Pampered Chef Ice-Cream Dipper for Sale!

This blog post is WAY overdue! I was reading through past posts and I saw my top 10 list from July 2009! OMG, how quickly things can change in a years’ time!! Even though my life is so different now, some of my top 10 has not changed – and that’s a good thing!
Still on my list of top 10 things I can’t live without are:
1. Home – though I have moved into town now & miss my old house REALLY bad, I still have a roof over my head & more importantly, my own bathroom & closet! :)

2. Family – for those of you who didn’t know, I left Scott back in January. The divorce is pending, but I’m not divorcing his mom, his sisters, or my nieces & nephews! I love them & am so glad they’re still a part of our lives. Of course I still have my kids – I cherish them greatly – most of the time. :P (You know how life can be with teenagers!)



3. Love – I’ll just stick with the love from #2 right now. No need to complicate things …
4. Good Food – not so much into food anymore. I lost quite a bit of weight & food now doesn’t look as appealing and mouth-watering as it used to. I still like good food, but it’s just not on my top 10 list of things I can’t live without.
5. Computer – mine crashed back in March & I thought I was going to die!!! No Photoshop?! No digi-scrapping goodies?! OMG – I went through some serious withdraw!! Since then my brothers have come through & gave me their old CPU to use. It has none of my usual programs on it, but I can still email and get on the internet. I plan to get my old CPU fixed and back up & running in February – I just can’t afford it now & it’s become less & less of a priority. Getting basics like bread, milk, and eggs are more important.
6. Hi-Speed DSL – well I sort of could leave that one on my list. I’m a bit spoiled, but no longer need the super fast speeds, as I have no one playing Xbox 24/7! But I do miss those fast downloads & have quit playing almost all my fun games on Facebook because it’s too damn frustrating with all that lagging!
7. Ice Cream – same as #4. I’d replace this item I-can’t-live-without with my elliptical! Thanks Nick – always have to thank my little bro! :)

8. Pizza – same as #4, I rarely eat it anymore but anything prepared & delivered to me should make my list! :P
9. Air conditioning – uh, ya, still NEED this. No question!!
10. Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop – yes, it’s ultra convenient, but I’m not as big an ice-cream eater as I was last year. I have 2 of these scoops – does anyone out there in digi land want my other scoop?!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ahhh – what a question! Do you remember the plans you had? I remember mine and remember that my plans changed from year to year: once I wanted to be a police officer, the next year I wanted to be a nurse, and then again I changed my mind and wanted to be a teacher! Well, none of those things happened. I ended up kind of doing all three things in one job (but I did not become Larry)! Talk about multitasking …!

Once I got to high school I decided on one career I really wanted to go into – but I didn’t dare tell anyone. See, I grew up right outside of Washington, DC – where most people are “successful”. I saw the other kids I went to school with as destined to go to college, get higher degrees, become doctors & lawyers (which many did become), and be “successful” like their parents. So I just kept my dream to myself – no one needed to know that what I wanted to be when I grew up was a good mother.
That was what I thought about – doing something good for my family, I’d be a stay-at-home mom. I loved the days I’d come home from school and mom was there to greet us. She sewed our costumes for plays at school. She was always the leader for our Girl Scout troops at school. Mom had the time to teach me to sew & cook, she had the patience required with 5 small children, and she was our first teacher! Of course I remembered things from my kid point of view – but it made an impression with me and so that’s what I wanted to do.
Life has a way of happening. The SAHM career was not going to work out for me. I was a stay-at-home mom for 6 months, after I got out of the military, and it was the busiest I’d ever been! It was clear though, that I’d have to go back to work - we just needed that additional income. So I had to get a job outside the house because there is no salary in being a SAHM.
I went back to college and got a degree in Family & Consumer Science (aka – Home Ec). The courses were exactly what I wanted to know more about and I had some experience in them already. Being a Family & Consumer Science Extension Agent is close to being a full-time mom. I just have MANY more kids to take care of! LOL! The pay is not great, but it’s better than what SAHMs get! ;) And – I can retire from Extension someday – can’t do that as a SAHM!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Did things happen the way you planned? Are you still working on that dream? I feel like I still have time to become whatever I want, when I grow up! LOL!

Toilet Paper Roll or World Peace?

I do know that there are more serious things in the world today to be very concerned over; to stress about; to strive to solve - but I HAD to vent about my toilet paper roll predicament. It’s not that I’m a narcissist – it’s just that the solutions to this problem won’t take a bajillion dollars and the wisest of politicians & negotiators to solve. This one has a simple solution; it’s a real no-brainer!

So this is what I came home to one day after work:



No biggie, you say. Just put the new roll where it belongs. I agree. If the last person would have done that when the old roll ran out I wouldn’t be angry!! But no – for as long as we’ve been married, my husband rarely has done that. I’ve been keeping track of this behavior since this August and he has not once changed the roll of toilet paper! I’ll see variations of the toilet paper roll in a similar position – but never in the right place! This is really not the end of the world, and not the thing to make an argument over, just small behavior that indicates a person who won’t take the time to make things right. What else does this say?



For the record, this is how it’s supposed to look when one roll of toilet paper runs out and a new one is required! No excuses now. There’s a great visual, just in-case you had no idea …



So, like I said, the wisest politicians & negotiators weren’t called in and I didn’t spend a bajillion dollars either. Don’t you wish every problem was this easy to solve? Who wants to bet that the next time the toilet paper roll needs changed I’ll be the one doing it?

Jack Daniels Bread Pudding & other stuff ...

You are in for a treat! Today I’m gonna share some secrets with you about an award winning dessert … Jack Daniels Bread Pudding. My husband’s, brother-in-law’s, nephew’s, and others’ favorite! Beware though – it’s not low fat, low sugar, or low cholesterol – at least not the way they like it. Another note before I reveal – it takes a long time to make. The original idea of bread pudding was to use stale or day-old bread, in the day before preservatives and commercial processing.

The 1st step is to rip your loaf of bread into bite sized pieces and let that sit out for 1 day. If you’re rushed for time though, you can cover the bread with foil loosely (we want the air to flow – but no germies or bugs to get in) and let it sit out at room temperature for 1 hour or more.

The 2nd step is to add milk (I used 2%, but whole taste better, skim tastes not so great), eggs (I have used Egg Beaters), sugar (sugar substitutes doesn’t taste so great – believe me they know!!), cinnamon & vanilla (I like the whole beans, but will settle for using imitation). Then cover loosely with your foil and let it sit out for another hour. If you’re worried about food safety, remember – you’re gonna cook this.



The 3rd step is to add the bread mixture to a casserole dish (I use a big dish so I double the amount of bread I use – not the other stuff) that is covered with melted butter.

Cook at 375 degrees for 1 hour – approximately. I wish there was “smell-o-internet”, because the smell of the bread pudding baking is HEAVENLY!

When you have 20 minutes left on your baking time, you can be making the sauce; that’s where the Jack Daniels comes in!! So the sauce is simple: Jack, butter (yes, real butter), and sugar. (Sorry Scott, no matter how you measure it, 100ML is not ¼ cup!) Mix those ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted & bubbly, then turn it on low.


When the bread pudding is ready, drizzle the JD sauce over it slowly (no splashing that way – the buttery sauce is hot & you don’t waste JD!)

I promise you, if you make this & bring it to a dinner, pot-luck, event, etc… Everyone will love you forever & ask you to bring it all the time! (BTW - my 13 yo dd took most of these pix!)

On another note – I have been lucky to be invited to be part of Amy Stoffel’s permanent CT!! I was only guesting for September. Pure luck. I am grateful & excited to be able to show off Amy’s designs – which can be found exclusively at Scrap Orchard! Here are a few of the LOs I made with her kits:

Reunion Time!

I just found a friend of mine on Face Book from the USAF! She was at my first and second assignments ... and then we lost touch. But she told me about a reunion for people we were stationed with/hung out with. It happened in Branson. I guess I missed it. I wonder what all went on?? Hummmmmm ... I guess what happened in Branson stays in Branson? Good thing for the most part I guess.


(Me, Jen, and Steph at RAF Croughton on New Years Eve - welcoming in 1993!)

But Stephanie told me not to fret because the next reunion is in 2011 in LAS VEGAS!!! Wooo hoooo! THAT is one that I will be going to!! So spread the word - all USAF ppl who were stationed at RAF Upper Heyford are invited to one crazy reunion in 2011!


Hey, it's a year and 3 months away. Plan now. I have time to loose this weight by then. I better warm up my elliptical now!

What can you get done in 6 hours?

Yesterday started out as usual. I woke up about 10 times after my alarm & finally got out of bed around 10:45 am (yeah – I know I need to get myself back in church – even had a friend from church tell me she was saving me a seat!) I stumbled outside to our extra fridge with the cold caffeinated bev-er-a-ges (imagine Frank Caliendo’s impression of George Bush saying that). As soon as I made it into the carport I heard the door click & I knew immediately what I’d done … I pulled the door closed a bit harder than I meant to! I knew I was LOCKED OUT!!


(Back Door - notice the brick steps? Only Chuck Norris could kick that door from down there!)

I did not have a cell phone to call Scott to come rescue me (as he does so often – he’s the family “rescuer”). I checked our hidey hole for the spare key, knowing there was a spare up on my computer desk that Jessica brought me last weekend (found when cleaning out my car). It was empty. Then I went to the front door to see if I pushed hard enough, if it would “give”, it did not. I checked all the ground level window screens, but even if I could get them off, the windows were latched.


(Front Doors)

I didn’t want to break the glass or kick at the door – not only could I envision the wrath of Scott at the damage he’d most likely have to repair (and the expense), but also the blood and injury I would have to endure just trying to get in the house! So I perched myself in my car – it was not locked.


(My van in the carport. Both Cole & Jessica were at their dads fo the weekend - I was supposed to pick them up at 4pm!)

For six hours I concentrated on the specifics of this grant I am writing for work. I read through the project material and two activity books related to this sewing project/grant opportunity. I planned out the activities for the entire year, got a supply list together, sketched the exhibit for the Chester County BBQ Festival – all while drinking my cold caffeinated bev-er-a-ge in the six hours I was locked out!

I didn’t go to our neighbors (through the woods a little bit away from our place) to call Scott because I was still in my PJs, had no bra on, and had not even brushed my teeth! Lucky there were face wipes still in the car from my recent overnight stay for an Energizing Tennessee workshop!

My nephew, Caleb, came barreling up the driveway at about 5pm. He was close by & rushed over here when Scott told him to come check on me – since no one was answering the house phone or my cell! Caleb had two of his friends in the truck – how embarrassing!!! I’m sure they all got a huge laugh out of the circumstances of me being locked out!


(My nephew! TY Caleb!)

While I was stuck outside, the few loads of laundry I planned to do did not get done. My dishwasher did not unload itself. The cleaning fairies did not sneak in for a visit! I wish they had. I would have asked them to let me in & then they could go on with their work! ;)

Get Monica's Store for 20$

Can you believe it? Monica has lost her mind!! You can download everything in her store at Scrapbookgraphics for only 20$, until August 10th!! That's incredible because her things are mighty gorgeous.