it is about time

lie by lie

check it out and be outraged at all the lies

sounds like a HUGE time-out is in order

here is what is up next...

Micah's birthday is on Thursday, so check this out. This tasty morsel is what he requested. It looks super simple, and it is Oreo!

On the accident front, the news was not positive today. We received a letter from the woman's insurance company that seem to say they were not going to cover anything. Huh?? WTF!!?? If she has insurance, and the cop and witness stated it was her fault, then we should be covered and things should be moving smoothly. Well, not today. Our next step is getting in touch with our insurance agent, and hopefully, he will know what to do because we are completely new to this experience.

when all else fails you bake bread

First of all, Micah is doing well. He is moving better each day. He is still in a lot of pain, but he has been to the doctor, and now he has a good supply of anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers. The doctor took x-rays, and he has another appointment next week. Luckily, his vacation started today, so he has a whole week to relax and take it easy.
The next few days will be spent mostly on the phone because the insurance folks are suppose to call and get this ball rolling. The doctor suggested Micah begin physical therapy, but he does not know if he wants to do that. And get this, the doctor suggested he go 5 days a week for 4-6 weeks - okay isn't that a little excessive?
Of course, everyone has told us their horror stories regarding an accident they had or someone they know had. It is great for friends and family to share their experiences, but I must say the stories are starting to freak me out. Now, I feel things might not go smoothly, or worse this accident leads to more back problems for Micah weeks or months down the road. I feel we are going to have to start out every conversation with -"ever since the accident..."
I must say thank you to all of you who have given us advice. I swear we have been given more advice in the last 3 days than we ever received when we became parents. I know, I know, Micah will NOT sign anything until he is completely physically better. At this point, he is wondering when that 'better' time will be.

To pass the time today....
Daria and I baked up some delicious Orange Bread this afternoon. This recipe is from Bread for Breakfast, which is an awesome bread book.

Here are some photos of the baking process....

The dough is rising.

The end result are 2 wonderful loaves.

Unfortunately, we cannot enjoy the bread until tomorrow because you have to let this one rest overnight for full flavor. This is one of the best breads for breakfast. It makes delicious toast with raspberry jam and the perfect bread for French toast. Daria already has plans to have a slice with her oatmeal in the morning.

Friday feast

Friday, August 25, 2006

Feast One Hundred & Eight

Appetizer
If you could have a free subscription to any magazine, which one would you like to have?
I already get quite a few magazines each month, but I have had my eye on Natural Living as of late.

Soup
- Describe your living room (furnishings, colors, etc.).
Colors: purple, dark blue, green, different shades of brown, grey, white
Furniture: loveseat, 2 side tables, blue lounge chair, glider, plastic desk for Daria, entertainment center - which furniture is centered around
Size: not so big

Salad
- What does the shape of a circle make you think of?
I usually think of something round, like a cupcake or a cookie.

Main Course
- Name 3 things in your life that you consider to be absolute necessities.
1. Love
2. Good Health
3. Time

Dessert
- What was the last really funny movie you watched?
Does watching Season 2 of Arrested Development count? Because I was laughing so hard tears were rolling down my cheeks. I love the Bluths!

bye-bye ol' nissan

The bad news:

Micah was in a car accident this afternoon on the way home from work.
It happened about a mile from our home.
The car is done - in fact, it would not start again after it was hit.

The good news:

Micah is okay - yes, he is in pain, but he took a muscle relaxer and it is kickin' in, and he has a doctor appointment tomorrow.
The woman who hit him had insurance. (That fact right there amazes the crap out of me.)
There was a witness - who had a cell phone and called the cops and stuck around to help out!
The cop took a FULL report, and it has been filed with our insurance man.

Say farewell to Nissan that has served us so well....

Wednesday night dinner

The slow cooker lasagna turned out great! The only changes I made to the recipe was using soy ground round, and I added fresh, chopped basil. The reviews suggested the cooking time should be reduced to 3 hours, but I found it turned out perfect with 6 hours on low heat. We have a lot of leftovers, so this would be great for a crowd. Next time I have any family over, I will throw this in the crock pot and dinner is basically done 6 hours later.
Oh yeah, and I mixed up butter, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, and garlic and spread it on the bread. I made little slices all along the bread and stuffed the butter mixture in between and spread it on top. Then, I partially wrapped the bread in foil and put it on a baking sheet. Popped it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. And ta-da tasty bread to eat with yummy lasagna.
Enjoy!

just a tasty tease

Here are 2 pics of the yummy not-so-brown brownies I whipped up last night. Look at the gooey center.....mmmmmm...brownie goodness.


Yes, I am trying out the new effects in the editing version of photoshop.
Check out Daria in sepia tone:

Love the new camera!

I know I have said that already.

thank you and the camera's here!

Thanks to all of you who shared your kind words and stories regarding the biking incident. I found Daria's helmet and knee pads buried in the back of her closet this morning. She restated her stance on not wanting to ride anymore. I said okay and put the helmet and pads on a shelf in her closet.

Okay, now let's move on to the fun part of our day...receiving the new camera! Yes, it arrived today! Last time I checked, the arrival day was for this Friday - yeah 2 days early.
As we speak, lasagna is slowly cooking in the crock pot. I will let you know how it all turns out later. According to the reviews, the cooking time could range from 3-6+ hours. It has been almost 4, and it is not ready yet. Let's just hope dinner is ready before bedtime.
And yes, Daria and I baked up some yummy baguettes this afternoon.
My first pictures are shots of the bread. Enjoy!

Dough is rising again after already an hour and a half of rising in the bowl.

Here are the loaves right out of the oven. Cannot wait to spread garlic-basil-Parmesan butter all over it!

bikes and brownies

My daughter told me yesterday she does not want to ride her bike EVER AGAIN as she came through the door crying.

Here is what happened: (at least what I was told because I was not there.)
A little history first, Daria has not rode her bike in months. And that is because the last time she tried she fell over and cried and was done with the whole bike thing. I did not want to push it, so we decided to let her tell us when she wanted to try and learn to ride her big girl bike with training wheels.

This brings us to last week:
Daria and I were talking how school is going to start soon and summer is ending, and she brings up the fact that she wants to learn how to ride her bike before school starts. I am excited because SHE brought up the subject, not me, so I tell her to ask Daddy to take her out on Monday (yesterday). She does, he agrees, and everyone is excited and ready to ride.

Now, this brings us to yesterday:
Daria gets her helmet and elbow/knee pads and puts everything on. Micah throws the bike in the trunk because they are going to go up to the school where there is a lot of flat pavement.
This is where I am not witness to what happened until they returned home - According to Micah, everything is good and dandy when they get to the school. Micah gets the bike out and as soon as Daria sits on the bike, she begins to cry and cry. This went on the whole time, and they were gone for over 30 minutes (the school is less than 2 minutes from our home). He could not get her to calm down or even try to ride the bike, so they came home where she cried a little more and told me repeatedly that she NEVER wanted to ride the bike again. I told her okay she did not have to ride her bike again until SHE wanted to and she just had to tell us whenever she wanted to try again.

I do not know what this means - will she ever want to ride a bike? Is she going to grow up not knowing how to ride a bike and have this horrible bike experience in the back of her mind? Will the sight of a bike bring on an anxiety attack? Maybe in a couple of weeks or even months she will want to try again or at least talk about it.

Now let's move on to what is up in the kitchen! If my camera was here, (according to amazon, it is on it's way.) there would be delicious pics to drool over now.

For dinner, we had Peppers Ole - or stuffed peppers. I cut this recipe in half usually, and the original source for this recipe is Pilsbury - a book a borrowed from the library.

Peppers Ole
8 servings

Peppers:
4 lg. green bell peppers, halved, seeded

Filling:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (15 oz.) can spicy chili beans, undrained (I use a spicy vegetarian chili)
1 (11 oz.) can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

Garnish:
1/2 cup picante sauce
tortilla chips
fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Spoon heaping 1/2 cup of filling into each pepper half. Place filled peppers in ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish.
Cover with foil; bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until peppers are tender. Garnish as desired.

I usually have left over filling, and I use it for a tortilla filling for lunches and quick dinners.

Okay now lets get to the sweet treats!
Tonight I baked up some 'blonde' brownies. Again, this is an easy and very quick brownie recipe, and it makes 2 dozen!

not-so-brown brownies
24 bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
6 TBS. butter
1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar (or light)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch metal baking pan.
Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside. In 3 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove pan from heat; stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; stir until well mixed. Stir in flour mixture and chocolate chips and peanuts just until blended. Spread batter in pan.
Bake bars 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack until completely cool. Cut into bars when cool.

Tomorrow, I am trying out a lasagna recipe that is done all in the crock pot. I just love crock pot recipes! Of course, I will be trying out this one with soy ground round. I am a little nervous because the reviews for this recipe are all over the place. Daria and I will also make some homemade baguettes tomorrow afternoon because you cannot have pasta without yummy parmesan garlic bread.

Let's keep our fingers cross that the new camera arrives tomorrow!

feast 107

Friday, August 18, 2006

Feast One Hundred & Seven

Appetizer
What color is your car?
Dark red with lots of dust and dirt because it needs to be washed. Volunteers wanted for that task.

Soup
If you could wake up tomorrow with full training in another occupation and a job in that field, what would it be?
I always dream of owning a honey bee farm with llamas and giant bunnies and lots of herbs, fruit, and veggies, and I am pretty clueless in all those areas right now.

Salad
How many times in your life have you had the flu (or something similar)?
Too many, and I am sure many more to come in the future, especially with Daria beginning kindergarten in a couple of weeks.

Main Course
What is something that has happened to you this week that you didn't expect?
The lunch date Daria and I had with my former step-dad who was visiting from South Dakota.

Dessert
How old were you when you had your first kiss?
Real kiss:
12 years old
7th grade
Halloween dance
kissed Eddie in the corner
he was a year older
and much taller
It creeps me out when I think about now, but it made my whole weekend back in the 7th grade.

good 2 crappy

Today started out as a good, fun day, and then by early afternoon, the path shifted to the day of screams, cries, and the adults questioning their parenting abilities.
I am too tired to get into the sorted details. I can sum it up to a horrible incident when we left Daria's friend's home because, of course, she did not want to leave, and me, mean ol' mommy, made her leave because we stayed there for 2+ hours and both of us (friend's mom and me) had other things to do today.
Even telling Daria that we will make future plans with her friend did not seem to help the situation. (Although, now, I do not know if the mom will even pick up the phone if she sees our number on the caller i.d.)

To change up the tempo because I do not want to dwell on the incident anymore:
- I had to explain what gel bras were to Micah. Then I had to tell him I do not have any gel bras.
-I just love this picture, and no, it is not my cat (even though, it looks like her).

I found it at here - my favorite place to discover photos that make me smile.

-Micah wants me to make this delicious cake for his birthday this year. Hopefully, our new camera will be here by then, and I can post my version of this piece of heaven.

no longer late

It just took a little blabbing on the Internet for the cycle to show up this morning.
Figures.

what do I have in common with the white rabbit???

The answer: we are both LATE!!!

Seriously, though, my cycle is late, and to top it all off, I took a pregnancy test today, and it was negative. What the hell is up with that???? The reason my mind is freaking out is because the only other time in my life I have been late is when Daria was in the oven. I have never in my life been over 2 days late, and I really do not know how to deal with this. How long should I wait until I take another pregnancy test or call the doctor? I really do not want to go to the doctor again until I am knocked up! And I do not want to go and complain my lovely period has seemed to disappear because to most women that is not a complaint - that is a blessing.

In other news....
I am ordering a new camera tonight since our camera died on the last day of vacation.
My dad brought over our new picnic table. (pictures to come when the new camera arrives) It is stained a beautiful red with Daria's name carved on the bottom of 1 bench.
So excited that Mulder is on Inside the Actor's Studio - oh, how I miss the X-Files.

feastin' away

Friday, August 11, 2006

Feast One Hundred & Six

Appetizer
Tell about a toy you remember from your childhood.
I remember my Cookie Monster am/fm radio from my preschool years. It was my first introduction to controlling the radio dial.

Soup
If you could make one thing in the world absolutely free for everyone, what would it be?
Health Care AND 4-year College Education - yeah I know it said 1.

Salad
Approximately how many times per day do you think about your significant other?
All the time, sometimes happy thoughts and sometimes 'what did he do now' thoughts.

Main Course
What is something you believe in 100%?
My intuition.

Dessert
Name one thing you have done this week that you would consider a "good deed."
Yesterday, I let a lot of drivers pull out in front of me - I was building up my driving karma.

Thursday night random play...

Daria and I went to her school to make sure she is correctly signed up for kindergarten, and that I have the correct school supply list.
The good news: she is signed up, and I have only 2 or 3 things left to get on the list. (By the way, there are only 7 items on the list. So excited for that, but I am sure it is too good to be true!)
The bad news: the office secretary informed me they are still in the process of hiring a new kindergarten teacher. What?! I thought. School begins in less than 4 weeks, and there is suppose to be an open house to meet the teacher and such a week before school starts. Is it just me, or are they cutting it kind of close on this one??? Gotta love the public school system.

2 Disney pictures I must share with you:

Here is a photo of Pluto walking away from us because in the beginning of our adventure in the happiest place on Earth, EVERY single character we tried to approach would walk away from us, and it was impossible to catch up to them. However, if you take a closer look at this awesome photo, what else do you see??? That's right - a little person! And I did not even see him there when I took the picture.

Here is a crappy picture of Chip-n-Dale's treehouse. But, again, look at the greenery growing down there in front. I know it is not what it looks like, but still, it looks like it.

During our trip, we stayed here, and when we checked in, they gave us this magic coupon that allowed Daria to eat at Millies for $0.99, every meal. At first, I thought it was nice, and we would probably eat there once or twice. We ate our first breakfast there, and it was huge! We were so full, AND Daria liked her meal, AND her food was like a dollar with free refills on juice! After that first meal, we decided to eat most meals there because the servings were gigantic, and it allowed us to eat about 2 1/2 meals a day because we were so full. And they delivered to your hotel room or you could get take out. We were very impressed and fell in love the staff because they were so nice and remembered us!

Speaking of traveling, I am so happy that we are not having to get on a plane this week. I do not know what I would of done if I had to dump my water, toothpaste, and lotion. We brought like 5 bottles of water between us to and from California. Shh....don't tell anyone.

Some things I learned while on holiday:

- I would really like a king size bed. OMG, it was so big and roomy! (but I do not want to buy new sheets and blankets)

- Air conditioning is really nice when you are sleeping the big king size bed.

- I will be first to admit I have never like fast and crazy rides. Well, I learned last week that I cannot even handle Dumbo, and do not even get me started on that crazy-ass Gadget's Go Coaster (or as I like to call: 45 seconds of get me the f*&k off this thing, but be brave for your daughter!). Yes, I learned I am a super wus, and I am okay with that.

- The closest Starbucks was a very long 2 miles away from our hotel (we did not rent a car). In fact, there was not a descent coffee shop ANYWHERE by the entrance of Disneyland. There are a couple of places in the park that sell espresso, but I have a high maintenance drink and needed to find a place that made soy lattes. It is a lot more challenging than one would think to find a soy latte in or around Disneyland. (Coming from the land where I could walk 2 miles and find 4 Starbucks in any direction.) So what I learned here, is someone needs to open a GOOD coffee shop by the Disneyland entrance because you will make lots of $$$.

- Took this book with me on the trip and loved it. It is so funny and a very quick read. I bought this for my dad for Dad's day, and he loved it and suggested I borrow it. I did, and I could not put it down. This should be a must read for every Philosophy 101 class. Go Willie!

let me introduce to my new love...

There is a Sephora in Downtown Disney - hooray a shop for grown-ups!
I could not wait to go in and smell and touch the Philosophy products because I have only see them online.
After testing almost every lotion, lipgloss, and anything else could get my fingers on, I finally decided to buy.
First, it must be noted I had a very challenging time talking myself into buying 2 wonderful items because I do not like to spend that kind of $ on bath products.

My first choice was this delicious shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath (see 3 products in 1 - multi-purpose bath item!): Waffle Cone - need I say more. What is better than smelling like a waffle cone from head to toe??

My second choice (with the help of the very helpful saleswoman and the convincing of my husband to buy both): Empowermint Hot Salt Scrub - this was the best thing EVER!!!! I just used it, and I swear my skin has NEVER felt so soft. I am about to ask strangers on the street to touch me to feel the softness (Micah is at work and Daria is sleeping). I highly recommend this to everyone and anyone.

To view most of the photos click here....

The Disney Experience

we're back.....

We are home.
I do not know where to start on the trip.
My notebook has a page and a half of blog topics I want to share with y'all.
First, I will share a few pictures, and later, I will share the tales of the road.

Here we are in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle - we are the small family in front.
Daria and her pal, Goofy

She brought home Minnie ears too.

Here we are in the Lego store at Downtown Disney. Darth is made out of Legos, and he talks and moves!

Blogger is acting funny, so I will share more photos later.

By the way, Daria has a very bad sore throat today (I blame it on the plane ride home, which is a crazy story in and of itself.). It is so bad she was crying and making this horrible coughing sound. She finally stopped after the Tylenol kicked in. I called her doctor's office to see if I should be doing more or something else, and they told me it was up to me if I wanted to bring her in or see how she feels tomorrow morning. The Tylenol worked, and she ate dinner and talked A LOT all evening. So, I am hoping she will feel somewhat better tomorrow, and the Tuesday does NOT involve a trip to the doctor's office.

and to your right palm trees

We take off for Cali tomorrow!
The big suitcase is packed.
The house is clean for the cats to enjoy while we are away.
I think we are ready to holiday!