An Update from the Weekend
First of all, the Red Sox were swept by Tampa Bay this weekend, which was a bummer. Hopefully this is not an indication of how the rest of the season is going to go. This past Friday night I went to see Les Miserables at one of the local high schools. I didn’t know what to expect since it was a high school production. Les Mis is my absolute favorite! I had seen it six times previously and know every word by heart. It’s all I can do to keep from singing along when I see a production. But, let me tell you, these kids did an amazing job! It was really phenomenal. In fact, I would venture to day that the Valjean in the production was one of the best I have ever heard!
Saturday was an adventurous day for me. I locked myself out of my house on Saturday morning as I was leaving to go to the gym. So, I used my neighbor’s phone to call someone to let me in, and in the meantime, walked to the gym to get in my workout. Later in the day, I started to make the cake recipe that I posted on Friday, only to realize I had left off how much sugar to put in the cake! My friend Erika found a similar recipe and I went with that measurement and the cake turned out yummy! Thanks for coming to the rescue, Erika. Saturday night, Erika, my dad and I headed out to Panoply Arts Festival and watched the Fiddlers competition. It was a really nice evening and the weather was perfect – a little chilly even, which I love!
So, now you are updated on the weekend activities. Can you believe that May will be here on Thursday? My, how time flies when you get older! One more note to make mention of. My best friend, Jackie ran a half-marathon in Nashville this past weekend and I am really proud of her. She set a goal and accomplished it, which is more than a lot of people do these days. So, congrats, Jackie!
P.S. Don’t forget American Idol is tonight!
OOPS!
Recipe of The Week
This recipe is yummy! Try it when you're really wanting some chocolatey goodness!
Cracker Barrel Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake Cake:1 cup Coca-Cola
½ Cup Oil1 Stick Margarine
1 ¾ Cup Sugar3 Tablespoons Cocoa
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour½ teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs½ Cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon vanilla
In a saucepan, bring Coca-Cola, oil, margarine, and cocoa to a boil; mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Pour into the boiling liquid and beat well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla and beat well. Pour into a greased and floured sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.Frosting:
1 Stick Margarine3 Tablespoons Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Cream or Milk1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ to 1 Cup pecans chopped
1 Pound Confectioner’s SugarIn a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa and milk and heat until butter melts. Beat in the remaining ingredients and spread on the hot cake. Cool and cut.
Idol, Discovery and Overcoming Fears
Holy guacamole! Can you believe last night’s American Idol results? I never would have picked Syesha and Carly as the bottom two, much less Carly being the one out the door! I was absolutely stunned. I thought this week was one of Syesha’s best performances, and Carly’s wasn’t bad. It was certainly far better than Brooke’s and Jason’s. Obviously, this show is getting to be more and more of a popularity contest than an actual singing competition.
Has anyone seen the new Discovery Channel commercial? It’s fantastic! In case you haven’t figured out by now, I am addicted to the Discovery Channel. History comes in a close second. This new commercial has a catchy tune and I have been singing it all week. It’s brilliant!
Yesterday I really made a big step – I visited an old folk’s home. Well, it’s not really an old folk’s home. It’s actually a rehabilitation center where older folks go after they break a leg or a hip or something of the sort. They have physical therapy and their meals are prepared for them, you get the point. This particular place is also an assisted living facility and is also a gated retirement community. It’s one of the nicer places I’ve seen of this sort. The point of this never ending description is that I’m not really good at visiting old folks homes or hospitals or retirement villages or assisted living homes, again you get the point. These types of places give me the creeps and I typically become faint in hospitals. Obviously I did not go into the medical profession. So, yesterday, I actually visited a lady I know who recently broke her leg. She wasn’t in her room when I first arrived and I had to wait around for about 15 minutes. Finally, I found her and I visited with her for about an hour. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me, the person that freaks out at the thought of an old folks home, well, this was a huge development in overcoming my “fear.”
Happy Hump Day!
It’s Wednesday, or hump day as it is commonly known to many. I like Wednesdays because, well, it means you are at the mid-point of the work week and you can start looking forward to the weekend. After all, everybody’s working for the weekend. This particular Wednesday is administrative professional’s day, also known as secretary’s day. I would have known this if I didn’t keep the large desk sized calendar on my desk covered up with paperwork. So, to my secretary, Sherry, who I’m sure won’t read this, thanks for all you do. I’m particularly grateful for all the documents you scan for me and convert to PDF. You rock, Sherry! So, for all you secretaries out there that didn’t get a gift, be sure and nonchalantly drop the hint that you deserve a lunch out on the boss.
It was once again an interesting evening on American Idol last night. Can you say good-bye to Brooke White? Well, I can, and I think she’s the gal that’s hitting the road this week. However, I’m not a betting woman; so, I will be placing no money on that. After all, I was in total shock just two weeks ago when the hot Australian, Michael Johns got the boot. I think that Brooke gave (by far) the worst performance of the week. I was really impressed with Syesha. I think Broadway might just be her cup of tea.
I’m taking my Dyson in for repair today. I kept leaving the house without remembering to take it with me. It’s rather unnatural to leave your house in the morning carrying the vacuum cleaner. But, I finally remembered this morning and plan to take it in this afternoon. I hope they get it repaired quickly and permanently this time.
Did anyone catch "Dirty Jobs" this week? Let me tell you, it was indeed dirty. Mike Rowe has done some dirty things, but that fishing vessel was by far the nastiest I can remember seeing. I’m glad I don’t have the job of hosting “Dirty Jobs!”
Until next time…
Not Much Happening
Happy Monday, everyone! I have had a really busy day at work today and haven’t had time to write a new post. Besides that, there’s really not much to report. I spent the weekend working around the house, primarily outside in the yard. I actually thought of some really great things to write about over the weekend and, of course, since I didn’t write them down, they left my mind and now I don’t have the slightest clue as to what it was I wanted to tell the world.
I did not catch a movie this weekend. I heard that “88 Minutes” wasn’t good and decided to skip it. However, I know of some people that went to see “Expelled” the new Ben Stein movie and said it was hilarious. So, maybe I’ll check it out in the coming week.This coming Friday night, I’m going to check out “Les Mis,” the school edition at one of the local high schools. I’m really anxious to see how the production goes. “Les Mis,” is by far my favorite musical and I’m really looking forward to the production.
So, my Dyson vacuum cleaner is broken again for the second time in as many months. It’s really frustrating. Thank goodness for five-year warranties, huh? Overall, I love the vacuum, but the not working part is really getting to me!I wish this post were more interesting for you readers; but, alas, there’s just not much to write about today. Until tomorrow…
Recipe of the Week
Chicken Spaghetti
1 - 16 oz. Thin Spaghetti 2 - Cans Rotel Tomatoes1 - Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 - Small Onions Chopped2 - Green Peppers Chopped
1 - Stick Margarine1 lb. - Velveeta Cheese
1 - tsp. SaltPepper to Taste
Cook chicken and take off bone. Cook the spaghetti in the chicken broth. Brown bell peppers and onions in the stick of margarine. Mix together chicken, peppers, onions, cheese (cut up in small pieces), and 2 cans of tomatoes. Add spaghetti, salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour into 2 baking dishes. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours.
It's Friday!
Ozzy got the boot from Survivor last night. It was definitely a smart move on the part of the other survivors. Ozzy is the strongest competitor in the game. I know one of the mantras of the game is “outwit,” but for once, I would like to see the best physical competitor win. It seems like the “wittiest” person is always the winner. My guess is Cerie will outwit them all and walk away with the $1 million.
Yesterday afternoon, I walked to Star Market to pick up some French bread. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but where I live, walking to the grocery store is a rarity. But, I only live 1.03 miles from Star Market and it was a nice afternoon. So, instead of going to the gym, I walked to the grocery store. I wanted to take my dog with me, she needs some exercise too; but, they don’t have a pitchin’ post at the market for dogs, and I don’t think I could pull off using her as a see and eye dog. Of course, when I got there, I saw someone I knew and theoretically that person could have watched my dog while I went inside to purchase the bread, but knowing my luck, if I had taken my dog there, I wouldn’t have seen anyone I knew.Congratulations to Andrew and Candy on the birth of their baby boy yesterday! They named him Silas Andrew. I’ve decided we should all call him Sal since their last name starts with an L.
I’m getting another grilling lesson this weekend. My dad is grilling burgers on Saturday and hopefully we’ll have a more in-depth study. When discussing how the burgers didn’t turn out so great on Tuesday, he told me I should have left the vent open on the grill. I told him we didn’t cover that in our lesson. So, maybe the next grilling session will be better than the one this week.I finally had an opportunity to watch the new episodes of Deadliest Catch! They were awesome! Just as I suspected they would be. Beginning Sunday night on the Discovery Channel, it’s Alaska Week. I’m looking forward to watching some of the shows. It should be quite interesting.
I think I may check out the movie “88 Minutes” this weekend. If I do, I’ll let you know how it is on Monday. I’ve been looking for a review on it, but haven’t found one yet. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen a movie, which is unusual for me, and I’m craving the movie theater popcorn! Have a great Friday!
KETCHUP comes To Huntsville
Last night Erika and I went to the friends and family pre-opening event at Ketchup. Thanks, Erika for inviting me. This was my first visit to any of the Dolce Group restaurants. Dolce opened earlier in the year, but I haven’t had an opportunity to check it out yet.
The atmosphere at Ketchup was extremely awesome. It has a 70s retro look with white seating and red accent pieces such as ketchup bottles hanging from a center chandelier type piece and a wall of ketchup bottles that divides the dining area from the bar area. The bar area is super swanky with white seating and small tables between the seat. There is a red and black mural behind the bar area, which is also very cool. The lighting is encased with large circular white and red “dots.”The service we received last night was also great. All the staff was very attentive. Water glasses were promptly filled and empty plates taken away – which is a big plus for me. I hate it when servers don’t take away empty plates. Our server was polite as well as easy on the eyes, which is always a bonus. The only thing I did notice was that none of the mean that seemed to be managers or owners came by our table. I noticed they were making the rounds asking people how things were but our table was “overlooked” and we were there for two hours. It could have been an oversight on the part of these men, but I’m going to call these guys out and say they didn’t find Erika and I chic enough to say hello to. Little do these guys know, Erika and I are two of the coolest gals in town and we know a lot of people! LOL!
As for the food… it was good, but overpriced. We started out with the 3 Some, which are three types of fries and all five homemade Ketchup ketchups. The three types of fries were Cajun (small cut), Sweet Potato (medium cut), and the large cut fries, well, I can’t remember what they were called, but they had a parmesan cheese on them. I liked the cut of the Cajun fries the best and they were yummy, but will set your mouth on fire. The sweet potato fries I liked the best of all three. They were really good with the mango ketchup. The other fries, I could take ‘em or leave ‘em. We also had the Kobe Burger BLT Sliders, which were also good. I thought the taste reminded me of meatloaf, which they also serve, but neither of us had.As an entrée, Erika ordered the BBQ Baby Ribs with a loaded baked potato and I had the Drunken Scallops, sautéed in Pabst Blue Ribbon, and served with lobster mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The scallops were heavenly! Very tasty indeed, and come highly recommended from yours truly. The lobster mashed potatoes were not as divine as I was hoping, and in fact, I only ate just a couple of bites. I also ordered a lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing. I ate part of it, which was good. It’s a bit hard to screw up a lettuce wedge. I tasted Erika’s ribs which were also amazing! The meat literally fell off of the bone and melted in your mouth. The BBQ sauce, which is homemade, was also very flavorful. I would recommend ordering this dish if you like BBQ ribs. I, myself, am not a big rib fan, but if I go back to Ketchup, I would definitely consider ordering these for myself. They were divine!
Erika and I split the Ice Cream Sandwich for dessert, which was vanilla ice cream between two large chocolate chip cookies. It was tasty, but not out of this world. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the dessert menu. The items on the menu were things like a ding-dong with ice cream and a fried Twinkie. Nothing to really write home about. I would say skip the dessert at Ketchup and grab some chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva. In all, the items we ordered would have totaled about $80, which might be a bargain in Hollywood, but when you’re a single gal in Alabama is a little out of the price range. I can think of a lot of other things I’d rather do with my $40 worth of eatin’. So, unless I find some tall drink of water to take me out to dinner, I doubt I’ll be venturing to Ketchup again. Well, maybe if they say, “the food’s on us.”
Not So Great At Grilling
Well, I attempted to grill hamburgers and hot dogs last night. The hot dogs were good, the burgers, not so much. The burgers looked done on the outside and I cut one open and it was done too. But, apparently all the other burgers didn’t get done and turned out to be medium rare. Some folks, I’m sure, like them that way, but not me, or my friends. So, the burgers were thrown in the microwave to “finish” cooking. I guess I need a few more grilling lessons! I was disappointed, but my friends didn’t think it was as big of a deal as I did. All of the other food turned out great, and we had a fun time hanging out, and that’s what matters most.
To be honest, I didn’t catch all of the American Idol acts last night. I was in and out of the kitchen making sure everyone had what they needed. I thought David Cook put a nice spin on his Mariah song, and I was so happy that the stylists put some sleeves on Carly Smithson. Her large tattoo distracts me when she’s singing.
I only caught one episode of the two new Deadliest Catch episodes last night. I have the other one recorded and hope to watch it tonight. It appears as though the Maverick isn’t participating in Deadliest Catch this season, which is disappointing since I find Captain Blake to be the cutest guy in the fishing fleet.
Ugh, It's Tax Day!
Well, it's tax day today, as if you didn't know that. I filed and paid my taxes back in February. So, I hope many of you are like me and won’t have to fight the crowds at the post office today. I hope you all get large returns from the government. We all certainly need it with gas prices rising like they are.
American Idol returns tonight with Mariah Carey as a mentor. She really annoys me. So, I’m sure I’ll enjoy making fun of her for an hour tonight. I’ll be interested to see how the guys will change up her songs to make them more masculine. I’ll be hosting the American Idol party at my house this week and am going to attempt to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. Now, I’m not the best griller in the world, but I got a mini lesson from my dad this weekend and am hoping everything goes well, that the food is edible and I don’t burn my house down. Wish me luck!
For those of you that live in Huntsville, Gibson’s is offering free pie with a BBQ entrée this month. I’m not crazy about their BBQ, but their pie is really good. I went there with my aunt last night and took home a slice of peanut butter, which I ate for breakfast this morning. Happy Tuesday!
Weekend Update
Not really much to report from the weekend – shocking isn’t it? I mostly stayed around the house watching the “Deadliest Catch” marathon on the Discovery Channel. The new season starts Tuesday night and I’m so excited. I’m hoping my man Blake Painter from the Maverick will be back this season.
I walked in the MS Walk this weekend to raise money for the MS Society. As many of you know, my mom has had MS for 16 years now. Jackie came out and walked with me and my dad. We had a good time and Jackie even convinced us to do a little bit of jogging. Jackie is running a half-marathon next weekend. She’s been training for a while now and I know she’s going to do great! So far we’ve raised about $300 for the MS Society, which is far short of our goal, but every little bit helps and we still have money coming in.
I wish I had something more exciting to write about, but things were rather quiet this weekend, which is always nice. The weekends are never long enough, are they? Hope everyone is having a happy Monday!
Recipe of the Week
Cheeseburger Soup
1 lb or more of ground round
3/4 cups of chopped onions
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups cubed process American Cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
In a sauté pan brown the ground beef. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon of butter until tender. Add garlic, carrots, basil and parsley. Sauté about 3 minutes. Add broth and beef and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender. Meanwhile melt remaining butter in a small skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes. Gradually add evaporated milk, stirring constantly, cooking and stirring for 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually stir the sauce into the soup. Bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.
Serve with crackers, corn bread or chips.
Name Keisha's BABY!
Congrats, Amy!
My good friend, Amy, is graduating with her Masters degree in psychology next month. Congrats, Amy on a job well done! Can you believe you survived the nutty professor? Thanks for letting me be your “patient” in class that one semester! It’s definitely an experience I will never forget – permanent marker and all! 
The Masters
The Masters started yesterday – by far the best golf tournament of the season! I LOVE watching it! I just want to know… where do all of these good looking guys come from? I mean, I’ve visited plenty of golf courses in my day, but never have I come across guys as good looking as some of those playing in the Masters. Tiger is way behind the pack, which is awesome – I like it when someone else wins every now and then. How about that incredible shot by Phil Mickelson for birdie? I’m sure it will be an amazing tournament this weekend.
Can You Believe It?
I'm still in complete shock today that Michael Johns is gone from American Idol! Michelle text me last night and said she wasn’t watching again – I think she’ll change her mind in a few days. Syesha wasn’t a surprise in regards to being in the bottom three, but I was shocked to find Carly and Michael there. KL was safe this week! It was definitely a crazy night! Who will all of us girls swoon over now that Michael Johns is gone? Michelle, I hope you recover quickly from this. Don’t let it get you down! 
American Idol Results Tonight!
So, don't forget the American Idol results are tonight – yes, the show comes on at the same time as Survivor. So, you’ll have to do a lot of flipping back and forth between the two channels. Let’s hope KL finally gets the boot!
Also, next week's song theme will be Mariah Carey's #1s, and she's had a lot of them - more than Elvis! How is that possible? Don't ask me.
It's MY Blog - Day 2!
Hello and good morning everyone! The internet was down at work this morning, so, I'm just now able to post this morning. I don’t know why, but this whole blogging thing is cracking me up. Every time I think about it, it makes me laugh.
Lisa said she wasn’t able to get onto the blog last night, so, if she continues to have problems, I may be moving the blog to another site. I want to make sure all my American Idol girls can get on since they are the ones that encouraged me to do this.
The blog looks rather ugly right now because I haven’t figured out how to add pictures and personalize my page, but I’m sure that will come with time.
Michelle – I wanted you to know that I stopped by Krystal after church last night to try one of those milkshakes you told us about last week, but their machine was down! I was so excited to get a milkshake, and then so disappointed when they told me they weren’t able to make one. BTW, the Krystal between University and Oakwood sucks! They always take forever unless the manager, Johnny, is working, right Jackie? LOL! More later…
How Do I Add Friends?
I Started A Blog!!
Hey everyone - It's Natasha and after encouragement from my friends, I have started my own blog. I'm a blog virgin so I hope that you will find this all entertaining. Who knows what all I'll write about? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for rants and raves from yours truly. Have a good day! Natasha