The Beloved Spazzoid

So, once upon a time, I got one of these:

An E-ma-what?? you may ask.
An Emachine.
It was a (wonderful!) gift for my highschool graduation, and it has served me well! It got me through college and all its papers, tests, classes and projects. It was a heroic little laptop, but a few years back, it got sick.
Very, very sick. In fact, it became what one might call a spazzoid. (Kudos to Margie for inventing that word.)
It had what we call whir-a-termination.
Translation: if you hear a fast, whirring noise, save everything STAT because it is about to terminate your blood, sweat and tears and scatter them into oblivion.
The Geek Squad at Best Buy looked at it time after time but told me there was "nothing wrong." Nothing wrong?! IT SHUTS OFF AT RANDOM! I don't know what you call "nothing wrong," but that sure fits my definition pretty well. Fortunately I had enough self control to not say this to their faces. However, I'm convinced they were hired simply because they LOOKED like they belonged in a geek squad....but ANYWAYS! (was that mean?)
After I gave up on the Geek Squad, Uncle Mick operated on this poor little thing who knows how many times. He even wiped it clean in case a virus had set in.
And while it never completely recovered (it eventually lost all media capabilities whatsoever....poor thing), the two of us did learn how to coexist.
I learned its quirks - not to unplug it, not to close its lid lest it go into hibernation and suffer a catastrophic meltdown, not to let it go into Standby.....all those fun little tricks.
And for the past 3 years we have been getting on just fine, quirks and all.
But the time has come to say goodbye to beloved Emachine.
Sometime around November 10th or so.....this should be arriving:

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550.
Andrew did all the research (it's a beautiful thing to have such a technologically inclined brother - I highly recommend getting one) and found us a really good deal on this one. He has its big sister, ThinkPad. And so we will excitedly be welcoming IdeaPad into our family. I must admit, I'm looking forward to not having to play doctor anymore for my laptop, but in a strange way I am going to miss Emachine's quirks. It was my first laptop, as well as my college laptop - lots of good memories. But all good things must come to an end. So, out with the old and in with the new!
Goodbye, Emachine. May you rest in peace.

Soup's on the Menu!

Soup is one of those meals that just tastes infinitely better when it's cold outside. It's just a fact - ask anyone and they'll tell you it's true.
This here is a soup that my mom used to make when I was growing up - it's called Spinach Tortellini Soup - and it's one of my favorites. And it's pretty darn easy too - this is what I call a no-fuss-meal. So if you're looking for something to warm up with on a chilly October night, this just may fit the bill.
There are many variations of this soup, and I'm not even sure the one I picked is the exact recipe my mom uses, but here is one take on it:

Tortellini Spinach Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1 whole medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth
1 lb. Cheese Tortellini (frozen or fresh)
1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
Salt
Pepper
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

- In a large stock pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute unil translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomtoes and broth. Turtn heat up to high and bring to a boil. (The original instructions don't say to do this, but PLEASE let this simmer for a good half hour or so(lid on) - it needs time for the flavors to meld and to get that canned taste out of the tomatoes.)
- Add Tortellini and cook according to package directions. When tortellini has about a minute left to cook, add the spinach. Salt and Pepper to taste.
- Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.

It's a great weeknight meal!!



And the best part about this meal? It tastes great as leftovers - the flavors just get even better!! You may have to add more chicken broth because the tortellini tends to absorb a lot of it - just let it simmer a bit on the stove and you're golden!
oh, and no, flowers are not on the menu, but they were just so pretty I could not end this post without sneaking them in. Oh how I do love gerbera daisies!!!!!

A Writing Frenzy

I was reading my dear sister-in-law's blog today, and was inspired to join her in NaNoWriMo.
What is that you ask?
National Novel Writing Month.

Click on the link. It will tell you all that you need to know.

When I was 13, I started writing a novel, and about 14 chapters in, I stopped.
I wish I had never stopped.
So for the fun of it, I'm going to accept this challenge. As Ed put it, "you can only fail..."
Thanks, Ed. (I think he was trying to say...what is there to lose?....at least that's what I hope he meant....)
I have a week to get my brain in gear.
Either I have stumbled across the next big thing. Or I'm nuts. Or crazy. Or insane. (Yes...I realize those last three options are one in the same....because there's a 75% chance that that's what's up here....)
Mike says he hopes to see me during the month of November. I hope to see me too.

I'll let you know if I get a week in and realize I've really gone off the deep end this time.....

There is a ghost amongst us....

In the spirit of Halloween (side note - the only way I can remember how to spell Halloween correctly is to sing that song I learned as a kid - "H-A-double L-O-double U double E-N spells Halloween!)
anywho
in the spirit of Halloween (got the song stuck in your head yet?) I thought I would bring your attention to a certain somebody amidst our ranks.
His/her name is the I-Don't-Get-You Ghost.

Said Ghost has many talents. Among them being a sense of humor for the 'i don't get you' reaction. The I-Don't-Get-You Ghost thinks it's hilarious to go through every post and check off "i don't get you." I have to admit, Mike and I almost fell over laughing when we were leaked this story.
This person doesn't know I know. Until now. This person, according to an inside source, "apparently...does it in his/her free time and thinks its hilarious"

I will give you three guesses as to who said ghost is:

1) Nick DiMaio
2) Meghan Hayes
3) Richard Healey

The prize shall be a bag of Halloween candy for the first person to guess correctly.

Southwest Night

This is what we had for dinner tonight, and it was really tasty. And easy. Here's the recipe:
Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
Except her picture looks better than mine.

I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so I had to make do with what I had.
Here are the changes I made:

- I used butter instead of cooking spray. Tastes much better, I think.
- I omitted the beans
- I was out of Chili Powder, so I substituted Hungarian Paprika. It worked in a pinch.
- I used Habanero-Lime tortillas (they're our favorite, if you haven't noticed.)

It was good. Mike said he wants it added to the "keeper" list.

Oh, and for those of you protesting that this is not "autumnish," all I have to say to you is that the week is not over yet :)

For Christmas.....

I would like this...

However, I have been informed by my dear husband that I may as well ask for a trip to the moon while I'm at it.
I don't want a trip to the moon.

Squash, Rugs and Object Lessons

So, this weekend has been busy. Busy, yet fun.
This past week's AP meal was Rigatoni with Squash and Prawns. Minus the prawns. Sorry. They weren't in my budget this week. (You'll see why shortly.)
It was pretty good - I think it would definitely be better with the shrimp. But it was still yummy - I used whole wheat pasta and added oven-roasted tomatoes.

Here you can see object lesson #1: this is what I get for buying a rinky-dink vegetable peeler. It is not very effective on a butternut squash. It took fooorrreeeeevvver.


Finally got it peeled and chopped up. I was much happier at this point.


I cooked some extra butternut squash and mashed it with some butter, salt and pepper. Michael did not want to have anything to do with it, but that's ok. He ate the oh-so-good Asiago Cheese Bread from Panera. Sooooooo good.



And here is the rug part. Mike told me on Saturday that a rug was high priority on our list of house items. Could I have asked for better words to come forth from my husband?? :)
Anways, on Saturday Meg, Heidi and I were already headed out to the Lancaster outlets to look for a bridesmaids dress for me for Michelle's wedding. While out there we stopped by Pottery Barn Outlet to see what we could see. And lo and behold! What did we find but this beauty of a rug! I had to duke it out with another lady who was also interested in it, but in the end she decided it was too small for the room she was decorating. While sad for her, I gladly swooped in to offer this rug a new home. Here it is, as well as dear Michael the Husband enjoying some Sunday afternoon football.



And this is where we come to object lesson #2. I should preface this story by saying that I was going to a plethera of favorite stores while having already spent my clothing budget for the month. And that's all I'm going to say.
Here, ladies and gents, is the dress I found for Michelle's wedding:

I had ordered another dress online a few weeks back, but when it came it was not at all what I had anticipated. So I was on the hunt again. I quickly found yet another dress at J Crew that I liked quite a lot. It was rather expensive, but Mike made a deal with me. He said I could have it, but I had to first search for 5 days to see if I could find something that I liked just as much but at a better deal.
I promised.
And I searched.
And I found this one at Ann Taylor for an amazing amazing deal. And I liked it. And it was cheaper. Way way cheaper. I had fulfilled my promise AND I liked the dress!
And that's when things took a turn.
May I just say, this sounded like a good idea at the time. (And maybe I still kinda think it sounds like a good idea???? But don't tell Michael....otherwise he may say my lesson has not been learned.) But no, truthfully, I do see his wisdom, and I am grateful for his leadership.
Anyways. I had just walked out of Ann Taylor having saved beaucoup bucks. And I walked into J Crew still quite aware that I had saved beaucoup bucks.
And this was hanging there:

And it was 40% off. Plus Heidi could get me an additional 15% off with her student discount. (She asked to be the heroine of this story with her 15% discount.)
And so in my mind, because I had just saved the equivalence of what the coat cost when I bought the dress, it made sense that I could get the coat.
Well, apparently this did not make sense to Michael.
And, long story short, I am on a payment plan until February. It was either that or return the coat. I chose the payment plan ;)
And I have learned my lesson. Looking for a better deal is not always just so I can buy something else (though sometimes that IS the case). Sometimes finding a good deal is God's blessing so we can actually SAVE that money :)
But, since I have learned my lesson, I would just like to say that I like my new coat very much ;)

My Painting Project

I finally did it. I started my painting project.
First up? My server. I love how it turned out :)
Here it is pre-project. In all it's blue glory.


The Paint. I had a real hard time trying to pick this out. Why? Because I am drawn to a color simply based on its name. How can you not be when they tell you to pick from their vast collection of "Colors of Inspiration"? Sugared Shortbread. Magical Moonlight. Milk and Cookies. Snow Ballet. Alaskan Mist. Moonlit Snow. How can you possibly choose?! They all sound so inviting!
I had to remind myself to pick a paint based on the actual COLOR, not the name. I think the paint guy at Lowes thought I was a psycho because I kept pulling out paint chip after paint chip and sighing in agony.
I finally settled on Winter Mood. I am happy with it. Both the name and the color.


I should have just bought a cheap sheet to spread out. But I did not. So I spread out all the paper and plastic bags I owned, plus broken down boxes. And I then proceeded to pray throughout my entire painting project "Please don't let paint get on my floor....please don't let paint get on my floor..."


The first coat. It was still iffy as to whether it would turn out like the picture I had in my mind. But there was no turning back now.


The beautiful knobs from Anthropologie. I love love love them.


The finished product!!



I am very pleased with it. It has given me courage to finish the other pieces in my house: my china hutch, my mail cupboard, and an old mirror I have. And it means I get to buy more knobs at Anthropologie. Clearly this is my next big thing.

Cozy Days are Here

Well, Mike has not gotten around to doing his Priceline post, so until then, here is our latest Fall meal :)
Last Thursday, we had the Neals over for dinner.
It was a grand time.
It was also a bit of an experiment.
You see, when I invited Joe and Heidi over, I told them what was next on the agenda for Autumn Project.
Tomato Soup.
Apart from a raising of the head and the eyebrows in a way that communicated "ooooookkkkaaay....I'm going to try as hard as I can to be polite and not scrunch up my nose and blow my cover," they both remained silent and kinda looked down at the floor. Fortunately, I’m not too thick-headed and I could take a hint ;)
I quickly gathered that tomato soup was not their favorite meal, but, after a bit of investigation, discovered that the only tomato soup they’d ever had was Campbell’s! I was filled with renewed faith, because homemade tomato soup tastes NOTHING like its canned counterpart. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very good thing. I promised them it would taste different than what they were thinking tomato soup would taste like, but also offered to make something completely different.
They graciously said they wanted to try the soup. So I agreed, but with one condition: they had to be brutally honest. If they didn’t like it even after tasting it, they had to tell me. I would not be offended. Some people simply do not like certain foods – I will not take offense at that. I told them I would make bacon grilled cheese to go along with it so they wouldn’t starve if they ended up not liking the soup. So they agreed to the terms and conditions, and that was that. We had a date.

Here are some beautiful gerbera daisies I found at….wait for it…GIANT the other day! Yes…good ol’ Giant. Buy one get one free. I love them. Complete with baby pumpkins.




And here is my expert bacon cooker. He is a pro. He does all the bacon frying in our house.




My new dinnerware went perfectly with the color of the soup :)





These were yummy. I took a French baguette, stuffed it with cheese and bacon, brushed it with butter and threw it on the Panini grill until golden and melty. Yes, melty. It’s a word.




My guinea pigs. To see if despisers of canned soup can become lovers of homemade soup.


And the verdict? They liked it! Unless they were lying to me. But Joe even went back for seconds, which I’m thinking he wouldn’t have done if he truly disliked it. But I suppose I’ll never know for 100 % sure until I get to heaven. Heidi…now’s your chance to tell me before I get to heaven and ask God the one thing that’s been bothering me my entire life: “Did they REALLY like the soup? Or did they just SAY they liked it?” ;)
Maybe this is a sign that I should work on better questions to ask God other than those revolving around soup.

Afterwards we cleaned up, made tea, and ate Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake while watching The Office.
Here is Heidi trying to walk from the kitchen to the couch with a (clearly) overflowing cup of Paris Tea. I guess she didn’t want to miss out on any of that amazing goodness.


Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake. Yes, Traci, that is its real name. I don’t lie.


Here is the recipe for the soup. It is from Ultimate Southern Living cookbook, and we absolutely love it. Thanks, Joe and Heidi, for being good sports and being adventurous :) We had a wonderful evening with you both!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

½ c. chopped onion
3 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 c. chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can Italian whole tomatoes
3 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP minced fresh parsley (I usually just use dried if I don’t have fresh on hand)
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
Italian Seasoning to taste
½ c. cream (light or heavy)

Directions:
1)Sauté onion in butter in dutch oven 3 mins until tender. Reduce heat to low, add flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, cook over medium heat, stirring until thick and bubbly.

2)Add tomatoes and next 8 ingredients (through Italian Seasoning). Stir well. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 mins. Discard Bay leaf.

3)Process tomato mixture in blender until smooth. Return to pot, add cream and heat through. Serve with croutons and grilled cheese.

*two things – I usually add minced garlic when I sauté the onion, but that’s up to you. We just love garlic so much and I think it tastes better. Also, I just make our own croutons with bread – spread with olive oil, parm cheese, Italian seasoning and a bit of crushed red pepper. Cut into squares and bake for 10 mins at 350. they taste really yummy in the soup!

"I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps"

New York! New York!

We really did have a grand time. An amazing weekend to celebrate an amazing first year of marriage. Mike did a wonderful job planning such a special weekend :) Here we are in the best we could manage with the self timer.


We left on Friday mid-morning, and everything was smooth sailing. Until we hit this:


This, mind you, was caused by a disturbance NOT on our side of the road. If there's one thing Mike can't stand, it's a gaper delay.
So while he spouted off some steam, I got bored and amused myself by taking pictures. Of myself. Narcissistic, I know.


And then finally we came within sight of the city!!



And then a little further on down the road, we came upon the Lincoln Tunnel. And as we approached, I had to do a double take. And then a triple take. Which finally erupted in a "are you kidding me?!"

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it costs $8 for one to go through the Lincoln Tunnel. I realize that most of you probably knew that already. But for a country bumpkin like me (that's what my mom called me), it seemed a tad exorbitant.
But through the Lincoln Tunnel we did go. Thankfully.


Once we got there we went out and walked around. It's breathtaking, if not a little overwhelming.


We saw lots of these. Fortunately, unlike Will Farrell in Elf, I did not get upended by one.


One of the things I was looking forward to the most was the pizza. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. It did not taste like I remembered it. Oh well.


And because we are 5 years old, we stopped at Toys-R-Us.


I've never felt so claustrophobic.


And (also because I am 5) I thought this was funny.


I love the city at night.


Oh and I love him :)



Later that night, Mike took me to dinner at The View - it is the revolving restaurant on the 49th floor of the Marriott!! It was absolutely incredible.


Mike's dessert - chocolate caramel square with raspberry praline ice cream.


My dessert - creme brulee, raspberry praline ice cream, and some sort of bread pudding. It was to die for.


I realize they have to do this in Times Square, or no one would get the drink they ordered, but it is pretty awesome and I wish my drink got a label every time I went to Starbucks :)


We could have waited in line with them. For 4 hours. But we didn't. We walked around and shopped and came back later and got our tickets. We felt pretty smart.


Mike made me take this picture of Ryan Howard.


On our way to Rockefeller Plaza.


Not the smartest choice of footwear. But they were cute. So I wore them anyways.



I think this was one of my favorite stops. St. Patrick's Cathedral. Absolutely gorgeous.



And we HAD to stop in Anthropologie. I mean, c'mon, they were welcoming me to New York! I couldn't be rude.


And then we went to see Phantom of the Opera. It was great.


And after Phantom, we left. And let me try to describe what leaving New York City is like.

Basically, they make 25 lanes merge into 2. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration.
But c'mon....this guy had to merge...

And then this guy.....

and pretty much everyone and his brother had to merge. And I have discovered something about myself. I like order. I do not like mayhem, which is what NYC driving is like. But, the good news I guess is that you can do whatever you want. So that's why we cut in front of him :)
And then, once we survived exiting the Lincoln Tunnel, we set out for Philly. Ended up in Camden (thank you, Google maps, thank you). Just kept driving, in light of the fact that it was Camden. And finally arrived (late) at the Marriott in Philly. And that is why we looked like this.

It was a fabulous weekend. Tiring, to be sure, but worth it in every possible way.

Coming up next: Mike talks Priceline, complete with photographs and all. He's very excited about it.