I wanted to wait, but....

Ok, here's the deal.......



I have been trying to wait to cut and color my hair, but the warm snap going on here is making me re-think this decision. I really want to wait, and in fact, I had already decided to wait until mid-summer to get some highlights and chop off the hair, but I don't think that's going to hold up. I am so incredible sick of my hair being in a pony tail - I hate it so much, in fact, that I am thinking of taking a pair of scissors to it tonight. However, I am not sure I will get the desired result if I do this.

The picture above is something like what I want this time around. Right after the wedding a couple of years ago, I chopped off my hair pretty drastically and loved it. Not sure why I decided to grow it out again, but inevitably I have. I think this is because I don't want to deal with my hair. I want to get up, blow dry and go. And, if I maintain a hairstyle, that means that I need to think about it every couple of months or so......but I simply don't wanna!!! And no one can make me (is this reminiscent of tantrums when we were younger?). :)

So, I am chopping it off. I do still need to think about this for a couple of week, so it's not going to happen soon - but I kinda want to get it done before my birthday.......ahem......my 30th birthday that is. I am feeling like I need to shed off my 20's, and a way to do that is redefine myself for a period of time with a new style (because of course hair grows back right?). What do you think????

I am aiming for the hairstyle above - not just because Charlize Theron is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen (and yes, if I were a lesbian, I would totally do her....lol), but because my hair is already the base color - so some highlights will do well in my hair. In addition to the color, I have already had my hair that short and it looked fairly cute - so....I think I am gonna go for it soon.

Today was a good day

Shawn and I went to the Asparagus Festival today....much fun ensued.

I got a call from Sierra College today on the way back from said Asparagus Festival, Sierra College in Rocklin is offering me 2 classes for the Fall. One of them is Public Speaking, the other is Small Group Communication. Oh what fun!!! :) I can't wait to teach Small Group....it should be a really good class. Though, every new class I teach takes TONS of prep time, however, this will be worth it. It will expand my repitoire of experience with different subject matter. So, if you are ever in the Rocklin area of California, please feel free to come and observe a class of mine...I am teaching Monday and Wednesday, 3:30 - 6:20! The best part about it is, the classes are back to back. All of my teaching is over in about 3 hours....happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy!!! God is good isn't He???

More details later about the Asparagus Festival..... :)

Yummies

This is one of the surprises for this week. I do not think that I will get to baking my other surprise, but I should get to it next week at some point. In any case, the two at the top ARE NOT what I baked. The tiny one in the front is though. I tried to replicate the taste of the blueberry cake located at the upper right, but didn't even come close. I have no idea how to do it. If you will recall, I am NOT a baker. I don't like baking, don't think I ever will. But in my meager attempt, I made the upside-down blueberry muffins. They are small (I like baked things small - well, simply because if I have a whole big cake sitting in front of me, I am likely to eat it ALL.....but not cake with frosting, because I don't like frosting very much). So, I have decided to make smaller versions of the BIG mama cakes sitting in the back. The pineapple upside-down cake is simple enough - but how do I make the blueberry ones? Look at the marbling of the blueberry upside-down cake - how does that happen in baking??? The best I could come up with last night was the little thing you see in front - it's not even close to tasting like the big ones in the back, but they did come out pretty darn good. So simple if you want the recipe:

1 box of cake mix - I used pound cake mix, but don't think I would use that again. (Maybe yellow next time).
Prepare cake as suggested.
In a saucepan, heat a no cholesterol butter substitute and some brown sugar.
In a muffin tin, place frozen blueberries at the bottom and about a tablespoon or so of the brown sugar mixture and then the cake mix on top of that. Fill about 2/3 of the way up. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. While still warm, flip the pan over to reveal your blueberry upside-down muffin. The taste really good, but are NO WHERE NEAR completed. I will be experimenting again tonight with a recipe like this. (This is why I HATE BAKING!!!!)

Jambalaya (Emeril's Kicked-Up Jambalaya to be exact)

(Once again not my pic, but I am finding pics on the internet that look just like my cooking.....in other words, I am taking the easy way about again).

To continue on with my restaurant quality cooking, I decided to make Jambalaya last night. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yum O". I can't believe how good this came out. Don't be discouraged by the amount of ingredients, it's not hard to make. Here's the recipe:

Creole seasoning (recipe below)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I used 5 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I used a can of chopped tomatoes)
6 cups water
2 cups rice
Salt and pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Creole seasoning:
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Season chicken pieces with Creole seasoning. Add some olive oil to pot and when hot, add chicken pieces and saute until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add sausage and cook until browned. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne (if you want it MORE spicy than it already is. If not, leave out) and thyme and cook until vegetables are wilted, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and water and return chicken pieces to pot. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add rice to pot, stir well and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes. Add shrimp, green onions and parsley to Dutch oven, mixing carefully, and continue to cook, covered, for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes before serving. (This is where I seasoned the shrimp and sauted it until done and then stirred it into the Jambalaya. I find that if you cook the shrimp ahead of time, the little suckers get tough and don't stay nice and soft like if you just cook them).

Baking and more

This week I am going to bake something special. Actually, probably two something specials - but I am not going to ruin the surprise, so I will post a pick when I am done.

In addition to the baking, I am going to make a special dinner at some point this week - probably later on in the week at some point. But again, I will post pics as soon as I do it. :)

Too many surprises this week, I'm so excited!!! :)

To balance things out

Since I posted a very yummy, but very caloric recipe yesterday I decided that I need to balance things out a bit (just so y'all know, I don't normally cook high fat foods - in fact, I try to cook low fat and healthy, on a normal basis - but you gotta live every once and a while right?). Here is a recipe from the McDougall cookbook. It is a Black Bean and Corn Salad that I make on a regular basis. In fact, when I go to potluck's and the like I take this dish. It's usually a BIG hit. And, even those that don't like 'healthy' foods love it.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
2 - 15oz cans of Black Beans rinsed and drained
2 - cups of frozen corn kernels thawed (sometimes I used cans of corn rinsed)
1 - red or green bell pepper chopped
1 - 4oz. can green chilies
1 - pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half
3-4 scallions chopped
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro

Savory Salad Dressing
1 teaspoon - Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup - red wine vinegar
1/4 cup - H2O
1/4 cup - Soy Sauce (or soy amino alternative)
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce

Please take note though that this recipe yields a very large quantity. Of course it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but I find it's way too much for one person. So, cut the recipe in half if you are unsure about it just to test it out.

(Again, these are not my pics - but the dish looks VERY close to these)

Chicken Marsala

Since Shawn and I bought our townhouse a few years ago I have been meaning to make Chicken Marsala for dinner. I researched how to make it and bought Marsala Wine, but never really got around to making it. Well, last night I finally made it. Oh my gosh, it was one of the best things I have ever made. I found a recipe on the internet (I must give credit where credit is due) and tweaked it a bit and came up with my own creation. Here is the recipe:

This is not my photo - but it looks close to what I made last night.

• 4 Chicken breasts (skinless - pounded flat)
• 1- 20 oz. bottle of Marsala wine (I used dry - but sweet would be wonderful too)
• 2 oz. olive oil
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms (sliced - I used crimini's)
  
• 1 cube of chicken bouilon

Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Lightly pound into about 1/2 inch thickness.

Turn the burner on to medium temperature and put a pan on it. When the pan is starting to produce heat through, pour in the olive oil spreading it around until the pan is fully coated. Add some butter. (Keep the pan on medium or the butter will burn).

Make a powder mixture by combining the flour, salt, and black pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with this flour mixture.

Pan the chicken breasts. Flip them onto the other side when one side is golden brown. When both sides are golden brown, take them out and put them on a plate.

Pour in 10 -15oz. of Marsala wine and add the chicken bouillon cube. Add the sliced mushrooms. Start cooking and continuously add butter until the sauce begins to thicken. (I added a wondra flour mixture to thicken the sauce). You may have to add more or less Marsala wine to get this to proper thickness. Play around with this part of it.

Cook until mushrooms are reduced down and sauce it thickened.

Serve hot, immediately after preparing.

I must say - I have never been so impressed with a recipe off of the internet. Like I said, I tweaked it a bit, so play around with it. I thought the sauce could have used a bit of herbs - not chunky herbs, but some herb flavor. So maybe next time I will infuse the sauce with herbs and then take them out before serving.

With this I served my famous garlicy-cheesy mashed potatoes (recipe on a previous post) and some steamed broccoli sauteed with a bit of butter, salt and then sprinkled with some fresh grated parmesean cheese.

I don't normally cook with soooo much fat - especially butter, but I really wanted to go all out for Shawn last night. This is a recipe I will definitely make again and again (but since it's got so much butter in it, I will probably only make it for special occasions).

My next conquest - - - lightly crispy chicken breasts with some kind of lemony sauce - - - and of course I have always wanted to make a really good chicken piccata recipe. :) Happy cooking!!!

This is what I did yesterday!!!

What do you think? I may be making a version of this for people to give as Christmas gifts.....shhhhh - don't tell anyone. :)

Sometimes I profess....other times I do not!

As of today I am a college professor again. Who knows what this crazy world is coming to when someone like me can claim to be a college professor and sometimes even be good at it. :~) I have 2 more months to prepare for my class, not sure if I have enough time......lol.......I could prepare this class in about 5 minutes. But hey - at least I have 2 more months to do tons of reading.

Ruby Tuesday

After church on Sunday Shawn and I decided to go out for lunch. We drove down to Folsom to see what looked good and noticed that they had just put a Ruby Tuesday in a local strip mall area. Shawn has been talking about trying out a burger at Ruby Tuesday for months. We have Tivo, and rarely ever watch commercials, but of course this is the one commercial that we have seen and it has eaten away at him for months. So, we decided this was the place we were going to go. We walked up to the door and were told that they didn't officially open until Wed (today). That was fine, we ended up eating at a cheesesteak place that was really good (another good find). We planned on going back to Ruby Tuesday today for burgers during lunch time. So that's what we did. Shawn had a really good burger, I think it was called the smokehouse burger. I had the mini burgers and salad bar - a very good choice. I think I have found my favorite burger place. You can't go wrong with a couple of mini burgers and all the vegetables you can cram down your throat for $9. Lovin' it!!! I have a feeling we are going to eat there anytime we get a hankering for burgers.

The much needed weekend

Shawn and I woke up on Friday morning dreading what was coming next. We decided that we were going to remodel his office so that he can move all of his computer stuff down there and out of our mutual living space. This is necessary because we are seeing entirely too much of each other now-a-days. That's not to say we don't love spending time together, we do, but we are not quite sure two people at this stage of marriage were meant to spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week together. So, in order to cut down that time a little, we are re-doing his office so we can be apart a bit during the day. (Plus, I think it's wearing on him a little not being 'away' from the house....so my idea was to create a separate space just for him and his work). Hopefully this will turn out to be a good thing.

Back to my point - we woke up knowing what our day was going to be like - lots of paint, lots of physical labor. Well, at about 2pm I called him into the "Red Room" and decided we should talk about this a bit. Neither of us was in a good mood and neither of us wanted to remodel - so I suggested that we take the rest of the day off, go get some movies and just relax. Then I mentioned that we should take Saturday off too because I am stressed about not having a job, and simply life in general. So we decided to take Saturday and title it "SHAWN AND CAROL'S DAY OF FUN". (This is not an original title - every time we take the day off and have some fun, this is what we call it - and at random times throughout the day we repeat this saying to each other......just for fun).

So we called Jonathan and Sharon to see if they wanted to come with us. They were game! Joy joy joy!!! So, come Saturday morning we caravaned down to Sonoma (I wanted to drive separately because Shawn and I have some of our best conversations in the car on long trips....something we haven't really gotten to do since we moved up here and there are no more long trips. Plus, when I get stressed, I need to vent a bit and talk about life - so that's what we did. Not so conducive when there are other people in the car.)

Our first stop - the SONOMA CHEESE FACTORY.


While this place is no longer a cheese factory, you can still cheese taste, and that's what we did. Sharon and I wine tasted and all of us sampled the cheese. It was a short, but fun visit.

Our second stop was a restaurant about 2 blocks away called Deuce. It was a nice place, but I am not sure I would ever eat there again. We really wanted to go to a different place (can't think of the name of it, but Shawn and I went there about a year ago and it was FANTASTIC). However, we found out that it was closed for lunch on the weekends. Bummer - but we had a good time at lunch anyway.



The third stop was the Budweiser Factory in Fairfield. We have been here before, but Sharon and Jonathan had not - so we decided to stop and take a tour. During the tour they give you free drinks. A nice gesture! So Sharon and I had a beer each with some interesting flavor added (can't remember what they are called right now). They weren't in production that day, but we still got to tour around a little.


Stop #4 was the Jelly Belly Factory. Again, no production that day, but interesting nonetheless. I have been to the factory twice before, and to my amazement, Shawn never had - neither had Sharon and I assume Jonathan. So, we had a good time walking around to see the different process areas.

After the tour we went down to the sampling areas. Nothing too notable there except you can sample whatever you'd like. They now have Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Ok, when they mean every flavor - they aren't kidding. I tried a dirt flavored jelly bean and promptly spit it out. I have, sitting at home a vomit flavored bean, an earthworm flavored bean and a bacon flavored bean.....all of which I am a bit too scared to try. If I do try them in the next day or two, I will let you know how they are. But, judging by the dirt flavored one, they are RIGHT ON in their flavors. I have never eaten an earthworm - but one could imagine...and don't even get me started on the vomit flavored one....yikes. I guess I would have to be a 10 year old boy in order to fully appreciate these beans.


After the Jelly Belly Factory we were going to head home. However, we noticed a sign that said "Olive Oil Tasting" (a sign that I had noticed every other time I had visited this area but had never stopped). I had mentioned to Shawn a number of months back about how there is an olive oil factory in Placerville and they have tastings daily (I think). I mentioned to him that I would like to stop by there to check it out and taste some really good olive oils. Sharon and Jonathan also noticed the sign and asked us if we wanted to stop. Of course I said yes....Shawn was not to happy about that - but we had a good time tasting a number of different Olive Oils and a bunch of REALLY GOOD balsamic vinegars. We ended up buying Black Currant Balsamic and a really good Black Aged Balsamic. We didn't buy any oils because, like I mentioned, there is a place up here that makes olive oils. But I think Jonathan and Sharon ended up buying some.

Overall we had a good day. By the time we got home we had no energy left. We sat down on the couch and didn't get up for the rest of the night. So much for a relaxing weekend right? But at least we had tons of fun!!!

What would it take for me to go to Paris???

Type into Google Maps:

From: Placerville, CA 95667 (where I live)
To: Paris, France

Take a look at line# 37........WOW - I would surely be tired once I get to Paris. :)



(No I did not tke this picture...but if I did go to Paris, I would probably take a similar one).




(Thanks for the idea Natalie!!!)

Because I have been posting about jobs so much...I thought you needed a break! :)

so get this...

I just received an email from the organization that I just interviewed with. The email was about a different job I applied for about a month ago. Apparently I qualify for that position too....but get this....it pays $70k a year. I am pretty darn excited about this!!! I will post more updates as they come..... :)

The interview is over

Oh thank God!!! The interview lasted about 45 minutes and was mostly situational questions rather than 'stock' questions some interviewers ask. I don't think that I could have done anything differently considering the amount of Human Resources experience I have....or I should say, the lack of experience. It is very possible that there are quite a few people that they are interviewing that are more qualified than me. So, I did all that I can - I had the appearance of a professional - new suit - make-up but not too much - briefcase instead of a purse....I had it goin' on. But, the ultimate decision is now up to God I guess. I sound like a broken record - but I really only want the position if it's God's will. I want to love the job.....and if I don't love it, I don't want it.

Up all night

My interview is in about 2 hours. As nervous as I am about this interview, I can't wait for it to be over so I can come back home and go to sleep. I have been up almost all night - not restful sleep. Even with sleeping pills I have been up most of the night.....that makes for a good night. Too tired to think clearly because of the sleeping pills, but to stressed out to go to sleep. Sometimes I am simply amazed at my body.....exhausted but can't sleep. Uggghhhhhhh, I can't wait until 10am when the interview is finally over. Pray for me. :)

Blog Mini Break

For those of you wondering where I have been, I am taking a bit of a break. I have an interview tomorrow and will be resuming the blog probably tomorrow afternoon. Until then, I am reading up on interview questions and techniques to hopefully land the job tomorrow. I probably won't hear back for quite some time, bit when I hear I will let you know. Please pray that the right job comes my way. The Sierra College job, while it's in the field I love, I don't think it's going to work (unless I get another assignment from an addition college or get a part-time job doing something else). I just want what God wants for me....and I really want to LOVE my job tremendously...whatever job that may be. Until tomorrow.....

Adding to our library

Shawn and I recently set up a library area in the 'red room'. For those of you who are new to my blog, the red room is the living room downstairs, which will eventually be called the movie theater if Shawn has his way (he wants a HD projector with a screen that comes down from the ceiling). In the back of the room we have set up 4 bookcases that are almost filled with books and DVD's. Well, since I have read most of the books on those shelves, all except for Shawn's physics books, I decided it was time to get more. So, yesterday I purchased 5 new books.

This one is from the Soul Tracker series. I really liked the first two, so of course I have to get the third in the series. Bill Myers is one of the more intelligent Christian authors I have come across (is that bad to say?).

The next set of novels are written by Brandilyn Collins. I have never read anything by her, so if the books aren't that good, it's gonna suck for me because I just bought all 4 books in the Hidden Faces series. A bunch of people on Amazon reviewed the books and said they were really good. So, until they arrive, I shall trust that they are amazing books and wait in expectation.



More work on the workout room/office today....I am patching and re-texturing a wall today. If all goes well, I will be painting the remainder of the wall tomorrow, then the workout room will be finished. Can't wait until it looks really good. :) Once I am finished with the room I will post a final picture.

UPDATE

Here's the wall after I was done. Now all I need to do is re-texture and paint and then the room will be finished! Can't wait!!!

The Office (not the TV show)

I am in the middle of wallpaper removal hell. There is one wall in my office that had felt on it when we bought the house (see the right side of the first picture) and wallpaper under the felt (who the heck would felt OVER wallpaper???). The crazy freaking people that used to live here, that's who..........But, I am no match for wallpaper. I am scraping and scraping and scraping. For those of you that are remodeling a house, or are choosing what to do to your walls, paint, paper, etc.... DON'T WALLPAPER YOUR WALLS!!! Please do the future owners of your house a service and make it easy for them to de-skank your house with ease.

In addition to NEVER painting with flat paint again, I will NEVER wallpaper a wall. Nope, not gonna do it, never! Having said that, here are the before and after pics of the room so far. I am still working on the wallpaper wall, so it's not pictured, but at least you can get the idea of what the colors look like. Enjoy!!!


The before picture:

(Take a look at the felt panels on the right side of the room. Check out the cabinet to the left - yikes)



The after picture:

(The wall color has changed, we ripped out the carpet, painted the walls blue - the picture does not do the color justice, and painted the trim and 'accessories' white. Everyone kept telling me to rip out the cabinet, but after removing the nasty old hardware and painting it white - which took about a million coats and is still not done, I think it looks mighty cute. What do you think?)

To be a college instructor, or not to be???

I am thinking I may be changing career paths soon. I can certainly go back to being a college instructor, which I enjoy greatly. Or, I can find a job doing something else, something I am an expert in like HR, accounting, administration or even sales. But here is the issue - be a college instructor for VERY little money, have to drive an hour each way for only ONE class and to spend a ton of money on gas is not too appealing. Plus, if I did that and couldn't teach about 5 classes (still waiting for July to arrive - that's when Sacramento State said they would contact me about classes), we would be dipping into our meager savings every month. It's either that or work in an office and stare at the clock ALL day (simply because I am pretty proficient and usually get done with tasks/assignments/projects fairly quickly and have nothing to do for the rest of the day), which I don't enjoy too much but would probably make a decent amount of money doing. My heart and head are at war.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have an interview with the government agency in a week and I hope I am offered the job. I will definitely take it if it's offered. That is, unless a better offer comes along.

Oh what is a girl to do? I think having a Master's Degree in a place like Placerville is working against me at this point.

NOTE: A new recipe review is coming soon: Chicken Cattiatore. Keep an eye out for it. :)

Product Review - Inko's Tea

Pictures courtesy of Inko's Tea - https://www.healthywhitetea.com/ (visit the website - you will be glad you did)

I have to tell you about a tea that I used to drink in the Bay Area many many many moons ago. I was conveniently shopping at Trader Joe's, by far my favorite store. I sometimes walk up and down the aisles to search for new products to test out and innocently came across a bottled tea called Inko's. I had been reading information on the internet for quite sometime about the health benefits of white tea and how good it can be for the human body. I love tea, but sometimes can't handle the harshness of black and green tea. There are a few products on the market that have about a million calories per serving and at the same time have a harsh taste. I was looking for something a bit different. So, at that moment I decided that Inko's tea was worth a try. I picked up a White Peach and Honeydew, made sure the top of the bottle was not "popped out" - because as each bottle of Inko's will tell you, "Button doesn't pop? Don't drink a drop!". Catchy little saying if you ask me.

I got the tea home and put it in the refrigerator and forgot about it. Little did I know I had struck gold. A few days later I was scanning the refrigerator for something cold to drink and came across my new find. I stood at the refrigerator, opened the bottle, took a drink, and it was as if a light shined down upon me from the heavens. I had never tasted anything so delicious and refreshing. The smooth flavor danced around my taste buds. I knew instantly I had found my new favorite drink.

Since moving a few months ago from the Bay Area I had been unable to find the wonderful tea....until a couple of weeks ago that is. Inko's tea sells a number of different flavors, currently my favorite flavors are Honeydew and White Peach, but I have been itching to try out a few other flavors. They also have Cherry Vanilla, Apricot and Lychee, all of which I am hoping to try very soon. The best part about the tea is that it's only 56 calories for the entire 16 oz. bottle. Lovely, just lovely!!! It has a slightly sweet flavor, but not overpowering - it is simply the perfect drink!

So, if you are looking for a new beverage to try out, check with your local grocery store to see if they carry Inko's tea. If they don't, by all means contact the company - Andy from Inko's is incredibly nice and will help you out with anything you need.

Caution, wet paint

If I never see another can of paint it will be too soon. The last three days, plus last weekend and countless weekends before, Shawn and I have painted. I am so sick of paint.....sick sick sick sick sick sick sick of paint. I don't think this blog will do it justice, but I can certainly tell you that I hate painting. As you probably know, we purchased a house that hadn't been painted in 16 years. That's 16 years of sun on the outside of the house (which wasn't properly painted in the first place) and 16 years of cigarette smoke residue soaking into the walls, and 16 years of hand smudges gathering on the walls and doors. Uggghhh!!

Jonathan and Sharon came over last night and helped me paint the workout room/my office. I must say, it looks really good. I picked a very nice blue color...and as soon as I get finished painting all of the trim and finish the walls I will post a pic. The walls are a brighter blue color and the trim and doors are bright white. We used semi-gloss paint. There is only one room in the house that has flat paint (we used flat upon the suggestion of someone we know) and will seriously NEVER do that again. Flat paint is the worst!!! Some people love it and will only use flat - but I can honestly say that I will not use paint without some kind of sheen to it - whether that be high gloss, semi-gloss or egg shell. Nope, never, not gonna do it!

But, in a few days I will be able to resume my workouts since my workout room/office will be finished.

Only one more coat on the trim and I will be done.

Another Confession

I don't wash my legs in the shower on a consistent basis. Obviously soap runs down my legs simply from washing using the top down method - but I don't think I have ever scrubbed my legs unless I am doing yard work (like today) or am painting (also today). Is that weird? Do you actually wash your legs?

I have never heard any complaints that my legs have an odd aroma or that they are dirty. Am I out of the ordinary? (Maybe I can justfiy this because I shave pretty consistently and I use shaving cream - which is kinda like soap right?)

Cassarole and the job

I take great care in choosing the pictures I put up on my blog....teee heee heee! If only that were true. I haven't mastered the art of keeping a camera handy so I can take pictures of the stuff that I cook. However, I do take time to search for a picture that best represents what I am talking about....because really? Who doesn't like a blog with pictures? It gives you something to look at while you read. (You can thank me now....lol).

Tonight I made a chicken noodle casserole.....you know, instead of tuna I used canned chicken. Sharon (for those of you that are new to my blog - Sharon is my newest sister-in-law) and I were talking today about looking at stuff in our cabinets and not wanting to eat it because you stare at it too long. Well, after this conversation I was determined to use the pesky cans of chicken that have been sitting in the cupboard for the last couple of months. Anyway, I made up my own recipe....again! It was macaroni, cream of mushroom soup, milk, cheese (but not too much), spinach (which I don't think I would use again, but instead use peas if they are available), corn, celery, onion (grated) and panko breadcrumbs and cheese on the top. It actually came out pretty good. I was surprised when Shawn said that he like it....amazing! I really think the panko breadcrumbs were a winner as was the thin layer of cheese on top. I can't say for sure what quantities I put in the casserole because I used the "what's in the house and what can I dump into this thing" method. I can honestly say though, out of the 29 years of my life, I don't think I have ever made a casserole. My next stint in casserole making is probably going to be something Mexican. Maybe a taco/tortilla casserole or something, who knows?

Note: In case you wanted to know...I grated the onion so it was in small pieces, cut the celery into little cubes and sweated it until soft. Added the spinach and corn to heat them and set it aside. Cooked the noodles at the same time I heated the cream of mushroom soup and milk. Then simply dumped all of it together into glass bakeware, topped it with a thin layer of cheddar cheese and panko breadcrumbs and baked it on 375 for 30-40 mins. or so. I then broiled it on high for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs a bit brown.

On the job front...I called Sierra College today since they were supposed to call me yesterday but didn't. The Dean said that they are going to offer me a class during the summer and at least one class during the Fall. I was actually expecting 3 classes during the Fall since this is what she told me on the phone a month ago when she originally contacted me, but apparently they are hiring more than one person to fill those classes (which she did not originally tell me). But hey, at least I have something right? And for that I am thankful! My class during the summer starts in mid to late June....so it looks like I have the next 3 months off. Well, that is unless I find another job before then. :)

Blessings for today:
1). My husband - simply because he is the greatest man in the world and puts up with my crap everyday. :) And let me tell you, I am NOT an easy person to be with sometimes.

2). Family - we spent the day with Shawn's dad, brother and new sister-in-law at a tool show and then lunch. Then we all came back to the house and talked for a while. It was nice!

3). The job that I have lined up. Even though it's not what I was expecting, it's still something!

4). God - for throwing me head first into the fire...and while I absolutely HATE the fire - I will come out the other end refined and stronger...and probably a bit shinier. :)

5). My dog - because she is stupid happy all the time, even when she doesn't feel well. I have a lot to learn from her. What a cutie!

Schizophrenia

4:00pm

No word yet on the job at Sierra College. But I did hear back from the county about one of the jobs I applied for a while ago. I took a test with the county a couple of weeks ago for a human resources position and I got the test scores back. They sent me an email on the 20th of this month saying:

"At this time your score does not qualify you to be referred to the hiring department for the next phase of the recruitment process. However, you may be eligible for referral at a later date and will be contacted at that time."

Totally understandable! I knew there were going to be other people who scored more than I did - I am a terrible test taker and walked out of there not feeling very confident about my test score since there were LOTS of math questions that I haven't seen in years (seriously, math is the reason why I never took the GRE to get into grad school, and it's one of the reasons why I went into Communication instead of something more technical). In fact, the ONE question I should have known the answer to I totally spaced on. It was something like what do you do, in order of sequence, in research: a). gather data b). pick a sample c). organize data d). interpret data. Obviously I know which order these come in when I am doing research - anyone with half a brain that has been through even 5 minutes of college can tell you......but the way they worded it was very confusing (I did not replicate exact wording because I think I signed a confidentiality waiver of some sort when I was there). For the life of me, I couldn't remember if A or B went first because I may have interpreted it a bit differently. It comes down to quantitative or qualitative research - of which I know both very well having done tons of studies in graduate school. But, the test did not specify quantitative or qualitative. In any case, this part of the email I got today:

Dear Ms. Perez,

Congratulations! You are invited to participate in the oral board examination for the position of (omitted in case someone from this particular organization googles the name of the position)............

The interview will be held as follows:

LOCATION:
DATE:
TIME:

If you have not already provided written verification (e.g. copy of diploma, transcripts, certificates, licenses) of education and/or licenses listed to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, please bring them with you on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. These documents must be received prior to becoming a finalist for the position.

I think that this organization should explain why I was rejected last week but asked to do an oral exam this week. I don't get it. Is it possible that because I have a MA degree they are making an exception? Did they just figure out that level of intelligence has little to do with a single test....or a single degree for that matter? It infinitely bothers me when people are evaluated simply because of a test or a degree. For everyone out there....DEGREES DON'T MATTER.....A SINGLE TEST DOESN'T MATTER.....THE ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE OF THE PERSON AS A WHOLE IS WHAT ULTIMATELY MATTERS!!!!!!! I am not a test score.....I am certainly NOT a degree (and I absolutely loathe that people classify me as someone who has a masters degree). It's something I DID during a couple of years of my life, it's not WHO I AM.

Ok, I will get off of my soapbox now. :) Thanks for listening. Again, I will update you if and when I hear back from Sierra College.

Here's something odd....

I guess I should put this under a 'confessions' heading, but I don't want to think of any beyond this one. Sorry!

There have been about 3 or 4 times throughout my adult (after 18) life that I have forgotten to wash my hair in the shower. Isn't that weird? I simply got into the shower and apparently did things 'out of order'. I didn't really think that I had an 'order' that I did things in while in the shower, but apparently I do. LOL On said occasions, I get out of the shower and start to blow dry my hair and quickly figure out that I have not washed my hair. And since I wash my hair everyday I either get back into the shower or stick my head in the sink to finish said washing.

On a bit of a different note, while I was in Russia as a TL with TM one of the other female leaders 'challenged' me to not wash my hair for a day. I thought this was quite interesting because she barely knew me but decided that she wanted to challenge me to do something I wouldn't normally do. I politely declined and then explained that just the year before I was in Peru and didn't take a shower for a week which obviously meant no hair washing - - - ewwww, I know - but it was a must for the village trip we went on. No hair washing, no body washing, no face washing - ewwww! But hey, it was all for mission right? So now, living in the lap of luxury in America, one of the blessings in this great land is the ability to wash my hair and take a shower everyday. Still, every once and a while I will not wash my hair, but it's only for about 36 hours or so....otherwise I hop into the shower. :)

NOTE: As a bit of a side note, I interviewed with Sierra College this past Friday. From my perspective the interview went really well. They said that I should hear back about their decision sometime TODAY. I am praying and praying and praying that I get this gig with Sierra. Even though it's a 45 minute drive each way, I need to be in the classroom teaching. I will update when I hear something.

***Revealing Entry***

If you can't handle the truth, please do not read this entry.

If you can't be kind, please do not comment on this entry.

If you feel the need to judge me, please stop reading my blog.

If can handle the truth, feel you can be kind and without a doubt can be supportive with no ulterior motive, by all means, please continue to read.

The last few years have been hard. As the anniversary of my dad's suicide come closer, I am reminded of his actions all over again. It seems, every year, I am reminded. It's not enough to be reminded everyday - because I think about him every single day - the anniversary comes around and hits me like a ton of bricks. Please don't misunderstand.....I am moving closer, a lot close to coming to terms with his actions....but I would be lying to you and to myself if I said that it's not one of the events in my life that has effected me greatly.

I would be dishonest if I told you I simply rolled over and "let God take control" of my life and forgave, and simply trusted God (I am not Polyanna). I have questioned God....I have cried to God....I have yelled at God....I have, at times, hated everything about God's plan.....all because of one man's actions. I have residual anger because I no longer have an earthly father....and anger because of his actions...not only the final action....but the actions long before his death. Part of me understands his actions and can definitely sympathize, but part of me wants to rage!!! Why have I blamed God, cried to God and questioned God? Because God dwells in the deepest part of me. Because I prayed for my father on a regular basis and had faith that God was going to take care of him. My faith meant little, because what happened did.

Am I perfect? No! 1). I let my emotions run me a lot of times! 2). I let anger get the best of me! 3). I am selfish with people! 4). I curse (sometimes a lot, but it's getting better)! 5). Countless other things I don't care to list out...because we could be here all night. The point is, is that I am NOT perfect. No one is. And this my friends is the beauty of God. The most intimate encounter I ever had with God was in 2000 - I was deep in worship at church one night and I heard God clearly say to me, "Come to me as you are. I love you." Come to me as you are.....I cried. In the middle of church, I was bawling like a little baby because God, as clear as day, told me to come to Him as I was. I didn't need to change ANYTHING - just simply come to Him. Comforting words.

In times where I have nothing left - the times when I have a heavy heart (literally HEAVY - pressure in my chest), the only thing I can do is give the part of me I am willing to let go of. Which isn't much most times. I am incapable and unwilling to come to God as I am wholly. I give what I can - and every day, every week, every month, it's a little more. As mad, sad and angry as I have gotten, something deep down is calling. God is calling - God is carrying - God is healing - God is loving me just as I am. Part of me wants to accept it - part of me wants reject it - but it's always there, calling and by the grace of God, I can hear it as clear as day.

I say all of this because someone came over the other night and pretty blatantly judged me (and Shawn for that matter) for my lifestyle - but didn't do it in a way that was loving. The person did it in such a way as to judge and condemn. I am sure this person had good intentions somewhere, but I simply cannot see the good intentions right now. This person presumes to know what I have been through - what I have seen - what I have experienced - I kindly don't think so. Until you can walk a mile in my shoes and experience the depth of hurt and anger that I have at times, please refrain from harsh judgment please. (I admit that I too have judged people - but have since and quickly learned what kind of effect this can have on people - I try my hardest not to do that anymore, but simply be loving and accepting of everyone regardless of where they are at in life).

I can honestly say that my fire for God has been burning brighter. In church this morning my heart was excited. I was excited to be a follower of God and to call myself a Christian. I felt excited about missions again and can't wait to get back out on the mission field. But, at the same time, like Paul in the bible, I am at war with myself. I choose to do the things I don't want to do - and don't do the things I should. I still curse (less than before - but still do it - especially when I accidentally stub my toe or hit my fingers with a hammer - but I am trying). But, my faults don't exclude me from loving God. I am trying my best given the cards I have been dealt in the recent few years. (Having said this - I know you are thinking that I shouldn't let my surroundings dictate how I feel or react....ummm, yeah - I know that. I am working on it and trying to find joy in the very many things that I have to be thankful for - which are MANY).

Just today I can list about a million things that I am thankful for. God has been so kind to both me and Shawn - and as a couple, God has poured down his blessings and abundance. For this, among a million other things I am thankful for just today. Tomorrow I am sure I will find a million other things to be thankful for. God is good - and it's in His loving arms that I will find sweet rest tonight.

A guide to brushing your teeth in the car DISCLAIMER----I DO NOT CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOR

Things you need:
1). Toothbrush
2). Toothpaste
3). Bottle of water - partial or full

The process:
First, open the bottle of water and dip your toothbrush into the bottle to wet it (don't crash, keep control of the vehicle). Then, put some toothpaste onto the brush(don't crash). Proceed to brush your teeth(don't crash). After you are done brushing, put some water in your mouth to rinse(don't crash). While the you are in the process of rinsing, dip your toothbrush into the bottle to rinse it off(don't crash). Once the brush is clean, spit what's in your mouth into the bottle(don't crash). Return the cap to the bottle and discard. If you have gotten to this step, you probably still have control of the vehicle....good job. Now you have nice breath and clean teeth. Feel free to proceed with your trip.

If you are wondering why I posted this, I will surely tell you. I went to the Bay Area yesterday for the majority of the day. On the way home I needed to brush my teeth....I don't like yucky teeth, especially on a 3 hour drive. So, I brushed my teeth on Highway 5 through Stockton. :) Mmmmm, I love clean teeth while driving. (I know I'm quirky, you don't have to tell me that). Have a good day!!!

Food Fetching

Sometimes I don't sleep too well and last night was one of those nights. Shawn woke up and was playing with his cell phone to see what time it was at o-dark-hundred......3am, and of course, this was the very thing that woke me up. About a half hour after he woke up to check his watch, he sat up and looked at me. I asked him, "what's going on baby?", and he promptly responded, "There's lots of food fetching going on". I obviously questioned him to see if I had heard correctly, and he repeated, "There's lots of food fetching going on". Of course I thought this was hilarious (and when asking him if he remembers this later on this afternoon he confirmed he had no idea what I was talking about). Hmmmm, maybe I've been experimenting in the kitchen a bit too much lately...what do you think?

Ugghhhhhhhh

I do this every single time I need to get something done. Procrastinate. I thought that as I got older I would no longer do it....but, much to my dismay, I still do it. What am I procrastinating you ask? Thank you for asking! I have had about 3 weeks to prepare a short 10-15 minute lecture that I will be giving on Friday. This is almost a working interview, meaning, it is an interview that a college wants me to prepare so they could see my teaching abilities first hand. I am heading down to the Bay Area on Wednesday to meet with my thesis adviser so he could give me a bit of feedback so I don't completely make a fool out of myself which means my lecture has to be completed in it's entirety. It's also an opportunity to see some friends and pick up some things we can't find up here in P-ville (like the frozen yogurt we love soooooo much!!! It's actual yogurt that is frozen, and tastes like yogurt...mmmmmm, so good and really low in calories). I will be picking up a few half gallons of the stuff to keep in the freezer...and if we need to, we will vacuum pack it to keep it fresh for a while.

In any case, I have waited three *(&$#*%^&#@*$ weeks to do this, and now I need to get it done in two days. Now, I shouldn't be complaining too much because I can probably do it in a couple of hours, but just the research of it has taken me about 4 hours this morning. I still haven't prepared the lecture/activities yet...and that bugs me. I want to get this done, but at the same time I have lots of other stuff to do around the house today.

Why am I still typing you ask? I don't know.....I already told you I have a problem!

What did you do today?

So here's what we did today. We ripped out a wall and flooring in our downstairs kitchen. Now, the kitchen area is the same room as the downstairs living room or red room as we like to call it. Tearing out the wall and floor and of course clean up took only a couple of hours from start to finish. Now we are almost ready to paint and put new flooring in the downstairs room...WOOOHOOOOOO!!! I can't wait until that downstairs room is done.

(This pic was taken before we bought the house in November 2005)

(This pic was taken about 10 minutes ago..no more wall or nasty dirty floor)

Thanksgiving is long over.....but....

As you probably know, I am searching for a job due to our recent move 3 hours away from the place where I spent the last 20 years or so. I no longer have any business contacts, no academic contacts, and friends are few and far between. Sometimes I feel completely lost...but all in all I feel blessed. I know that this was a necessary move for us to take, and it will all work out in God's timing. I know that sounds so Christianese, but it's kind of true. There are so many things I am thankful for:

*The friends that remain, and of course family.
*The gift of being able to get out of bed and walk.
*The house the we were able to buy.
*My husband, even though on occasion he drives me crazy (but I always remind myself that I drive him just as crazy at times).
*The gift of new things. New house, new town, new opportunities.
*My doggie - because I know she is in pain just like me a lot of the time (her arthritis, my back), yet she is stupid happy even though her hips bother her.
*The ability to pay for bills.
*The opportunity for entertainment when we feel like going out.
*The continuing information we find out about our house...that's it's built extremely well. :) (This is a double blessing since we bought the house 'as-is' because we knew this is where God wanted us).
*The vision that my husband has about the house....knocking down walls, floor plan etc....
*The party we are able to have in June (June 2nd to be exact....and if you are in the area, please stop by), I will be turning 30
*The opportunity to interview for jobs even though I may not get the job, at least I am getting better at interviewing. :)
*The job that God has for me....even though I may not know what it is, He does, and really, that's all that matters right now.
*Many many many other things I am thankful for.

If you remember, please pray for me. I have a test with the county tomorrow morning. It's for a a Personnel Analyst position, a job that I really want....but then again, I only want what God has in store for me.

To follow up with the pizza competition, we made pizza the other night again (no more pizza for a while, thank you).....and Shawn, his brother and I tested both pizza's. The vote was 2 to 1.......they both like Alton Brown's recipe better since it crisped up on the bottom nicely. But, they did say that Justin's recipe had better flavor. I agree with them, but I think taste is more important than a little crispiness. I still haven't asked if I can post my brother-in-law's recipe....but like I said, Alton Brown's recipe is available on the Food Network website.

Until later......

Preliminary Pizza Results Are In!!!

So, Shawn and I have eaten pizza for the last three or four days. Ugggghhhhh, I am so sick of pizza. The bright side though, is that I have kept up with the exercising to counter balance my pizza consumption. I bet that you don't really care about my exercising though do you? You just want to know which recipe won right? Ok ok ok.....here are the results.......as you will notice from my blog below, there were three different doughs that I used to make pizza.

1). Store bought bread dough that can also be used for pizza. I give this a meager 4/10. This is because it's plain dough, not really meant for pizza, but meant for high production and pretty much should be used for white bread.

2). Alton Brown's pizza dough recipe. This was a really good recipe. I liked it very much. It had a good flavor to it for the most part, and had I not been closely comparing three pizzas back to back, I would have said this was a perfect pizza dough. It cooked up nice and crispy on the bottom, but not too crispy and chewy in the middle, which makes for a great pizza. Overall I give this recipe about an 8.5/10.

3). Justin's recipe (my brother-in-law). He used to own a pizza place, so I'd say this guy knows his pizza! This dough had great flavor. You could taste the depth of the crust and the flavor was not flat at all (which, after tasting all of the pizza's, Alton Brown's was a bit flat after comparing the pizza's back to back.....sorry A.B. .......I love your show, think you are brilliant in so many ways....but my brother-in-law's dough was a bit better this time around). This dough rose a bit better overall, had a great consistency and overall had a much better 'mouth feel' than the other two (ha ha ha....'mouth feel'.....as if I actually know what I am talking about). If there was one improvement I would make with this pizza though is the crispiness of the bottom crust. After cooking the bottom came out a bit soft. I like a pizza with a tiny crunch on the bottom. Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT LIKE crispy pizza, I like it chewy, but the bottom has to 'feel' like it's cooked when I bite into it. I think if I tweek the temperature and cooking time a bit, this will correct itself perfectly. As the recipe stands now, I give Justin's recipe 9/10.

I know, I know...you are probably thinking.....

1). Did she cook them the same? Yes. Same temperature, same time.

2). Did she use the same pizza sauce? Of course! Justin's recipe for pizza sauce....my gosh...sooooo good!

3). Did she use the same toppings? Duhhhh! I used the same everything.

4). Was there any difference in the pizza's except for the recipe? To my shame, yes. I prepared one for cooking and Shawn prepared the other. This is the factor that could have affected the outcome of the pizza's. So, in order to make sure the pizza's are the same, Shawn and I are going to invite his brother over tomorrow to make the pizza's. Jonathan used to work at a pizza place preparing pizza, so we are going have him prepare the pizza's with the same amount of dough, sauce and cheese. Then we are going to cook them together and do one more retest. I would like to test them again, and get the opinions of Shawn and Jonathan as well, then I will post a final result on Tuesday (or Monday if I feel up to it).

In addition, if I can get permission from Justin, I will post the recipes up here. If not, then I am sorry, those recipes will go with me to the grave (although, you can find Alton Brown's recipe on the Food Network website). Until then.....

The competition continues

I'm taking it to the next level!!! Over the next couple of days I will be preparing a pizza cook-off in my kitchen. Yes, that's right, I've lost it! I will be making a very involved Alton Brown pizza dough recipe, a recipe my brother-in-law has graciously shared with me (thanks Justin), and the last recipe is not really a recipe at all, but a store bought frozen pizza dough. There is another dough I would like to try though. I have gone to Trader Joe's a million times over the last 10 years or so and have noticed that there is pizza dough in the refrigerator section that looks mighty tasty (and thanks to my sister-in-law Sharon who has tried it and gave it good results, I may go and purchase some to test out), but I will have to leave that for another day.

I will also be making Justin's recipe for pizza sauce and using that on all three pizza's so the only difference is the dough. I would like to find a good dough recipe, ideally one that is super easy, but for really good, mind-blowing pizza, I am not sure that's possible. All of the recipes that I have found have a resting time of 4-24 hours for the dough. And let's face it, that's simply too much time to wait (or plan for that matter), for a simple dinner of pizza.

So, as it stands, I have borrowed a Kitchen Aid Mixer (which I can't justify buying since I would only use it like twice a year because I don't bake that often - or let me rephrase that, bake out of a box.......but, to tell you the truth, I am a great baker, just don't like to do it too much), and will be utilizing it for the next day or two to make the various pizza doughs. Once I figure out which is the winning recipe I will post the results. :)
(on second thought, since I have borrowed the mixer, maybe I will make those brownie cheesecake bars I love so much....hmmmmm, I will have to think about that one a bit more before committing to such a task.....but from what I hear, they are super easy to make).

What do you get?

What do you get when you leave an extremely flexible dog in the car for 5 minutes and a sealed bag of beef jerky buried under the front seat? A dog that now has a belly full of teriyaki beef jerky and shreds of plastic all over the car. My dog's a beef jerky whore. Nothing more to say!

The results are in

If you are one of my many and continuous blog readers, you will know that I underwent a tumultuous competition yesterday. Yes, that's right, it was a pot roast competition with myself. And the winner is.....ME!!!! LOL If you recall, I used two recipes, one from a notable chef, and one of my personal favorites, Mr. Alton Brown. The other was a simple recipe I found on the internet. Here are the recipes:

Alton Brown:

1 (2-pound) blade cut chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken
1/2 cup dark raisins
1-2 cups of beef or chicken broth (if you use the slow cooker)

Preheat the oven to 190-200 degrees F. Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is hot (really hot) brown meat on both sides and remove from pan. Add just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, olives, and raisins. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Create a pouch with wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Place half the reduced liquid/chunk mixture on the foil, add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Close the pouch, and wrap tightly in another complete layer of foil. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a fork pushes easily into the meat. Remove from oven and rest (still wrapped) for at least 1/2 hour. Snip off 1 corner of the foil pouch and drain the liquid into a bowl or measuring cup. Add some of the "chunkies" and puree with an immersion blender. Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Super Easy Pot Roast Recipe
5 1/2 pounds of Pot Roast
(2) 10.75 oz. cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
(1) 1 oz. package of dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups of water

Throw everything in the slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

THE VERDICT!!!
The Super Easy Pot Roast came out very good. The meat was tender and the sauce was really good (after thickening it with some Wondra). It tasted very 'down home cookin'. Really good though. The Alton Brown recipe I didn't finish until this morning. After cooking it per the directions, the meat was tough, so after I was done with the other recipe I put it into the slow cooker and left it there for a few more hours. It was late when it finally finished cooking, so I threw it back in the slow cooker for a hour to heat it back up and finished the sauce this morning. If I do the Alton Brown recipe again I will start the recipe the same and then throw everything in the slow cooker for 8 hours instead of taking the oven step.

I know you are not going to want to hear this, but I really can't compare the recipes. The easy recipe had a steady taste, very traditional, nothing too notable....but very good! The AB recipe had some very robust flavors involved, and the gravy was sooooo good! Of course, that is, if you like really robust flavored foods. I must leave you with one other recipe though.....it was of the cheddar mashed potatoes that I made at the last minute. Here you go:

3-4 large russet baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cloves of garlic crushed
1-1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. In another pot add milk and rushed garlic. Bring up temperature slowly so you don't scorch the milk and let sit on very low heat until the potatoes are done cooking. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add milk (you may not use all of the milk/garlic mixture, so add slowly), salt and pepper and mash with fork until smooth. Stir in cheese and butter until melted.

This recipe makes the YUMMIEST cheddar garlic potatoes EVER!!! And they are sooo easy to make.

Dueling Pot Roasts

This past weekend my newest sister-in-law (Sharon) and I were talking. She mentioned that she had cooked dinner in her crockpot the day she and her sister went skiing and that dinner turned out great. That conversation sparked something in me that I nearly forgot about.....I need to cook in the crockpot more (something I have wanted to learn how to do for years, but have been incredibly distracted by buying and selling houses and moving a million times). Since I am a crockpot gimp, I was thinking that I would make a pot roast tonight in the crockpot and see how it comes out. You are probably thinking, what's so unusual about cooking in a crockpot. And to that I will say "absolutely nothing". But alas, my name is Carol and I can't leave it at a single crockpot recipe. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???? Tonight I will be competing against myself. I am making dueling pot roasts. One in the oven that is slow cooked (thanks Alton Brown for your recipe), and one in the crockpot. I want to see which one comes out better....and which recipe is better so I can put it into my rotation of dinner recipes. Plus, I will be able to freeze quite a bit of pot roast for left over meals in the near future. I will be sure to let you know how it turns out. :) (And, if one of them are especially good, I will post the recipe).

(Have you see the Thanksgiving Friends episode where Monica competes against herself to make a better Thanksgiving dinner than last year??? Am I completely unhinged???)

Hmmmm, this reminds me.....my grandmother has a very simple but really good Chicken Cacciatore recipe...I wonder how that would taste in the slow cooker???? I feel an experiment brewing.

PRAY FOR ME PLEASE

I just got a call from Sierra College. They want me to interview on March 23rd at 8:45am. Yikes!!! They want me to do a 10-15 minute lecture as an example so that they are able to see how I work in the classroom. Please pray for a clear mind within the next few weeks so I am able to think of something really creative to do that will impress the crap out of the Dean and other full-time instructors I will be interviewing with. *Also pray for me getting the job too. I really really really want to be teaching instead of having to get a desk job (as you know since I have been complaining about this for weeks on Xanga).

On a side note, I interviewed today for one of the positions I don't want. It was almost a 2 hour interview. Very taxing....I am now really really exhausted. I am not sure how it went....but I really don't care because I don't really want the job anyway. But, it was really cool to be able to get an interview with the county anyway. :)

More Confessions

Confession #3
I have two underwear drawers....one for "everyday" underwear and the other for special occasions like wearing a skirt, or a pair of light colored pants...you get the idea.

Confession #4
I love going to the store everyday. I think I was meant to be European or something.....oh wait, I am European. Fresh fruits and vegetables make me very happy.

Confession #5
I read Harry Potter when I workout. In fact, this is about the only time I read Harry Potter. I am now on the 4th book since moving up here. Either I read fast or I have been working out quite a bit....you decide. :)

Confession #6
I am turning 30 in a couple of months. I feel indifferent about it. I guess numbers don't mean a whole lot to me...it's how old you feel. And, since I have felt about 60 since I was about 21, I guess I am pretty old.

Confession #7
I prefer to eat using the Continental Style of using silverware while I am eating, but generally use the silverware in the American Style simply because I am lazy.....LOL. That is of course unless I am at a very nice restaurant or on a cruise.

Confession #8
I ended up exercising.....see Confession #2.