Cookies and *&#%...

"Where's the cookies and -BLEEP-????? That came from a line from Bernie Mac's stand up on The Kings of Comedy. It is too funny.

It is appropriate for what I've been up to, though.

Besides the creation of my version of muffies, I have tried to create other SBD friendly recipes. Tonight, I fell off the wagon, though. I had a Krispy Kreme donut, a couple of salt and vinegar potato chips, and a cheese breadstick from Giovanni's. Now, I wish I wouldn't have. But it was so good. Now, I can leave my cravings behind and get back on the wagon tomorrow.

Diets are a roller coaster for me. I'm trying to make a lifestyle change. So, if I "treat" myself every now and then (and I don't make a habit of it), then I should be ok.

As for the muffies, the recipe is provided at the end of this post.

I made cookies with organic naturally white whole grain flour tonight. They turned out good. At least I thought that they were good. Not amazing, but good. Anthony thought that they were "okay", which means that they are good, but not "bangin" as he would say. Now, my self filled cupcakes are "bangin" and my meatloaf (which I made tonight) is "bangin". What he means by this is that he can eat a lot of them or as he says, "bang the heck out of them".

So, I guess it is back to the drawing board for something different...something better.

Here are my recipes: SBD Friendly.....

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffies
1 cup whole wheat/whole grain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ sticks of butter
1 cup splenda
1 tbsp SF maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
A splash of milk
½ or ¾ cup sour cream
½ bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Mix flour with soda and salt. Cream butter; gradually add splenda until light and fluffy (5 minutes) blend in vanilla, egg, sour cream; grad add flour mix; beat until smooth.

Batter will be very sticky like muffin batter.

Stir in choc chips. Drop on greased sheet.

Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Check them at 8 and you may need to bake them a little longer. I like my cookies and muffies a little chewy.

Mamaw's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made over.....
1 cup whole wheat/whole grain/organic naturally white WW flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ sticks of butter
1 cup splenda
1 tbsp SF maple syrup (a little less is what I use)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Mix flour with soda and salt. Cream butter; gradually add splenda until light and fluffy (5 minutes) blend in vanilla, syrup, egg, sour cream; grad add flour mix; beat until smooth.

Add more flour if sticky.

Stir in choc chips. Drop on greased sheet.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes

Muffies!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE PANERA BREAD! It is a great place to eat. It is a restaurant with a wonderful menu, lots of choices, and reasonable prices! This weeekend, I found another reason to LOVE Panera!

This weekend, my husband and I went, (as a part of me losing the NCAA Tourney Bracket bet) and we ate. As we were leaving, we got a few pastries to take home. Who could resist?

(I did have Whole Grain bread and a WONDERFUL GREEK salad, so I thought that a bite of a cookie wouldn't kill me.)

Anyway, Anthony got a Muffie. Okay, so I'm sure you're asking the same thing that we wondered....what's a muffie? It is a hybrid of a muffin and cookie. I don't think that Panera has a trademark on the name, but it is genius.

For those of you who are Seinfield fans....there is finally something that is like the top of the muffin - muffin caps! NO STUMPS HERE! He got a banana nut muffie and I tried a bite.

I got home and immediately I wanted to recreate it in my kitchen. So, with a couple recipes to look off of: my grandmother's famous choc chip cookies, an oatmeal cookie recipe, and a muffin recipe, I combined some of the components and I came up with an oatmeal chocolate chip muffie!

So, congrats to Panera for finding the best of both worlds....a soft moist cookie/muffin top. It's a MUFFIE! Get 'em while you can!

If you can come up with some other muffie combinations, let me know! :)

Since the recipe I came up with this weekend was experimental, once I jot down everything and the measurements, I'll post the recipe.

MUFFIES - YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you had any muffies?

YUMMY Veggie Lasagna :)

Veggie Lasagna (This is a variation of a recipe that I found on www.3fatchicks.com - A GREAT diet online support site with GREAT recipe swaps!)

Yellow Squash/Zucchini (I used 3 yellow squash and 1 zucchini)
1 tablespoon of Italian dressing (I made my own viniagrette instead).
Use just enough to coat the squash and zucchini

Marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator

Grill the squash and zucchini until tender (I used my George Foreman Grill)

Spray a deep baking dish with Pam

Layer the bottom with the grilled Zucchini and Squash
Cover with your favorite spaghetti sauce (I made my easy marinara-see below), ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese (I added 1 egg to bind it together and added some drained frozen spinach - It was excellent. Next time, I may add just a little italian sausage.)

I layered this.....little sauce (to prevent sticking), then a layer of squash, marinara, cheese filling, squash, marinara, cheese, squash, marinara, and LOTS OF CHEESE ON TOP!

Bake at 400 until done. (About 20 mins.) (Let it set for about 5 minutes before cutting/serving.)

This was so good, you just can't believe it!

Jen's easy marinara (This is a variation of a Weight Watcher marinara)
1 large can of stewed crushed tomatoes
palmful (2 tbsp) of garlic powder (or a minced garlic clove if I have it on hand)
palmful (2 tbsp) of italian seasoning blend (I use Emeril's Italian Essence, but any brand will be fine)
1/4 tsp or small pinch of salt
1 tbsp or 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (depending on whether or not you like spicy food)
1 tsp of splenda (or sugar if you like) --- Any time you add sugar/splenda to a tomato product, it brings out the tomato flavor and helps develop the flavor in the sauce. I use a pinch of splenda in my salsa too.

Mix together and simmer in a sauce pan until warm throughout. I use this for pizza sauce, pasta sauce, and dipping sauce for grilled veggies or breadsticks.

If you like your sauce extra chunky, then add a small can of diced/whole stewed tomatoes. Dump contents of can into a bowl and use a fork to break up the tomatoes into chunks, then mix in with other sauces.

As easy as this sauce is, I will never buy store bought sauces again. At least, I know what goes into it......Also, to make it a meat sauce, I just brown the meat (Italian Sausage or ground beef, etc.) and then drain. Then, I add the sauce to the skillet.

The viniagrette that I used to marinate my squash was a mixture of a good grade olive oil (you want something with a green tint. Light color olive oil is good for cooking, medium color (for my tastes) are better for salad dressings, etc.) I used about 3 tbsp of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for those of you who don't watch Rachel Ray HAHA) and about a 1 tsp or so of red wine vinegar. I added a little salt, a little Emeril Italian Essence. I would have added a little more seasoning if it was a dressing, but since it was a marinade, I made a little heavy on the EVOO since I was grilling the veggies.

Doing well....

I know I haven't posted in forever. I've been one busy girl! :)

My diet has been going well. I haven't weighed in yet, but I already feel better and my clothes aren't screaming for relief! (I've still got a ways to go, but I'm getting there!)

I've come across some new and great recipes! YUMMY! I'll be posting those on here soon!

We moved to our new office last week. It is SO nice. I'm still unpacking boxes, but it's coming along slowly but surely!

I'm still trying to find time to submit my application for school. I really need to do that this week. Man, I'm a slacker. :)

So, what's been going on with you guys!???

Back on the wagon....this time for real!

Okay, so I've said before that I was getting back on the healthy eating wagon. It wasn't successful. So unsuccessful in fact, that I have gained 10 pounds and my clothes are too tight. I have a couple suits and pants that still fit. (Clothes that were too big a year ago.) This time, I have decided to go back on the South Beach Diet. I went on the diet before and felt SO good. Lots of energy and just felt good overall. I have decided to get back on the wagon and be serious about it!

So, in the morning, I will be back on the BEACH. I hope it works as well this time as it did last time. Wish me luck!

FYI - Don't worry about me. South Beach is NOT ATKINS and you won't see me die of a coronary in the next month. South Beach is low carb and low fat diet. You can eat good fats (lean meats, olive oil, etc.) and good carbs (whole grain breads, pastas, etc.). So, don't worry. :)

This decision was not just about the gained weight or tight clothes, it was about the way I've felt the past couple of weeks. With the food that I have been eating, it is no wonder why I have felt like crap. So, I made this decision to feel better and to be comfortable in my clothes. Plus, when I felt better and my clothes fit, I felt better about myself and was more confident. So, just cheer me on as I try to get back into my "skinny clothes". ;)

Not that you guys want to hear it, but I will be posting my progress (hopefully) every week.

Thanks for your support!

WOW! What a week....and it's only WEDNESDAY!

In all honesty, I was dreading this week a little. On Monday, we had the farewell luncheon for our office manager. (I really wasn't ready for her to go. Also, I dreaded being without her asisstance.) Then, I spent two days in Parkersburg for a training that my organization provided. We had wonderful contracted trainers/consultants to provide the information, but I still went up to help facilitate and do registration, etc. So, I was dreading the trip and the time away from the office because there is SOOOO much to do!!!!!!!!!!

However, it was a blessing in disguise. Tuesday was an empowering day. One attendee said it best on her evaluation comments, "I felt as though I have gained a better working knowledge of [the topic]. I also leave this training feeling empowered with new skills & abilities." WOW! I felt the same way. During a group exercise, success stories of organizations emerged. One story lead to another and soon tears began to flow without guard or apology. Stories of children having a joyous holiday (when they weren't expecting to receive anything), families having a warm place to stay, welfare moms making it and becoming successful professionals, teenage mothers having neccessities for themselves and their children, more and more.....

Pauses during the sharing session were only evident when the words were hard to form through the emotion. Every attendee was involved, whether it was verbal or just shown through their body language. There were nods of understanding and hands over mouths to help keep the emotion from purely erupting from their bodies.

Today's training was a little less emotional, but greatly informative and engaging. Today also gave us an opportunity to dive into each other's life experiences and successes.

It's so often that we just go through the motions...not knowing what impact we have on one another. One of the many things I learned (or at least was reminded of) this week is that our lives do not go unnoticed. That we are all intersecting beings and we all have impact on others. It is our choice whether it is a postive or negative one. I hope that my impact is positive.

We will never know what we mean to another....or how many we have touched. But, what we do know and remember are the people that have touched our lives. So, as long as we pay that forward, then we can make a difference.

Two quotes that I think are appropriate:

"I believe that everyone is the keeper of a dream - and by tuning into one another's secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents, and better lovers." Oprah

"Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have." Oprah


And just a quote that I received in an email forward today from my friend, Michael, that really helped me today....

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business." - Michael J Fox

I just want to thank ALL of you that have helped me in a variety of ways. Thank you.....

***For those of you who think this might be cheesy, I truly wish that you could have been at the training this week. I truly believe that events like these can be LIFE changing. You just have to accept the message that was given to you. The message I received yesterday is that things are going to be fine and that I am making a difference and that my work and life is worthwhile. It's hard to not yell it at the mountain tops when you get this kind of message.

My response is, "I hear you loud and clear."

Interesting Recipes....

I just realized that I never posted about this....

For the Super Bowl, Anthony wanted something different. So, after looking around Food Network's website, he found a recipe from one of Emeril's episodes on party food. It was called Emeril's Favorite Brown Sugar-Crusted Baked Bologna. At first, I have to admit that I was skeptical. The ladies in the deli at Kroger were intrigued when I asked for a 3 pound chunk of bologna.

But I brought it home and prepared it. The aroma filled the kitchen and I was reminded of Easter Sunday as a kid. It smelled just like a yummy, sweet baked ham.

We were even more surprised when we pulled it out of the oven and it tasted even better than it smelled! We served it on bread as sandwiches. Next time, I think I'll make some au gratin potatoes to go with it. WHO KNEW that bologna could taste so good.

As you know, I love to cook and to find new and interesting recipes. So, I'm glad that Anthony found this one!

So, if you know of any other interesting recipes that are worth a try, send them my way!

If would like to try the Emeril's Favorite Brown Sugar-Crusted Baked Bologna for yourself, click here. (It goes over really well for when the guys all get together for basketball or football games.) ***Hint - I made a 3 pound bologna instead of the 6 pounder that it calls for. It fed a crowd, but if you are having a big group, then get the 6 pounder..... It is really easy to adjust the recipe to feed your crew!****

Can't help but LOVE Vicki's!

Okay, so I'll admit. I'm a Victoria's Secret customer. I love their products. No one makes undergarments like they do. Also, from a girl who has always been self conscious of her chest size, Vicki's has been a self esteem builder. (If it wasn't for Vicki's Very Sexy bra with SUPER DUPER padding, i'd still be in a training bra.....:( )

Their undergarments are comfortable and well made. Initially, I thought that they were expensive, but once I realized how great their products are, I knew that it was worth the cost!

A college classmate once told me, "Once you start wearing Victoria's Secret, you won't be able to wear your other underwear." She was right! I started buying from VS several years ago. I haven't purchased underwear anywhere else since!

So, what does all of this mean? Well, as a marketing professional, I look at the reasons why I am a loyal VS customer. I LOVE their products, their sales professionals (they are so helpful), and their commercials are intriguing. Their commercials make me think of several things.

When I saw their new IPEX commerical last week, I caught myself wanting to rush out to VS and get a new bra. Other than the fact that I could use a new one, I decided that I wanted an IPEX one because the ad "suggested the idea". Once I realized that the ad worked for me, I wanted to analyze why it did. So, I wanted to find out what the thought process was for this outcome. I realized that I first thought, "Wow, look how beautiful those women are. If I have a bra like that, I will be beautiful." Then, I thought, "I really need to put down these potato chips and get into shape."

I realize that it is obvious that they play on the beauty and sex appeal of their models to sell their products. Hey, I know that sex sells. But to me, this is more than that. I love their products and sales staff. Their products have helped me build self esteem. So, I take that positive image/memory and mixing that with great ads, I just can't help myself!

A friend told me that the ads have the opposite effect on her. She thinks, "I can never look like that, so why even try." She isn't a VS customer. She said that the fit is not quite right.

I guess that just goes to show that advertising affects people in different ways.

So, what do you think about when you see Victoria's Secret ads?

I hope you will read this post and reply. I really want your input.

I want to take a walk down the red carpet!!!!

The Academy Awards are tomorrow night. I have only seen one movie that is nominated for best picture. I have a desire to see many of the movies that have received nominations in a variety of categories. I want to see Memoirs of a Geisha, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, TransAmerica, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich, among others. The one movie that I have seen is Crash. It was a moving movie and leads the audience to deal with issues of prejudice and intolerance in an 'in your face' true realistic way. I personally loved this movie and found it extremely insightful. It is a movie that my husband agree with. We both agree that it was outstanding. The cast, the story, the concept, etc.

So, as I try to make my picks for the winners, I'm having a difficult time since I have not seen all of the movies. So, here are my picks....We'll see tomorrow night who will take home the little gold bald men!

Leading Actor - Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow
Supporting Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
Leading Actress - Felicity Huffman - TransAmerica
Supporting Actress - Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain
Directing - Crash
Musical Score - Pride & Prejudice
Best Picture - Crash

Those are just a few of the awards being presented tomorrow night. We'll see if I'm right. I think I might be off on a few of them?!??!

So enjoy the walk down the red carpet! I wonder who will have the most contraversial speech tomorrow night?!? That's one of the best things about award shows.....you never know who is going to say what!!!!!!

March has been sneaky!

I can't believe that it is already March! I have a training in Wheeling on Tuesday and I didn't realize until yesterday that the training is next Tuesday! OH MY!

Spring will be here (and gone) before you know it!

I guess I am getting older because time flies by. I can remember when I would say, "I can't wait until summer" or "I wish it was Christmas"....My grandmother used to accuse me of wishing my life away. I used to take time for granted. Now, I WISH I had that time back.

I'm 25 years old. To some, I'm sure that it sounds like I have plenty of time left. Besides the fact that we never know when it's our time, even though I am 'young', it won't be long before I have kids, they grow up and graduate, and I begin to receive the senior discount at Shoney's. :)

So, until then, I'll try to enjoy every moment and not to "wish my life away".

Great Weekend....

I have had a great weekend!

Friday evening was spent at home......After a one hour deliberation with the Tax Dept and the Assessor's Office about my property taxes.....ALL $270 of it! (They misquoted me....original quote was $136 - over the phone....Then, in person on Friday, when I went to pay it, it was $270. Then, they said that they had misquoted it and it should be nearly $350, but since they misquoted me at the $270 amount, that is what they will charge me. I'll have to go in tomorrow AM to give them the check. ARGHHH!!! $270!!!!!)

Saturday was spent with my friend, Annette, and her parents. They are so nice! I went with Annette and her parents for a quick tour of Charleston. We went through Kanawha State Forest. We made a wrong turn and even though we thought that we would come out on Rt. 119 in Corridor G, we actually came out in Hernshaw (right outside of Boone County). Nothin' like a Saturday adventure!!!! Plus, Annette's dad is afraid of heights and he was a little concerned winding around a curvy dirt road with NO guard rails! :) It was a trip to WV that I doubt they soon forget!!!!! Anthony and I met up with them for dinner and had a great chat and some great food! Annette's mom paid the bill before I even had a chance! So, we will return the favor next time. It was such a great visit! I also got to talk with Michael Ann and Libby on the phone. It was a great day!

Sunday was spent with my family. I hadn't seen mom, dad, and the boys for a few weeks. I had a great visit. I didn't get to spend much time with dad though. He got off work after 4 and I thought he got off work at 3. :( I hope to spend more time with him soon.

It's back to work tomorrow....a good week ahead, I think. I am always excited to get back to work after a great weekend. Good times with friends and families recharge me for work!

Talk to you guys soon! Have a great MONDAY!

It's almost Friday....YIPPEEE!

I love my job, but man, I am so glad tomorrow's Friday. It's been a busy and long week. I'll be glad to see quitting time tomorrow. Heck, I may see about getting off early and taking some of the vacation time I need to take!!!! :) One good thing about tomorrow is that I have a lunch meeting at my favorite restaurant downtown, Blossom Deli. So, that means some awesome chicken salad on mixed greens and a fountain cherry coke. MMMMM MMMMM (I could eat there every day and not get tired of it. I LLLLLOOOOVVVVEEE that place!)

I have a great weekend ahead, too. I think Anthony and I are going out to dinner again sometime this weekend. WOW Twice in one month...can you believe it? :) Annette's parents are coming in for a visit this weekend and I am going to visit with them on Saturday. I am looking forward to meeting them! Then, on Sunday, I will be at my mom and dad's visiting with them. My mom's birthday is today and I will get to visit with her on Sunday and I am really looking forward to it.

I just read through the two prior paragraphs and realized that this post is pretty lame, but I this is what is going on and I don't know what else to write about....heeeeeeeee

So, you'll just have to take it for what it's worth! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Dreams and Thoughts....

DREAMS...
I have had crazy dreams lately, and from my conversation with my friend, Charlie, I'm not the only one. It seems as though it has been common lately. They just don't make sense!!!!

I dreamed one night this weekend that I was trying to save puppies from a cage. The puppies were in a cage with snakes and I couldn't get the puppies out without getting bitten. But, if I left the puppies in the cage, they would be eaten by the snake. (In my dream, I believed this.) So, I tried and tried. All the while, I was in an empty office space with realty signs all around me. I understand that part, though. We have been looking for new office space at work and there are three coworkers selling/buying houses right now. One of them has a dog who just had pups, so that might explain it. Who knows? It is all a little crazy for me, but most of my dreams are.

THOUGHTS....
I have been thinking a lot about people lately. Some people who I haven't thought of for a long time. A few of them are people who I was close friends with during high school. One girl in particular, has come up in conversations three times in the last few months. First, I heard that she was working in an office where my aunt used to work. Then, she is in women's club or group with a lady who called and registered for one of our workshops at work. (Coming from a small county, people always ask if you know 'so in so' and I usually do.) Then, today, another friend contacted me and asked me if I knew this girl (since she knew that the girl had went to the same high school.) My friend today had my high school friend's phone number. I think I might call her this weekend. It is a little strange, but I feel like there is a reason for me thinking so much about her and hearing so much about her. So, I figure it's worth a phone call. Besides, I would love to hear what she has been up to.

I have also been thinking about people that I continually think about. More so than usual, though. I always pray for my friends and family before I go to sleep at night. I pray for their health and safety. These are people that I think about at least each night. But, I have been thinking about them even more. I think about times that I spent growing up at my grandmother, aunt, papaw, mother and my best friend, Tamara, and her family. Then, I think about the wonderful times I spent with my brothers, my dad, my mom, my nana and granddad. I also think about all of my other family members and friends that I have such great memories with. I don't know why. Every little thing is triggering a memory......Maybe it is to help me appreciate things and not take things for granted. There are moments during the day when I still go down the hallway at work and for a split second, I forget that Michael Ann isn't in the office next to me anymore. And, now that our office manager is moving, it will be weird dealing with that too. I'm glad we are moving office space because maybe this won't happen anymore. Then, there are certain things that remind me of Tamara and the times that we spent every waking moment together. We are both married and have jobs and lives that we have to lead, but no matter what, we are still best friends. But I would love sometimes to just go back to the days when we played Barbies, swam in the neighbor's pool, and ate without care that it would go to our waistline. Just one day of being little carefree girls again. It's not that I don't want to be with my husband or have my current life...I am lucky to have the life I have. But, who doesn't want to go back to the carefree days of childhood?

And then, there is the times that I spent with my great friend, Lib, chatting on her couch and talking about our lives and enjoying each other's company. Even going to Walmart was fun with her. She and I are going to start grad school together, so I hope to get to see her more soon.

A friend who I have become close with at work, Annette, is our VISTA. She has a one year 'committment' to our organization and then she is probably moving back home to Ohio. I don't want her to leave and I have already told her that she moved to WV and we aren't letting her leave! HAHA Her one year project will be finished in October, so we've got some time. I'm trying to make the most of it. But, I know that she will be leaving when fall comes. I just hope it's one long summer.

Basically, this post is tributed to all of my friends and family.... from childhood buddies to career colleagues. A special thanks to the friends and family who have supported me for as long as I can remember. A special thanks to my friends from college, work and professional life that have supported me and pushed me to grow and learn. I can't believe how many people who have helped me get where I am. It truly takes a village to raise a child. I am still being 'raised' and still learning.....AND I am so grateful to my village.

Back on the wagon.....I think.....????

I started back on Weight Watchers today. (I actually started yesterday, but didn't count my points.) Anyway, I'm already feeling better and I'm eating MUCH better.

I even resisted temptation when I made dinner tonight. I made hamburgers and homemade onion rings for Anthony and his dad. I didn't eat them. I had one bit of an onion ring to make sure that they were done, but no more. I had a huge salad and Chicken Enchiladas Suiza from Weight Watchers. I'll finish off with a Healthy Choice Chocolate Ice Cream Bar.

YUMMY!

I made a wonderful BBQ Chicken Pizza last night and homemade Cinnamon Rolls (all weight watcher friendly, I might add....) And tomorrow is Mexican Lasagna. YUMM-O!!!!

Keep your fingers crossed that I stick with it! :)

Cooking and eating are therapeutic for me!

I am feeling much better. I got up off the couch and went to the grocery store this afternoon.

Cooking and eating are therapeutic for me!

My father in law and I were watching Food Network (our favorite Saturday past time) and it was a day dedicated to Italian cooking. So, with that inspiration, I planned on making stuffed shells florentine with homemade marinara, salad, and dessert.

I got to the store and they didn't carry the jumbo shells! ARGHH!!! I hate planning a meal and then not being able to get everything to make it. It was bad enough that they didn't have shells (because that is a common item), but when I decided to make a prosciutto marinara with linguine instead, I went to the deli and they didn't have any prosciutto! So, I decided to make baked penne with an italian sausage and meat sauce. It turned out really well. Not stuffed shells, but good.

Anthony got me chocolate dipped strawberries from Godiva for Valentine's Day. So, I got some strawberries, cherries, and grapes to dip for dessert tonight. I've made them before, but they were especially good tonight. I also dipped some banana slices b/c I had some extra dipping chocolate left over. I will freeze the bananas next time before I dip them...it will make it a little easier! :)

The grapes are my favorite.....tart and sweet in the same bite. YUMMO! (I watch Rachel Ray, can you tell?)

A good dinner and a good evening.

Anthony rented SAW II and we are watching it. I'm trying to watch as little of it as possible b/c I'm a scaredy cat! HAHA

Let's hope it's a great evening.....and I win the Powerball Jackpot! :)

Even if I don't win the powerball, tomorrow morning will be good. The menu for breakfast is homemade scones with a brandied raspberry and cherry preserve. I bought the preserves at the store today. It is actually marketed as a "fruit caviar" and seems to be a very high quality preserve/ice cream topping. (And it could be that I am a sucker for good marketing!) It looks divine and I can't wait to try it with my homemade scones! YUMMMMMMY!

(I just read that last paragraph.....I actually compared eating breakfast to winning the powerball. Man, I've got a problem. I love food more than money....there's something wrong with that or is there????)

Finally getting over my cold....

I caught the cold bug that has been going around earlier this week. It came down hard on me Thursday night. I woke up before the sun rose with a horrible headache. I managed to get the energy and motivation to go downstairs and get some medicine. I know from experience that if I wake up in the middle of the night or early morning with a headache, I have to take something. The concept of "Oh, I'll sleep it off" never works. So, I took some medicine and went back to bed. Then I went back to sleep after much tossing and turning. Then, before I knew it, it was time to get up. I kept thinking, "Just five more minutes", as I did when I was a kid. I finally rolled out of bed....late, but I did finally get up. I showered and began getting ready. I felt better after my shower, but by the time that I put my makeup on and dried my hair, I was wore out. It's sad when getting ready for work wears you out....I knew I was sick.

I had a press conference on Friday, so I couldn't miss work. Of course, if you ask my coworkers, I wouldn't have missed work anyway. One coworker told me after coming in about 1/2 hour late on Friday, "I told the other girls that Jen takes off early sometimes or comes in late, but Jen never takes a day off." She's telling the truth. I really don't take time off of work very much. I enjoy my job very much. I love doing what I do! Actually, my Executive Director told me that I have to take some time off soon or I'm going to lose it b/c I can't carry all of the hours over to next year. So, I guess I'll take some time off soon. I don't know what I'll do, but I figure out something. I'd rather take it off for a vacation or a day out with the girls rather than a day on the couch with a snotty nose! ;)

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What I've been up to.....

Hye, i'ave had so much going on, but I jus thavne't been able to get it down into a post. So, here's a bulleted list of what I've been up to:

1. First, I've been working on our training sessions for work. I've been bringing work home with me almost every evening for the past couple weeks so that I can get everything done. We are doing a "trial run" of some of our trainings with our staff this week (to make sure that everything we want to cover is included in the presentations). So, I have to make sure that my presentations are finished and ready to go by Wednesday. :) Wish me luck!
2. I went to hear my friend Charlie (read his blog) and the band that he performs in, The Carpenter Ants, with another friend last weekend. I had a blast. They are SO talented. I love their music! It is a great blend of all different sounds and I truly enjoy their music. Many of their songs speak to me deep down....and a few others are songs that I listen to for a smile or laugh. If you ever get the opportunity to see the Carpenter Ants perform, DO IT! I had never seen them live, but I had heard two of their CD's. They are even better live! Because you get to see the joy and enjoyment on their face, but even on their CD, you can hear their joy and smiles. Check them out at http://www.carpenterants.wvmusichalloffame.com/. A BIG SMILE AND ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE ANTS for their wonderful performance at Vandalia Lounge last Friday night. I had a blast!!!!!
3. I've decided to pursue my Master's Degree through WVU's Integrated Marketing and Communications program. I will go back into debt, but it will a wise investment. I am applying for some scholorships too, so I hope that will help. The program is an intensive program that takes less than 2 years to complete. Semesters are 9 weeks long and I will be taking two courses per semester. Man, I will be a crazy woman this fall!!!!! (I'm excited about this because my friend, Lib, is going to be in the program too. We'll be study buddies!!!! YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!)
4. Anthony took me out to dinner at a great new restaurant downtown on Friday. The food was great and we got to spend quality time together. I couldn't tell you the last time we went on a "date" together. It was so nice. When we went out all the time before we got married, I took it for granted. Now, I truly appreciate him taking me out for a nice quiet evening....and not complaining when I ordered the Shrimp Scampi (that was a little expensive). We had a wonderful evening! I felt so bad though when Anthony was up all night vomiting. (I don't think it was the food...he was coming down with something last week and I think that it finally hit him hard Friday night.) I know that he said that it will be a while before he eats spicy food again....I take it that it wasn't as tasty coming back up! (Okay, that was gross and probably TMI, but I felt compelled to share....for some twisted reason.)
5. As in my other post, we have had problems with email at work over the past couple weeks and it has driven me crazy!

I think that's all....Just workin', livin', and preparin' for grad school.

I'll keep you guys up to date! :)

Life without email....

Okay, so we live in the 21st century.....We depend on our state of the art forms of communication to survive.....cell phones, blackberry devices, PDAs, email, instant messaging, text messaging...the list goes on and on.

But what happens when you are without these things? PURE CHAOS! We have been having major difficulties with our email server for over two weeks now. Each morning, we pray and cross our fingers and click "Send and Receive" and hope that it will be a day when we are looked upon favorably by the "email gods". Today was a good day....most of us had email, but there were many days recently when we weren't so lucky. And, some employees are luckier than others....because some of our employees haven't been able to access their email in over a week.

My point to this post is that who knew how dependent we are on these forms of communications? These days were very nerve-wracking for me. I caught myself pacing back and forth from the copy machine to my office (which is about a 3 minute walk). Wondering around like I didn't know where I was going or where I should be was common during these days. I was physically and mentally lost.... When my email is working, I am a compulsive 'send and receiver'. Every few minutes, I click on my Outlook and hit the S&R. Then, I return back to whatever else I was doing. When I can't hit S&R constantly, it messes with my schedule and throws a wrench into my day.

Adding the fact that my cell phone has been on the fritz lately (it won't hold a charge and doesn't notify me of all calls....until it is a 'missed call'), it has been a hard couple of weeks.

So, am I the only one that is so dependent on technology? I don't think so because there were many of my coworkers who were frazzled by the lack of email access. It does feel strange that I rely on it so much, though. There were days when I jokingly told our executive director that he needed to order us straight jackets. Another employee and I joked that if he saw us rocking back and forth in a doubled over position, not to be alarmed....it was just email withdrawl.

So, the question that I pose to you is: What thing are you dependent upon? Did you realize that you were dependent when you had to go without it or did one day did you just have some other form of epiphany? I'd like to know....I'm generally interested in what you have to say AND I'm searching for someone who is in the same boat! :)

FUNNY NOTE: When I attempted to publish this post. An error message on blogger that I needed to repost it in 10 minutes b/c updates were being made to blogger. HAHAHA I just can't win with technology lately!!!!

I love the Super Bowl! And the commercials!

Okay, call me crazy, but I have always looked forward to the commercials on Super Bowl Sunday. I haven't always been a football fan, but I have always been a fan of a good commercial. I guess I was 'destined' for my career.....

I have always appreciated advertising and the "power of suggestion".

So, here are my favorite commercials so far (considering it is only the third quarter).

• Dove - True Beauty: Okay, so I got teary-eyed. I can't help it. What girl hasn't felt like that? I have been a huge supporter of Dove's Beauty campaign from the beginning. Now, they are bringing our youth into it, which is awesome. This commerical had all of the elements....tugging on the heart strings, relating to personal experience of viewers (people relate to the young girls in the ad - at least I did), a great product to advertise, and a catchy tune to remember the ad. I have always loved Cindy Lauper, especially that song. It is definitely an ad that I will remember. (And as a consumer, I will remember it when I go to the store. I am already a Dove consumer, but I will look at their other products to help support their campaign.)

Here are a few cute ones that I enjoyed:

• FedEx "Cave Man"
• AmeriQuest Mortgage "Medical Misunderstandings" and "Turbulence" (both were great!)
• Careerbuilder.com "Chimps"
• Michelob Ultra Amber "Touch Football" I loved the end --- "That was a 'late hit'." HAHA
• NFL Network "Connected by the Game" (My favorite part was the little girl who had on the shirt that said 'Anyone but the Cowboys'. I LOVED THAT!)
• Sprint "Theft Deterrent" This had a surprise element. Very funny! ("The Music Downloads" commercial for Sprint was cute, too.)
• Hummer H3 "Little Monster" (not extremely funny, but it was cute and unique)
• DisneyWorld "I'm Going to Disney World" (It's amazing how many people relate Disney World to the Super Bowl. Everyone knows that the saying is, "You've just won the Super Bowl, now what? 'I'm going to Disney World!')

Since this is just the third quarter, I'm sure that there will be more. I wanted to post my favorites though before I got too nervous about the game to post. HAHA

I really want Pittsburgh to win and they are only up by 4. Anthony and I have bet against each other. I brought up the idea in a way to bribe him to take me out to dinner sometime soon. (We haven't been on a date in a long time!) Then, it turned into me wanting to go to New York. So, if I win, we go to NYC (which I doubt will happen anyway), and if he wins, he picks this year's vacation spot. I don't even know how it got changed to this, but I think I had a better shot at getting dinner with my husband than a weekend in the Big Apple. (Especially since he knows that if I got to NY, I want to go to see a play on Broadway. Shyeah, like that will happen!) But, we'll see!

The line before the game started was Pittsburgh -4. (Seahawks are getting 4 points.)

I want Pittsburgh to win so bad (even before we placed the bet) and Anthony has been cheering for the Seahawks for some unknown reason ???!!!!!! So, the Steelers has to win by more than 4 in order for me to win the bet. Steelers are up by 4 now and if things don't change, neither one of us win. I'd still be happy, though.

We'll see.

I'm going to go back to the game......

GO STEELERS!!!!!!!

So - here's what I want to know.....Who did you cheer for during the BIG GAME? And what were your favorite commercials??????