Son leaves NY on or around the 7th of July to come to us, so we will have to figure out where to put his butt too.<br />
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At any rate, we are currently in Fort Leonard Wood MO. Why? My girl Michele and her husband are here. They were supposed to come down for the long weekend, but instead they offered to help us save money by having us come to them and stay here. I could never ask for a better lot of friends than I have right now!!!<br />
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oOo and we are in Central time again!!TamTamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921895962453723701noreply@blogger.com0