Thursday, June 25, 2009

Ocean Mesa

This is where we are headed for a long weekend getaway...Ocean Mesa, it is affiliated with El Capitan in Santa Barbara (technically Goleta, I think). We are staying in the trailer-and we have a Ocean view spot...:)

We are going to do a little wine tasting - I want to go to a few of the wineries on this trail that I have never been to. I had a Rancho Sisquoc Pinot Noir and it was soooo good, so I am anxious to see their winery. Hope you all have a great weekend.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The River....

This is what we did last weekend....Jake & I went tubing...
Tanner did too, and also knee boarded
Renee & I and all the kids floated the river....(we hooked onto the boat at the end of our "float")
Jake & Tanner had a great time and Riley said it was her best vacation ever....None of them wanted to come home...

Our friends have a great place at Lost Lake Resort, so much fun! :)
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Michael Buble




I have listened to this cd at least four times today on my computer at work. It is so good...but it has put me in a melancholy mood....

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Hot Corn Dip

I have to make an appetizer for Bunco, so I decided on the below recipe. I think I have made artichoke dip too many times. ;) I wish I had a picture of what it looks like finished, it is so good...I could just eat this for dinner... I don't use fresh corn kernels from the cob(who has time to do that) I just use a bag of frozen fresh corn.

Hot Corn Dip with Crispy Tortilla Chips
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 cups dip; 12 to 18 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces monterey jack or cheddar, shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn. Add the mayonnaise, 1/2 of the monterey jack and half of the cheddar, and the cayenne and mix well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with the chips.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Blah...


I attempted scrapbooking this weekend, but all I accomplished was shuffling some pictures around and getting paper out.

Wish I could always be a positive, upbeat person, but sometimes, it’s okay to feel sorry for yourself, right?

Why is it that some people are always the ones that get the lucky breaks in life????


I am going to go play webkinz and pretend like everything is wonderful... :)

Friday, June 12, 2009

June

I was inspired by Cathy Zielske's blog today to go back & look at what pictures I took on a particular day every year. So I checked out my pictures and came relatively close to the same date each year....
June 6th, 2007- getting ready to leave for school....
June 12th, 2008- 5th grade promotion
June 4th, 2009 - Chorus performance

It was fun to go thru my pictures....I don't think I have scrapped any of these shots...
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A summer party....


Don't these decorations look fun? I was browsing Martha Stewart Living and found some cool ideas. Too bad I don't plan on having any summer parties....


When I first saw this I thought is was a sangria....but it is called Bing Cherry Mojitos...sounds good!

Ingredients
Serves 12
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice, about 9 limes
3 pounds Bing cherries
18 ounces best-quality black cherry or plain vodka (www.beekmanliquors.com)
1 bottle sparkling water (750 mL)

Directions
Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve and pit cherries; add to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top off with sparkling water. Serve immediately.
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Friday, June 5, 2009

50's performance

Riley LOVES to sing and so this year she decided she would join chorus (of course, some of her friends were in it too, otherwise she would be "too embarrassed" to be in by herself!). This year they did 50's songs. Her performance was last night and they did an excellent job singing those songs!
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Thursday, June 4, 2009

How to make your home look clean...even when it isn't...

This is an article from Real Simple....I thought there was some good tips in it...I do some of these already- please don't tell!!! :)

The Living Room
Reserve one side of sofa cushions to be shown to guests. Before company arrives, flip over the cushions to reveal good-as-new fabric. When guests are gone, flip them back.
Rid the sofa of pet hair by wetting the fingertips of rubber gloves and gliding your hand over the sofa. The hair will stick to the rubber.
Stack books, catalogs, and magazines in neat piles on the floor or arrange them in a deep decorative basket.
To disguise windows in need of washing, pull curtain panels closed.
Fold a clean blanket neatly and drape it over a stained sofa. Strategically placed throw pillows can also camouflage soiled upholstery.


The Kitchen
When the dishwasher is full and the sink is overflowing, stow dirty dishes and silverware in a stockpot and pull them out later to be cleaned.
Cover up the lingering aroma of last night’s supper by boiling nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon and orange peels in a sauce-pan on the stove.
Declutter the refrigerator by taking down notes, drawings, and magnets and throwing them in a plastic bag. Sort through it later.
Fold hand towels to hide stains. Two tips: Hang the clean side over the oven handle (with the stains in the back), or roll towels in neat spirals and stack them pyramid-style next to the sink.

The Bathroom
Glide a sticky lint roller over the bath mat to pick up hair.
Light a candle. Everything looks better (and cleaner) by candlelight.
Hang a fluffy bathrobe on top of damp towels dangling from the hooks on the back of the door.
Store a rattan or canvas basket on top of the toilet and throw in stray cosmetic brushes.
Hang fresh guest towels. The humidity in this room makes textiles look droopy, even after a recent machine washing.
Mound cosmetics and hairstyling products in a container underneath the sink. In a pinch, pile them in the tub and close the shower curtain. Cross your fingers that guests don’t snoop.

The Home Office
Stash stray office supplies, like pencils and pens, in decorative stationery boxes or filing containers on your desk.
Take down calendars and notes from bulletin boards and file them in folders. Or align them so that the tops are all in horizontal lines.
Rearrange crooked books so that all spines are facing the same direction and the titles all read from top to bottom.
Stow the keyboard and the mouse in a drawer so only the computer monitor tops the desk.
Temporarily hide wayward Post-it notes and to-do lists underneath the keyboard.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Today I was searching websites for organizational tips. I found this website called getorganized.com. I was thinking "cool" this is going to have some good stuff. On the first page is their recently added products. This was one of them. First, I would like to ask, "how does this help to get organized?" And Second, "does anybody ever use this?" and "why"??? I love to look at the 'As seen on TV' stuff- it usually makes me laugh. But why is this on Get Organized.com??? Weird.
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