It's What's For Dinner

This is my third "MPM." Before I get to the menu, I want to share a link to the best cookies I have ever made. I had a cookie exchange party today, and these came in second for most creative. For a combination of taste and creativity, they have should have won first! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com. They are fabulous! I couldn't believe I made a cookie this good. Even if I didn't win first prize, you should check it out. Chocolate caramel-filled cookies. My white chocolate drizzle didn't look as pretty as the picture, but the taste! Slap some of those babies right here on my thighs!

Monday - Cheesy pasta and beef dinner with salad and French bread.

Tuesday - Chicken Provolone with Herb Stuffing (another allrecipes.com idea) with fresh broccoli and grated cheese.

Wednesday - French dip sandwiches (deli roast beef on hoagies with au jus), seasoned tater tots, and baked beans.

Thursday - Guys Night Out. Girls fend for themselves. Maybe L'Madeleine. They have the best tomato-basil souppe!

Friday - Marco Polo chicken, rice, green beans.

Saturday and Sunday - Who knows?!

I'm a Proud Mama

My son, his step-dad, and I went to the season-end party for his football league today. The boys had so much fun. The team mom created a fantastic DVD of the season, both still and video shots, they ate pizza and played football, and best of all, they got trophies. After all, they did make it to the playoffs.

But much to my surprise is that my son received a player award for his special teams and his off-side kicking. I had no idea. I was pleasantly surprised. Even without that award, I'd still be proud knowing he gave it his best and that he played with integrity.

Walking (for Sunday Scribblings)

Everyone has heard about the benefits of walking. Studies show it can increase your life span, reduce the risk of a heart attack, and help you lose weight. But with our crazy Houston weather, I truly dislike going outside for a walk. It’s either summer, or it’s winter (according to the Texas definition). There is very little in between. So, there are few days of the year when it is comfortable to walk outside. If it’s not the dreaded heat and 90% humidity creating enough perspiration to soak a sponge, then it’s the mockingbird-sized mosquitoes, and there’s little I dislike more than legs full of itchy bites. If, on the other hand, it is not too hot, a rare occurrence in a place where we usually select our Christmas tree while wearing shorts, then it’s the cold and the wind giving me an earache.

But one thing I don’t mind is walking on a treadmill and working out at the gym. In fact, about two weeks ago, I purchased a membership at the YMCA. I haven’t belonged to the Y for 2 ½ years, ever since I remarried and moved to a new part of town where everything is still not completely familiar. Before I moved, I was in great shape. I’m sure marriage and cooking for a larger family has had a lot to do with getting out of shape, but I am determined to get back into shape. Our local YMCA has state-of-the-art treadmills, weight machines, cross-trainers, and exercise bikes, among other things. The facility is only a few years old, and it is as nice as any Bally’s or 24 Hour Fitness that I have ever seen.

I can get on the treadmill and either listen to music, watch TV on my own machine right in front of me with my headphones, or prop my book on the treadmill (which has built in place holders so I don't even have to hold the book myself), and I can just go! And go and go like the Energizer bunny. No heat, no drenching sweat from the humidity, no mosquitoes. I'm in my own little world, and it bring a sense of peace. The outside world is gone while I'm walking on the treadmill, and it's always the first thing I do when I go to the gym. It's a stress reliever that will also help me get back in shape.

I learned some new things about walking on the treadmill. For example, experts advise you not to hold onto the handrail because it is not a natural walking position. They suggest using your arms to achieve a good stride and good walking posture. Using your arms correctly will also help alleviate neck and shoulder aches from sitting in front of the computer too long (not that any of us are guilty of that! ~wink~ I also learned that I need to keep my back foot on the ground longer to get a push-off into the next step in order to get the best results from my walking.

Who needs a New Year to make a resolution? I’m going to walk myself back into shape! And I've already started!

Friday's Feast #1

This is my first Friday's Feast. I've wanted to try this meme for a while, so here I go!

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

It used to be one called the Zipper, but as I have gotten older, it tends to make me sick. I like some roller coasters, if they're smooth, and I like loops in them, but I don't like the ones like the new one built at Kemah. It's a wooden one set in a very compact location with lots of steep drops.

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I usually ending up saying something really stupid or talking too much from nervousness.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

I enjoy it quite a bit, so I'd give myself an 8 or 9. It's hard to disagree with people sometimes, so if the discussion gets too heated, it becomes a bit like beating my head on a brick wall. But I enjoy discussions such as this with thoughtful, open-minded people who will listen as well as talk.

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

Absolutely! I work around children, so it was a must.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

Hmmmm. 10-20 a week. I am so busy helping kids with homework and taking them to their activities, that the only TV I watch is either late at night when I should be in bed (like now) or on the weekend using the DVD or the DVR.

Organization Challenge Completion Whole Room

I have completed the whole room phase of the competition sponsored by Organizing Junkie. Now... on to the big space category... my dining room.




Before..................................... and........................ After
My filing cabinet that sits in a corner of the dining room. No more stacks of papers and files on top. Everything is filed in its place.

The corner of my dining room:

Before .............................. and.................... After
All the junk in the basket has been put away (actaully, both baskets, the small one on the table and the large one of the floor) and the tote on the floor as well. The table and plant have been dusted, and it now looks clean and tidy.



My curio cabinet:
Before ............................ and............ After............... and ................ After

The CD player went to my son's room where it belongs. The curio cabinet was completely cleaned, dusted, windexed, including each piece in it. Then, I did some rearranging. It was over-crowded. Some items came out completely. For the rest, I have the china on the bottom, my pretty bowls and snowglobe on the next shelf, my Christmas pretties above that. The top two shelves are designated for my Dreamsicles and other keepsakes such as crystal candlesticks, a crystal vase, and porcelain booties with my twins' names on them.



The bookcase:


Before.................. and......................... After
Lots of extra junk here! The poster behind the bookcase was put up, the camcorder box was stored, the wrapping paper thrown away, and the plastic rolling cart was relocated to a niche in the corner of my kitchen (after I cleaned it out). I removed all the items from the bookcase, dusted, and replaced them in a manner that I think is more pleasing to the eye. I took the pictures from the top and hung them in the staircase hall. I dusted the chess set, my dad's old pipe holder, and replaced the battery in the clock so that it works now.
My dining room looks better now!



Before.............................................................................. and......................... After


The finishing touch was a pretty tablecloth and centerpiece for the table. It came together nicely, and I am proud of the way it looks.

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

The hardest part – no - make that the harest parts – were the bookshelf and the baskets that had been on the floor. Most of the things in the baskets went to my scrapbooking containers, which I also managed to organize. I gave a few of those things to my daughter. Finding a place and a use for the large basket was difficult, but I did it. It is in the downstairs closet holding blankets we use when we are cold. The bookcase – well, hanging the pictures on the staircase wall took some time, as did dusting each piece. But I also had to purge a great deal of books which have already been taken to half price books to sell. Then, straightening them and ordering them by size was time-consuming. Come to think of it, maybe cleaing out the file cabinet was the hardest.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

No scrapbooking supplies in the dining room unless they are in my containers and are being used at that moment. Also, simply finding homes for the things I needed to remove will help maintain order.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

As I mentioned, some went to my daughter, some went to half price books, homes were found for the rolling cart, DV camcorder, and CD player. Most of it went in the trash. Papers that were purged from the file cabinet were recycled.

4. Now that you have completed the challenge, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?

Without a doubt. I just have to make sure that it never gets that unorganized again. It is so much prettier to look at now, and it’s simple and clean looking.

6. Why do you think you should win the challenge?

Because I worked so hard! And organizing the dining room also led to organizing the kitchen, the downstairs closet, my scrapbooking supplies, and my photos, so other rooms in the house benefited as well.