tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41036540296780695592024-03-14T06:49:48.484-04:00In My ShoesWelcome to my life!! I love cooking & crafting, even cleaning! I just love to see what tomorrow brings!ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-39368679270225541402012-12-16T23:05:00.002-05:002012-12-16T23:05:41.243-05:00Sick & On the Other SideMy kiddos have been sick for a week and a half. It started the Thursday before last (12/6). I picked D1 up from school but she wasn't as perky as usual. D2 and I ran errands while she was in school. We finished 2 additional errands together and ended the day at Dairy Queen. I rarely splurge but I have a soft spot for candy cane blizzards. The kids obliged. We happily went home and they went to nap.<br />
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After nap D2 felt warm and had a strange hivey rash from her armpits down to her diaper. Just on the sides. Was very weird. Before bed I gave her Benadryl and Tylenol. The next morning I let the kids sleep in and at 9am D2 had rash everywhere.... everywhere EXCEPT where it was the night before. She was also hot with fever. Her hives were so bad her left eye was swollen and she had a huge raised area on her left forehead. Was extremely odd. Odd enough to make her nurse mother and doctor father rush her to the pediatrician. D1 was unwell but it seemed like it was a typical 'cold'. At the Dr office they said that it could be a viral rash. Gave us some prednisone for the hives and sent us on our way. It was nothing "bad" but I did have to reveal that I gave them the DQ blizzards as it was the only 'different' thing she has eaten. She was MY child... so there was no way she could be allergic to a blizzard!<br />
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The fevers persisted. They were both pretty ill over the weekend. Unfortunately for me, Hubby worked all weekend. D1 started turning the corner on Monday but I kept her from school Tuesday. Wednesday we all seemed better. So much better that Hubby took D1 and I took D2 shopping. Big mistake. By the 2nd store D2 was hot with fever. Damn. Thought some fresh air would ward away sickness. Wrong.<br />
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I took D2 to school Thursday and came right home and had some cuddle time with D1. Hubby got frustrated that Thursday night (12/13) with her persistent fevers and called in an antibiotic for both kiddos 'just in case'. The fevers were no longer 101/102 they were 103/104 degrees. I called the office Friday morning as she was 104.1 when she woke up. They did a flu swab assuming that was the culprit but alas it was negative. Her eardrums had some scarring so it was thought that she had a resolving ear infection and to follow on the course we were on. Call Monday if fevers persisted.<br />
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Plans were cancelled for the entire weekend. We were hunkering down and beating this thing. Saturday (yesterday) morning was great. NO FEVER. D1 was a happy clam and D2 was on the mend. She went to nap with with a 98.4 temp and woke up at 5pm 98.1. YAHOO. Then it happened. I noticed that she was extremely whiny repeating "mommy" over and over and over again. She then looked like she was shivering. Checked her temp... 102.1. DAMN. Tylenol administered and rechecked at 6:30 and it was 104.1. UGH. Lukewarm bath. Before bed she was down to 102; Motrin given. I woke her up at 11:30 and she was 103. I slipped in an extra dose of Tylenol because I HAD to do SOMETHING. UGH. Of course Hubby was working.<br />
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This morning (12/16) I let her sleep in until 9am. Went in and knew she was hot. It was like I could smell it in the air. 105.6. Dear God. I am a nurse of 14 years and I can not remember the last time I had taken a 105.6 temp.... and this was MY BABY. I woke Hubby up (he worked until 1am), gave tylenol, called the MIL to get D1, and called the pediatrician. I made an appt at 1030. Thank goodness for Sunday hours. We got there and temp axillary was 99.5. She felt much hotter and I HATE axillary temps. They are shit. We got examined. Flu swab repeated and negative once again. 10 days of fever now. Then I heard it.... recommendation to go to the ER at Rainbow Babies. UGH. I knew it. Getting outpatient labs, X-rays, etc on a Sunday is ridiculous.... so off we went. I shed a few tears, tears of confusion, pity and helplessness. Hubby had to work at 2pm.. so it was just me and D2.<br />
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We arrived at Rainbow around noon. D2 was 'acting normal'. We got triaged and they did an axillary temp. 98.6. My ASS. She had flushed cheeks. NO WAY was she 98.6. I rolled with it. I met the attending doc and labs were started immediately. Cath urine, 22g IV, labs, blood cultures, Chest X-ray all ordered and underway. Poor kid. Heart rate was 168 at rest. She was taking good fluids by mouth but she was just so hot for so long my baby was dehydrated. Everyone was great at Rainbow... I can't complain at all. I did ask to have her temp retaken and of course they did it axillary and it was 101.8. She was BURNING. No way 101.8 but again, I rolled with it. She was given Motrin and it was finally confirmed. D2 has a left lower lobe pneumonia. Her white blood count was 28.7. Poor kid. Two fluid boluses and some IV Rocephin and we are in business. They offered us an inpatient stay but it was felt that her oxygen saturations were good (96-98%) and she was having no difficulty breathing so we could go home. We have a recheck with her pediatrician in the morning.<br />
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Weird tidbit... I held her the entire day with the exception of the car rides and the chest X-ray. My chest feels like I have a sunburn. I can only imagine how she felt. I hope she is on the mend.<br />
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I'm now reflecting on this entire experience. I'm probably overly emotional because this comes just days after the Connecticut 1st grade class was gunned down and I have shed many tears for them. I just feel that life is just so fragile. I have been a nurse for 14 years and none of it has prepared me for how I felt last night & today. This morning holding my hot sleepy baby bawling because between myself and my emergency room physician husband we could not fix our child. We now have an answer but it will still take time for her to heal. It's a helpless feeling... one that I do not wish on my enemy. I can not even fathom having to deal with a lengthy or permanent illness in a child. My heart has been aching the last 10 days with what I had to deal with which is minor in the real world scale. I spoke with a friend today and she said that things like this will make me a better nurse/nurse practitioner and I have to agree. Many times I would balk at a family bringing in their kid with a runny nose. I now understand why SOME people end up in the ER. Its that prolonged sickness that just wears you down and you feel like you have to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to make them well. The babies will be hugged and kissed a bit more in the next few days.<br />
ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-53770791003424036602012-12-04T23:13:00.001-05:002012-12-04T23:13:59.269-05:0030 Day Shred & NatropathySo I did what I blogged about and restarted Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. Today was day 7. I missed one day because of my crazy schedule but overall I feel that I am doing well. I've been a bit freaked because I actually GAINED 3 pounds. I googled it and it seems as if I am retaining water due to my new workout regime. I was CRAZY SORE for the 1st week so I know that I am doing something right. Today was MUCH easier and I'm hardly sore. Thinking that I will jump up to level 2 this week. The first time I did this DVD I did each level for almost a month... so at least I feel progress much faster. I can feel my arms and butt toning so that makes me feel better. It is funny that I think that I am "somewhat in shape" yet doing this has made me feel 70 years old! <br />
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I took before pics when I started this journey and I am hoping to post them soon... once I hit my goal. I just took a peek at them and feel VERY proud. Not quite proud enough to post.... but proud to say the least. I know that I am close and can't wait to get there. <br />
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The most recent part of this trip into health was visiting a Naturopathic Doctor. A close friend told me about it and my curiosity was piqued. I went for several reasons. I wanted to see what was done, how I felt and more so to know if there were any recommendations. I feel the best I have felt in my life and I would like to keep it that way.<br />
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This visit was like no other. It was very eye opening and educational. I like to think that I am a pretty smart cookie, and a damn good nurse to boot. I was even prepared by my friend yet I was blown away. I felt energized yet relaxed after my visit. I got fabulous information that I plan to incorporate into my everyday routine. I will be back. I won't go into any detail because some would think it was different and unmusical but I highly suggest it if you have an open mind and want to give it a try. <br />
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Okay... gonna go to bed and get that MUCH needed rest! Night!ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-3955250022687779912012-11-24T22:58:00.003-05:002012-11-24T22:58:32.483-05:00Thanksgiving and Back on TrackThursday was Thanksgiving and I have to brag just a bit. Hubby asked me about a month ago what my feelings were about preparing a second Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings to take to the hospital. I agreed. There were many times that I can remember working a holiday night shift in the Emergency Room eating cold cafeteria turkey. I was all about it. I had everything planned out. I went shopping the day before... I got 2 turkeys (a 15 for us & a 20 pounder for the ER), stuffing, 15# of potatoes, pies, rolls, corn and Brussels sprouts. I brined both birds that afternoon to soak all night. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brine buckets!</td></tr>
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I woke up at 5:30 and started rinsing the turkeys. Hubby started the smoker around 7 and we were in business. I made a rub for the birds and ours went on the smoker and the hospital bird went into the oven at 8. The stuffing got started and poured both into crockpots once prepped and I started on the potatoes. The gravy got made 15 mins before running out the door at noon. All was PERFECT. I have three crockpots and I borrowed one from a friend so it all worked out seamlessly. We did Operation Dropoff at 12:30 and we headed home to start getting ready for our dinner at 5. We wanted to kids to be able to nap.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oven Bird for the Hospital</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked turkey for us. YUMMMM</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_ffxrtv16zpAz1hyphenhyphenYu2whuYnahTsLNC6kGZ6xqtXR9eziE8zJ3D1BoaX_sSmFXAf4ZKB77e4gOYOonXBdUAANDgZbjGGBU8hpwDO1VdRkBX-TD7OjngQ1szgLMJOrT0hAwn_CeUUBRI/s1600/IMG_0351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_ffxrtv16zpAz1hyphenhyphenYu2whuYnahTsLNC6kGZ6xqtXR9eziE8zJ3D1BoaX_sSmFXAf4ZKB77e4gOYOonXBdUAANDgZbjGGBU8hpwDO1VdRkBX-TD7OjngQ1szgLMJOrT0hAwn_CeUUBRI/s320/IMG_0351.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">when transferring the turkey from the pan to the plate the led & wing fell off... so I quickly put it back on the pan so I could get a good pic!! It was THAT good!!!!</td></tr>
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We got home (the MIL watched them) and put them down to nap at 2. I really had nothing to do except assemble the buffet line, and dress the table until dinner. It became o'wine 30 quickly. I was calm and relaxed the whole day which is quite a change from last year. Twelve months ago I had a 5 month old who was nursing, I made Thanksgiving Dinner, was still pumping at night and had a wild 2.5 year old. I remember sweat dripping down my face as I was whisking gravy. It was bad. I will NEVER do that again. Never. I was getting texts from one of my awesome friends that she was having a BAD time. She's a fabulous cook and things were just not turning out... we all have our years. This one was just a good one for me. That night a friend and her family came to have dessert and enjoy a glass of wine by the fire. Good times with family & friends.... its what Thanksgiving IS.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RLT3GZWWWfvCxxz9EmgOZEKSZ6Jn1OW4uGYUIrkorpTnW47uQqpDna3zLSmHcQhy4_vP2afvO6mtc0ZeZWskvzSKGvtr-bPotAt7-Bml3AXtAq3Vu8t53JMDNafI1V0A016euxXtIaM/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RLT3GZWWWfvCxxz9EmgOZEKSZ6Jn1OW4uGYUIrkorpTnW47uQqpDna3zLSmHcQhy4_vP2afvO6mtc0ZeZWskvzSKGvtr-bPotAt7-Bml3AXtAq3Vu8t53JMDNafI1V0A016euxXtIaM/s320/IMG_0340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luey watching the smoker!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKf2A3sznWe5yrYC1hWvKAaEmkaYSLu0bnXS8i2ir_OFetCd5eMKhD3TSUbHUK_DzBeISyCou2pgZkX8hmxik-v9w1i4CKkk91ibWKauzhNsHJI-2wUIk7EEHCoHrOqDt4DRetqLl07C4/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKf2A3sznWe5yrYC1hWvKAaEmkaYSLu0bnXS8i2ir_OFetCd5eMKhD3TSUbHUK_DzBeISyCou2pgZkX8hmxik-v9w1i4CKkk91ibWKauzhNsHJI-2wUIk7EEHCoHrOqDt4DRetqLl07C4/s320/IMG_0341.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15# of potatoes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the start of getting things put out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My eclectic dinner table </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The potatoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot apple cider with mulling spices! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiPQx5AbFqAlDF5pQNRzubsighl82BrTZ6GuGp7wGoTlTuffmtHMmZ84isxgl4adGoYagsazOAL1TqaMVc-7KmxnNdwgcOY1GN_xu2I30TIyWoqf8wHPoZ3Kew8vJF9T-_y58Dg4zBmA/s1600/IMG_0353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiPQx5AbFqAlDF5pQNRzubsighl82BrTZ6GuGp7wGoTlTuffmtHMmZ84isxgl4adGoYagsazOAL1TqaMVc-7KmxnNdwgcOY1GN_xu2I30TIyWoqf8wHPoZ3Kew8vJF9T-_y58Dg4zBmA/s320/IMG_0353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The feast!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qakxmwuJ3vgGleor0oP21AOVdafemJDa__7jMMdKTQYZig8d_THLBxHVY8Hf4oYny8EnbAea4KAiXt5l0notiVA-pZRqtL8J9ygGtJlMG33UCgvXWL9FfcGZed0c7ILsEqMeRYa8FCk/s1600/IMG_0356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qakxmwuJ3vgGleor0oP21AOVdafemJDa__7jMMdKTQYZig8d_THLBxHVY8Hf4oYny8EnbAea4KAiXt5l0notiVA-pZRqtL8J9ygGtJlMG33UCgvXWL9FfcGZed0c7ILsEqMeRYa8FCk/s320/IMG_0356.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">DINNERTIME!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94UCBld2IXjZzdjkVHYfPuaAr0Lr3pWIDdKMKl4qG_XA5Z_Fzfw9DuUkKYX0wrQjeoimiKihwbyvYsjW_qtETD9CYVxyEHiDtfFM0_UB1Bb-1vBcxe1X1eBd7ixQqLwUY8wDYmVmXOG8/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94UCBld2IXjZzdjkVHYfPuaAr0Lr3pWIDdKMKl4qG_XA5Z_Fzfw9DuUkKYX0wrQjeoimiKihwbyvYsjW_qtETD9CYVxyEHiDtfFM0_UB1Bb-1vBcxe1X1eBd7ixQqLwUY8wDYmVmXOG8/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More food!</td></tr>
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Now that the holidays are half over I an feeling the itch to get back to being organized and to get back on track. Winter is coming. I have not jogged in about a month and I feel it. Those I inspire would not feel so inspired right now. With my absolutely INSANE October and my busy November I haven't gotten much "me time". My dad moved back to Pennsylvania last weekend so my "manny" hours are gone. I took the girls to PA with me to help him settle in and have Thanksgiving there. It was a 4 day trip that has taken me a week to recover. I need to make time for me once again. The scale is not dropping anymore and actually it jumped up a couple. I can feel it. I need to get to be earlier so I can wake up earlier. I am a much happier camper when I can drink my coffee in solitude. Nap time must become exercise time again. I only write this out on my blog so that I own it. Its my way of becoming accountable. Its 9:54pm and Im going to bed. On a Saturday night. Yep, Im old.ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-84165009336398821452012-10-31T22:52:00.001-04:002012-10-31T22:52:10.219-04:00Halloween & Snack Day!Tonight is Halloween. I had decided 3 years ago to bestow a new tradition on my family. Dinner in a Pumpkin. Growing up we didn't have many traditions so I wanted to have a fun one that we could easily do.... and this is it. I will paste the original recipe but I must say that every year I tweak it. Its a good base... but every year it gets better. I have a few in mind already for next year. I will post my changes after the recipe:<br />
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<b><u>Dinner in a Pumpkin</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHb1Vcj7Z3dbg4C3HGt8Jn9zLUy9n65FrBBJHEwrW4S8L1X1s8hDmIuNMkO1T3umDL_Xs37iphvWbx1XwrpyDcc78uqf4NoQ71b0FX4RE3Os8rmCIxhbPLGz_QzQUm0spWNJHQHLlonc/s1600/IMG_0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHb1Vcj7Z3dbg4C3HGt8Jn9zLUy9n65FrBBJHEwrW4S8L1X1s8hDmIuNMkO1T3umDL_Xs37iphvWbx1XwrpyDcc78uqf4NoQ71b0FX4RE3Os8rmCIxhbPLGz_QzQUm0spWNJHQHLlonc/s320/IMG_0093.jpg" width="240" /></a><b><u><br /></u></b></div>
Much of this meal can be made a day in advance: Complete the first baking of the pumpkin and the beef-and-rice mixture, then cover and refrigerate. The baked pumpkin can accompany the beef and rice as a side dish. From Washington Post Book World contributing editor Evelyn Small.<br />
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• 1 small to medium pumpkin (the size of a regular soccer ball)<br />
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil<br />
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)<br />
• 1 cup finely chopped button mushrooms (may include stems)<br />
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef<br />
• Salt<br />
• Freshly ground black pepper<br />
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce<br />
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar<br />
• 1 10 3/4-ounce can low-fat cream of mushroom soup (may substitute cream of chicken soup), such as Campbell's<br />
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnut slices, drained and diced<br />
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a sturdy rimmed baking sheet.<br />
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Cut off the top of the pumpkin (as you would if you were carving a jack-o'-lantern), to be used later as a lid, and set aside. Discard the pumpkin pulp and seeds, making a clean, hollow space inside. Place the pumpkin on the baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Set aside.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUN8irk53nByEtcoO-8qHZ4JbPbFUBHDpOuxWicNE3T8PxlfTS297D_J-Y7QfgC4LJVFCvYIv8gRgRmaA64pSsr0sspzDwFoW7ZSjCLvrNc9itnYiTUdvjPLsAjWZZhVXZxgHM0i4ZHw/s1600/IMG_0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUN8irk53nByEtcoO-8qHZ4JbPbFUBHDpOuxWicNE3T8PxlfTS297D_J-Y7QfgC4LJVFCvYIv8gRgRmaA64pSsr0sspzDwFoW7ZSjCLvrNc9itnYiTUdvjPLsAjWZZhVXZxgHM0i4ZHw/s320/IMG_0094.jpg" width="240" /></a>Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Add the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for several minutes, stirring to break up any clumps of beef, until no pink remains. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and soup, stirring to combine. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the water chestnuts and cooked rice. Transfer the mixture to the pumpkin; cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until the mixture inside has heated through and the pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter; decorate the outside of the pumpkin with a jack-o'-lantern face and serve warm. Makes 6 servings<br />
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<b><u>MY CHANGES</u></b>:<br />
First, I use ground turkey. 2 pounds of it. When we do meat.. we DO meat.<br />
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Next, this year I added 5 sliced carrots when doing the onions.... I also added 2 LARGE cloves of garlic. I do not pulverize everything (mushrooms, onions, chestnuts) like they call for... I did it the 1st year and it was like mush. We like chunks. <br />
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Next year I will omit the brown sugar and Im thinking about using worchestershire instead of soy but we'll see how I feel when the day comes. I will also use more garlic..... NEVER TOO MUCH GARLIC!!!<br />
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Otherwise a great 'tradition' meal<br />
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Tomorrow I am the snack mom for D1's preschool. I attempted making sweet potato chips. They are good... bot after 2+ hours making them I didn't have a ton (they take FOREVER to cook) so I am mixing them with dried apples. WALA! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UAzK6Pgnmx-hmjlSfbDl7_gEYxVm7qxIoQL7eP566-f06wcbg5mV6-qVWa-Sv0ZUvB41TNNALyRe0Z-qoguuIUXpWHDEA9Tm8coxjdlBZLi7UlozAR8btlmRocRQHyRTi5r8zZAi4j0/s1600/IMG_0092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UAzK6Pgnmx-hmjlSfbDl7_gEYxVm7qxIoQL7eP566-f06wcbg5mV6-qVWa-Sv0ZUvB41TNNALyRe0Z-qoguuIUXpWHDEA9Tm8coxjdlBZLi7UlozAR8btlmRocRQHyRTi5r8zZAi4j0/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTybPwkxECrNtNg_wsQ1y5obTGwOsXonl0RwDNhlw_YsNyvrgUX7p4738loF4W4Ffw1lHveAbdfou5FiiRM8sbvTSoGIG-eGKZfVIHBsDCJMFOFSHbuEqrXevyZkPkhjXgRZgObN1skLY/s1600/IMG_0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTybPwkxECrNtNg_wsQ1y5obTGwOsXonl0RwDNhlw_YsNyvrgUX7p4738loF4W4Ffw1lHveAbdfou5FiiRM8sbvTSoGIG-eGKZfVIHBsDCJMFOFSHbuEqrXevyZkPkhjXgRZgObN1skLY/s320/IMG_0088.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Some pics of our spread.... Hubby roasted the pumpkin seeds... so we had alot going on in the kitchen!! So I HAD to bust out my new favorite wine!! OZV.... OMG GOOD!!!<br />
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ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-47867648797930479652012-10-26T22:45:00.002-04:002012-10-26T22:45:35.292-04:00Rubber Mulch and HEALTHY DOGS!It was again a busy week. Hubby worked much of it so I flew solo most days. I had an amazing board meeting with my Mom's Club mamas which always makes for a GREAT week! Thursday was interesting. I had decided to take the pups to a holistic vet. First, I must say that much of it I cannot describe. Not that I don't WANT to... just that I CAN'T. I don't know how to put it into words. She spent 2 hours with me, hands on my pups. She is a DVM but also a holistic practitioner. I believe that there are certain people put on this planet that have abilities above and beyond. She is one of these people. My dogs took to her immediately. Luey was practically laying in her lap. It was a TON of information and recommendations. I plan to do them all. Luey is a Rottweiler and weighs 112#. Far too much. Bubba has horrible allergies. Their health boot camp started today. They will now be on CORE grain free food, yogurt & veggies. Yep, veggies. I must have completely look at the Dr sideways when she asked me if I owned a juicer. I said "ummmm... yeah". She suggested that I put the pulp into their food. THEY LOVE IT. Its amazing. I will fall over if this dog loses 10# this month. Guess time will tell. They are now on a few supplements... which are made from different foods. Its just such an interesting concept.... can't wait to learn more! I swear I want to take before and after photos of the pups!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik06j_ecpK5SZ5wRt6s63YkyGy1y3WQqUw6IChU7Z4UAVdzv1Hdw24ybEZOCU8EehPQ3PVggtvGnJ4kfCXPwVP3_fpgtwAvVIJ1gRClZV8uq_DjtXgymtR-Mvr193EWBlNEgk_j7o_0o8/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik06j_ecpK5SZ5wRt6s63YkyGy1y3WQqUw6IChU7Z4UAVdzv1Hdw24ybEZOCU8EehPQ3PVggtvGnJ4kfCXPwVP3_fpgtwAvVIJ1gRClZV8uq_DjtXgymtR-Mvr193EWBlNEgk_j7o_0o8/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luey Chowing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubba</td></tr>
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Today I was supposed to testify as a witness to the incident next door with the rogue backhoe but apparently the scumbag plead out. Thank goodness.<br />
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After I found out that I now had a free day the delivery company called about the rubber mulch I ordered. The could deliver today! The landscapers charged me next to nothing to sod cut and to dig down 3" to put down mulch around the girls' play set. Today's job consisted of laying the landscape fabric and 5000 pounds of rubber mulch. We decided to go with it because of the safety factor as well as the cost factor. Every year we re-mulch the house. Every year we say.... we are switching to every other and it just never looks good enough to switch. So it was an easy decision. Its pricey... but it never needs to be redone! Dad helped ALOT. He loaded the bags onto trailer and drove the tractor to the area. There were 125 40# bags. The man will need some Motrin tomorrow!!! We got everything laid out in about 2.5 hours. I have to trim up the landscape fabric but I was going to wait a week or so until 1.) the rain stops and 2.) the mulch settles a bit. All I can say is that it looks FANTASTIC!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpi5fkf_yhmYT5B1JBsg6k4RyQ7heWGuu3IYmeXIOVljEeuia-1LtAuC_Ho9A8OkfblCh0VNpSYZMrr5dKwnqEGl6woqbJWGh980NyJow07zLdEQ-gLAD5_hpuxn1_iulXVSHgDABp4Q/s1600/IMG_0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpi5fkf_yhmYT5B1JBsg6k4RyQ7heWGuu3IYmeXIOVljEeuia-1LtAuC_Ho9A8OkfblCh0VNpSYZMrr5dKwnqEGl6woqbJWGh980NyJow07zLdEQ-gLAD5_hpuxn1_iulXVSHgDABp4Q/s320/IMG_0056.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 pallets delivered</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJazd96-w9SlvvzHnYWN8TPFXC-jgte4s9euS6x0572TLGXtQrcygCE9Rp5ytSgjK9XeTSZF2Wd3kKoG0Q-nvjV-K5DX4jl8iA9JxhTyrjTyrB4Q1NHIl79qTu-y2vXJr6htGePiufwQA/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJazd96-w9SlvvzHnYWN8TPFXC-jgte4s9euS6x0572TLGXtQrcygCE9Rp5ytSgjK9XeTSZF2Wd3kKoG0Q-nvjV-K5DX4jl8iA9JxhTyrjTyrB4Q1NHIl79qTu-y2vXJr6htGePiufwQA/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks FABULOUS... and its SAFE!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVE RECYCLING!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more mowing in and out of swings... NO MORE WEEDWACKING around the darn thing!!!<br /></td></tr>
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ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-30408736353316847892012-10-17T21:58:00.002-04:002012-10-17T21:58:15.581-04:00Grad School & Pond<div>
So much has happened in the last 3 weeks. I hosted a board social which turned out AMAZING... then I ran a board meeting and a general meeting.... and then this past weekend was our fall consignment sale. I've put in a TON of hours for the club lately but I am very proud of the accomplishments. After the sale we donated 61 trash bags and a few boxes FULL of clothing, books, shoes & toys to local shelters, rescue organizations and Easter Seals. Monday night was Preschool Information Night. We hosted this event with the NRECPTA. Our 2 chairwomen had life altering events so I stepped up and took charge. It was stressful for me but I pulled it off with the help a wonderful committee. This is an event where local preschools all come to one location so that our members (and the community) can interview and weed out the schools before visiting. Its a huge service to our membership as well as the community. All the facilities seemed VERY happy so I was ecstatic. I am happy to say that I get to lead a pretty AWESOME group of women. This has truly been a position that I am proud to hold. Thank you to all of my Brecksville Broadview Heights Preschool Mothers Club mamas!</div>
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Today is an AWESOME day. I submitted my grad school application to Ursuline College about a month ago and had not heard a peep. From time to time I think about it, but have just been too busy to do anything about it. I have had my interview outfit picked out in my head and I occasionally rehearse what I would say. Just last night I decided to get my Kent State application ready to go as a backup. Well, today, it came. It was a packet from Ursuline. I thought it was too heavy to be a rejection letter. I tore into it.... and I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED!!! They put me into the Spring 2013 class although I enrolled for Summer 2013. I emailed and was told that they put me in for spring in case I want to start taking classes. AWESOME. I am SO excited to start the next chapter!! Hubby is even excited now that he knows that there is retirement in his future!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers, a card & celebratory wine from Hubby</td></tr>
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The pond is done. The landscaper came today to "rock hound" the area and smooth up a few areas before we seed. CAN NOT wait to see some green going on. Its beautiful now but by spring when its green and almost full it will look AMAZING. We got our landscape mound that we covered with trees. In the second photo you can now barely see the 6000 square foot home that is being built next to us! Hallelujah!<br />
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Something else that I wanted to blog about.... a very good friend called me last week. She has gained some weight and has decided that its time to take it off. She called ME. I think that's pretty damn awesome. She said that I inspire her. What an honor. I had her watch Fat Sick & Nearly Dead. Needless to say, she bought a juicer. I still have my 10# to my goal... but I am very excited to help her in her journey. XOXOXOXOX<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-65594121812212947442012-09-25T22:02:00.000-04:002012-09-25T22:02:07.474-04:00Digging & Size 8So the lake/pond digging has begun. This has been a long time coming and its almost weird that its finally happening. We have plotted out where it would be, we have diagramed it on a plat map... but to see the actual dig is amazing. As of this evening there are 5 pieces of LARGE equipment in our yard as well as TONS of dirt. This is only the beginning. Half of me is scared shitless about our decision and half of me is COMPLETELY stoked. I guess the end of this week we will know what the thing will look like. So far... we have something that is starting to resemble a hole.<br />
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Last week I went back to Talbots outlet for a few things and I can now say that I have left double digit jeans. I am now an 8. This is VERY hard for me to believe. I see myself in the mirror as the same person a year ago. Yes, I can easily recognize when clothes are too big and that smaller clothes fit better but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it. I have about 6 pounds to lose to finally hit my goal. Hard to believe that I am almost there. Here's a recent pic!<br />
<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-25664803155807740682012-09-16T22:36:00.001-04:002012-09-16T22:37:53.132-04:00Talbots Outlet & KidlessToday started out just as every other except that D1 was at Grammies house overnight so I actually slept in (until 9... yes... that is sleeping in). I got up and did the morning ritual of breakfast for D2 and coffee for mommy. I made a juice and checked the internet. The things I would get done WITHOUT this damn computer. D2 played with her toys but you could tell that she didn't exactly like being here without D2. <br />
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I decided that today was the day that I would turn D2's carseat around. She is 15 months and kicks the CRAP out of my seat. I overdid the 12 month mark and I'm done. Then I decided to check out a store that friends discussed awhile back at Bunco. Talbot's Clearance Outlet. Let me tell you that the clouds parted as I walked in and beams of sunshine broke through the ceiling. My style is very diverse but if I had a million dollars earmarked for clothes I would dress like Jackie O. I like the timeless look. Classic Natural is my official taste. I have a cable knit navy sweater from the Gap that I got to wear in my 7th grade school pics (YES... 7TH GRADE). It's a "bit" worn but I still wear it. Timeless. Anyways, I think Talbot's is that "look". Problem is that I can't afford to shop there. Until now. I went from rack to rack looking for my size. Had I been an XS I would have tripled my bounty but I still found enough to cause minor damage. The store is 60-75% off retail and they cap prices at $19.99. Currently, they are also discounting another 15%. This meant that nothing was priced over $16.99. Can you say HEAVEN??????? I ran out of there like I robbed the place. I found several things as well as a pair of shoes. Had I been there without D2 and/or she wasn't on the verge of total nap needing meltdown I may have done more. But 15 items later, we were out of there.<br />
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I called several friends on the way home enticing them with my purchases. I'm afraid that this place will become an addiction. Upon my arrival home, I added up all the tag prices. $1407 worth of retail merchandise for $191. I was fist pumping for HOURS. I took a gamble and didn't try anything on in the store as D2 wouldn't have it, but surprisingly only 1 thing didn't fit. Happy for me, it was too large! YAHOO! Now; they get new things in every day. I REALLY want this sweater in an appropriate size so I think I will be heading back tomorrow or Tuesday to see if I can find one. I also made my mind up to purchase one other thing (a blood red sheath dress) but need to try it on first. I have found my mecca!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sJG74dpbmTUDPvy78r55_q6Sp6sKSUcW5M6vbHBuJdUhO6LKSe0GzszzxkVdGLidcDpa7EZ2CoJzIDSijiIUo0Kou3lg_Sk-gIMVdH8zVmVjv3mDUpYV23ydExlAkmNwbBRunY413tQ/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sJG74dpbmTUDPvy78r55_q6Sp6sKSUcW5M6vbHBuJdUhO6LKSe0GzszzxkVdGLidcDpa7EZ2CoJzIDSijiIUo0Kou3lg_Sk-gIMVdH8zVmVjv3mDUpYV23ydExlAkmNwbBRunY413tQ/s320/IMG_0277.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute ruffly skirt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AWESOME $159 shoes for... yep, $16.99!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMPD5l4uYXThDBQFb7OItF6_OfTC3oQbdU7AweCwwr5hZjpjWK-3J4-Mhr9HjzUGHcdLal30BSbGtXqn8GpEXvrQUE0LIQhGgyKffAPx9vmnO2p3rttjyCecaYcKsootu_eE8gzdvGls/s1600/IMG_0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMPD5l4uYXThDBQFb7OItF6_OfTC3oQbdU7AweCwwr5hZjpjWK-3J4-Mhr9HjzUGHcdLal30BSbGtXqn8GpEXvrQUE0LIQhGgyKffAPx9vmnO2p3rttjyCecaYcKsootu_eE8gzdvGls/s320/IMG_0281.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute sparkly sweater</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The replacement to my 7th grade sweater</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDjZ1I1wgyj11tiIikpP1IE3KYgQ60X4CqcK7x5nc1tvsJOASPL_f5S0KEIq5Fgzj3DM1Vv8KdBqUsJln_7MleKEkFI5QV9iK-ZppmIKtUD67qKiwl0Q5QvL9JNS6ndmWCu8pZ3IDX8/s1600/IMG_0283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDjZ1I1wgyj11tiIikpP1IE3KYgQ60X4CqcK7x5nc1tvsJOASPL_f5S0KEIq5Fgzj3DM1Vv8KdBqUsJln_7MleKEkFI5QV9iK-ZppmIKtUD67qKiwl0Q5QvL9JNS6ndmWCu8pZ3IDX8/s320/IMG_0283.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVE this sweater but I swim in it.... gotta make another trip :))))</td></tr>
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-36505934714815177312012-09-14T21:37:00.002-04:002012-09-14T21:37:45.882-04:00Fall & DIYTo me fall & winter = DIY. The last 80 degree day in the 10 day forecast was yesterday so I have started to make my 'winter list'. All spring & summer are dedicated to outside so obviously there needs to be inside projects. My laundry room renovation is pretty high on the list as is decorating my room and the living room. I have been staring at the 18' walls for 3 years deciding what to do. I figured it out a few weeks ago while surfing Pinterest. The WALA moment happened. I needed something BIG. I also preferred that it was inexpensive. Sure, I could get huge wall art but it would require me to take out a second mortgage. My other thought was for something functional. Our house is so open that sound bounces from my kitchen against said wall right upstairs to my (and the kids) bedrooms'. This is what I did.<br />
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My wall has a large window. I measured 128 inches from window to wall. I bought two 4'x8' pieces of 1/2" pink insulating foam. Getting them home was interesting FYI! I decided to cover them in fabric. It took awhile to pick out what I wanted fabric wise. I even bought something and returned it. The 1st selection was to 'gold' for the room. It clashed with my tan walls. I decided on an ivory background with brownish/copperish twig/plant looking things running up it. Im in love. I got some spray adhesive and went to work. I did buy some white muslin fabric to cover the pink first as I was afraid that the pink would show through. I also waited until the Home Decorating fabric was 50% off at Joann's as well :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG56ylkidHYXuxREB8bkVZ6uLpfJN18GgrmqPbwEq0BnGQ-HV4FhkIf6liO-tveq1vcDaV628R0BhHwkPEQ4WlibUg7XW5Oyw_YLMx9lq6SCvj3a4OdnWW93_Og8oTtECskWp5DO1EzsU/s1600/IMG_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG56ylkidHYXuxREB8bkVZ6uLpfJN18GgrmqPbwEq0BnGQ-HV4FhkIf6liO-tveq1vcDaV628R0BhHwkPEQ4WlibUg7XW5Oyw_YLMx9lq6SCvj3a4OdnWW93_Og8oTtECskWp5DO1EzsU/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying fabric out first</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mZ7izX6DjFQtJcv7iSAM7ny5twpcCM6KE6WDW2tKqj_Sn_X0k2U0cHCkB_Wr6mgasRwfbASDdoTuyc7GBCfkAHz8OIHNG4zLvi3sbaj9tSjvEIT7pIBHA5CLq8AxmxFJ6_YgagJ0wjc/s1600/IMG_0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mZ7izX6DjFQtJcv7iSAM7ny5twpcCM6KE6WDW2tKqj_Sn_X0k2U0cHCkB_Wr6mgasRwfbASDdoTuyc7GBCfkAHz8OIHNG4zLvi3sbaj9tSjvEIT7pIBHA5CLq8AxmxFJ6_YgagJ0wjc/s320/IMG_0238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muslin 1st</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TcvKSPAFr8yc-Z-c8vvVcERz4zI3XVGC9dPqc9H-2F0oyeMxhacp-v622kJlenMoxnBpxT42UKF7hmTL-VQ1qfIOy86HU2zEAvJ_zN-uuh989vOvpS4AB4Gxg46lcNcimv22lNRJWH0/s1600/IMG_0239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TcvKSPAFr8yc-Z-c8vvVcERz4zI3XVGC9dPqc9H-2F0oyeMxhacp-v622kJlenMoxnBpxT42UKF7hmTL-VQ1qfIOy86HU2zEAvJ_zN-uuh989vOvpS4AB4Gxg46lcNcimv22lNRJWH0/s320/IMG_0239.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fronts finished (let dry before doing edges </td></tr>
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I laid the panels out and measured the fabric & cut it to size. I then did the 1st layer of muslin. I pulled and stretched as I went to get any bubbles out. I then did the decorator fabric and let it dry overnight in the garage laying flat. The next day I did the edges and folded the corners.<br />
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Today we measured everything out and I got Hubby to hold the ladder. 16 feet is pretty high!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb52Lut7hGojkTB8-EJoO64jN96cGy_xGSsPCKFS7UcoyUgBsJDavr-Zd1_30svWN5N1nzvLUvuo9M7AoT24vTEgkKGAqK_BVxFCTOiM_yc1dJbd-Xtci7svtKTtx5tIhtG-GUr6VX90/s1600/DSC_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLb52Lut7hGojkTB8-EJoO64jN96cGy_xGSsPCKFS7UcoyUgBsJDavr-Zd1_30svWN5N1nzvLUvuo9M7AoT24vTEgkKGAqK_BVxFCTOiM_yc1dJbd-Xtci7svtKTtx5tIhtG-GUr6VX90/s320/DSC_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladder wasn't high enough so we had to convert it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9vDoTuE4TYROnFgAuLYF7fShVHqVloFjsM-QIXZdzUjzAP0XA7mlYCx3GxnKe8YypcsNmS2bfWYxr03aAHtaMRE4AEC8US2MGh3R6wAW5Ei7AVKJE4QuTAjYHp2TNAg7cYPYTrTTYg0/s1600/DSC_0438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9vDoTuE4TYROnFgAuLYF7fShVHqVloFjsM-QIXZdzUjzAP0XA7mlYCx3GxnKe8YypcsNmS2bfWYxr03aAHtaMRE4AEC8US2MGh3R6wAW5Ei7AVKJE4QuTAjYHp2TNAg7cYPYTrTTYg0/s320/DSC_0438.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The naked wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQT1GB56sKuB9l3cF0stQNS2oNdBXb-QNLvSUHybLPt2ndTO8YGHeTwgRUFV1DMpIV6BtHDxBRyVtrjaG0qphq8RVWq_RqfsyaTkkEUxSL19uyvIJGVsFCghZr-6EjrKfsTVXySyaauc/s1600/DSC_0441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQT1GB56sKuB9l3cF0stQNS2oNdBXb-QNLvSUHybLPt2ndTO8YGHeTwgRUFV1DMpIV6BtHDxBRyVtrjaG0qphq8RVWq_RqfsyaTkkEUxSL19uyvIJGVsFCghZr-6EjrKfsTVXySyaauc/s320/DSC_0441.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18' of ladder!</td></tr>
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Here is the finished product! Hoping it looks "artsy". Hubby now decided that he needs a bigger TV (sigh).<br />
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Next is reusable sandwich bags and then it will probably be the laundry room! MUAHAHAHA!!!!<br />
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Other than these projects I am busy with the kiddos and Mom's Club. We had our 1st general meeting on Wednesday and I was SO nervous. We had a FABULOUS turnout so it went from nervousness to excitement. I hope that its the start to a GREAT year. I have LOTS of ideas of fun things to do... Hope all works out!<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-58653319147582342912012-08-31T22:32:00.002-04:002012-08-31T22:32:32.169-04:00Busy Life & ApplicationsLife has been insane the last few weeks. I have been running nonstop with the girls and I'm starting to feel it. Fall is almost here and it seems like I'm wanting to squeeze all I can out of the last of summer. Mom's club is now in full swing which is probably the main source of my business besides D1 & D2. I have had communication meetings, financial meetings, committee meetings, multiple emails and weekly updates all going on with a full household. I am hoping that now the initial meetings are pretty much done that things will calm down. I have an AWESOME group of women on my board and I got the joint board meeting (last year & this years board meet) under my belt. Sept 12 is the first general meeting and I am getting the agenda done this week. Hubby keeps asking me what I am getting paid. HA! Funny man! But really, I do love it. I get to connect with people and stay busy.... VERY busy.<br />
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Looking at my short term future I somehow decided that I have some free time coming up. As in next fall. Therefore, I submitted grad school applications for both Ursuline College and Kent State. Got my essays done, reference packets sent, transcripts ordered... now I wait. Hoping for interviews soon so I can breathe normally again. Hoping my path is well lit and that I can accomplish my career goals. FINGERS CROSSED.ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-51560551823584667972012-08-20T23:28:00.001-04:002012-08-20T23:28:12.882-04:00Redemption & Tomato SauceToday I FINALLY got to donate blood. Last week was such a disaster I dreaded what would come of today. ZERO, yes, ZERO issues. I was in and out in 50 minutes. That was even allowing my information to be reentered into the system because apparently Brecksville didn't load me into said system, surprise, surprise. Oh well. I will be on Hinckley's 6 week call list any day. It will be nice to get back into the donating groove. Red Cross got some redemption.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLzpQEQszvoF_d5gzAY0A6OaYUHWk1QMs5-dt9sTpMqJY_oLle76ImswcAx6BCDkX3ONm2xKH8FaLO2zrEm6gX3zTT_Tn8kq5JVZmboEaq0D2zb8qpm8_8eyBrTXuYhIOXnLZ_wX9n9k/s1600/IMG_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLzpQEQszvoF_d5gzAY0A6OaYUHWk1QMs5-dt9sTpMqJY_oLle76ImswcAx6BCDkX3ONm2xKH8FaLO2zrEm6gX3zTT_Tn8kq5JVZmboEaq0D2zb8qpm8_8eyBrTXuYhIOXnLZ_wX9n9k/s320/IMG_0612.JPG" width="320" /></a>D2 is ill. She was very clingy and cuddly. I almost feel bad that I enjoyed it. She is 14 months so is in the 'go-go-go' stage and hardly cuddles.... so it was very sweet to have her laying on my lap enjoying me rubbing her back. Love her.<br />
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I am becoming the party planner. I am working on an event for Mom's club which I am QUITE excited for (hope everyone else is!) and I got the idea in my head that we should do something within our neighborhood. Our development has only 12 homes with the building neighbors being 13. I wave at these people daily as I drive or jog by but don't know anything about them, let alone their names. We have gotten to know our immediate neighbor as well as the house across the street. I like them a lot. There have been several people that have moved in since we have and I know NOTHING about them. Well in my party planning mood I decided to organize a block party. I picked a date... printed up a flier and went door to door. I received nothing but positive feedback so I hope that is the direction this shindig will go. We are going to make burgers & dogs and bring some tables and everyone will bring a dish to pass as well as their own drinks. Fingers crossed.<br />
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I'm on overdrive with Mom's club stuff right now. Planning budget meetings, board meetings and general meetings. Getting nervous about the year. I just filled my board and I'm pretty elated to be done that chapter. I just hope that its smooth sailing from here and that everyone has a great year. I hold this organization so close to my heart that it would pain me for things to go awry. I want everyone to have fun and have the club do great things. Hoping I can lead it in that direction!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYQfDAnCM0KD08kOa2lio4ftzMKcet_W6ig-MrZ1u4oO2XMkoipIOIujscsYMiwY4iQpDEQkI9L9gM3Wh_YRwmTWcqYqrs679YnGsHLj332d17Bxve3Dg45rlRO0OytFrSdyIjfY2Ho0/s1600/IMG_0617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYQfDAnCM0KD08kOa2lio4ftzMKcet_W6ig-MrZ1u4oO2XMkoipIOIujscsYMiwY4iQpDEQkI9L9gM3Wh_YRwmTWcqYqrs679YnGsHLj332d17Bxve3Dg45rlRO0OytFrSdyIjfY2Ho0/s320/IMG_0617.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Tonight the fruit flies invaded my kitchen. I HATE flies and I ESPECIALLY hate fruit flies. I went through the bowl of tomatoes and sorted out the bad ones and made another quart of sauce with the ripe ones. This time I impressed myself. Im starting to feel like I should be inducted as an Italian!!! I'll have to take a jar to my new Italian friend to see if I qualify!!! I did set up a fruit fly trap (thanks Pinterest) and I've already caught quite a few! YEAH FOR ME!ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-21277523029235151282012-08-14T23:59:00.000-04:002012-08-15T00:36:36.212-04:00Canning & DonatingToday was a whirlwind; hence me blogging at 12am. Lately D1 has been in the "I want to sleep in mommy's bed" kick. Every night we get her into her bed and somehow I wake up with an extra body in my bed. Oh well. Hubby says we should enjoy it and remember that she will be 16 before we know it and not want to be in the same room as us. HA!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJLxb1henHmPBQ9VjfAnoRKViQIP38WXczN_ZSHk-RsDC6Mx4qGkFfL4nWlp-Gno0KQpGlzKZ3NaIqxh9Rol6euWgM_hV0cDlBMGQe-BmGbWCRUXCeR1v5xH3RmBxG6zL_X_iLSW1xsI/s1600/IMG_0583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJLxb1henHmPBQ9VjfAnoRKViQIP38WXczN_ZSHk-RsDC6Mx4qGkFfL4nWlp-Gno0KQpGlzKZ3NaIqxh9Rol6euWgM_hV0cDlBMGQe-BmGbWCRUXCeR1v5xH3RmBxG6zL_X_iLSW1xsI/s320/IMG_0583.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdzpOqMJl4HTfvsXFMJTUsyaVKjWMiTP_skW4qzo4M9dKEu3hSmI325Lr2O6K7_QX10rrJoRLtTmqea6FUg7VNFU9Bk5gS_6dDtT089dsj0mTih-ik8456E9Khb5a06wjWUUmCp8BYtA/s1600/IMG_0582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdzpOqMJl4HTfvsXFMJTUsyaVKjWMiTP_skW4qzo4M9dKEu3hSmI325Lr2O6K7_QX10rrJoRLtTmqea6FUg7VNFU9Bk5gS_6dDtT089dsj0mTih-ik8456E9Khb5a06wjWUUmCp8BYtA/s320/IMG_0582.jpg" width="240" /></a>I let hubby sleep in and did breakfast duty. I had spent the entire day yesterday cleaning so a few things needed to be done. That last load of laundry had to be folded, the dishes from the dishwasher had to be put away and there on my counter sat 2 large zucchini. It has just been TOO hot to bake. They were intended for my FAMOUS Zucchini Nut Bread. Today it was rainy and cold. Perfect baking weather. Once hubby got up I got to work. I cranked out 4 loaves of bread in a little over an hour. Im a machine when it comes to this bread. I shredded the rest of the zucchini for later batches. I had to try it before I served it to anyone else. It was AWESOME. I delivered one loaf to a foodie friend that hasn't ever tried zucchini bread, yes, really! Another loaf was to go to my BIL as I was heading in their direction to donate blood later in the afternoon.<br />
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I got D2 to nap and got ready to head to my appointment. I dropped off a loaf of bread and headed to the community center. It seemed like there was one conundrum after another while trying to donate today. I gave them my donor card from 3 years ago. I have been "off" having babies so I haven't donated in 3 years. I used to be the every 6 weeker! Anyways, my info didn't come up correctly. Then it turns out that my card was generated in Columbus Ohio and is not valid here. Ummm... ok. Then I get through the process where they stick your finger to check your iron count. I needed to be 12.5 to donate. It was 12.4. Now, I am a medical professional and know for a fact that I have NEVER been low. They retested and miraculously I was 13.1; ummm. ok. Then I get back to the recliner and get comfy. She scanned all the barcodes on the bags and we were all set until the tech noticed that I had a "rash" on my arms. I had gotten some sort of heat rash while shopping last week and I still had a touch of it. I was now denied. I understand the reasoning but I had now been there an hour with 2 finger sticks. I was a bit irritated. I rescheduled for next week. Grrrr.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2xzHh1S2lkIvn0tXQxUqgyJXXf_iJ6OIhdjEggVECOBgxgBevDOFfh_nnyeiexU7tTrqihyphenhyphenMMZFvN_tWTV3frrgZxxoThcCA-dqYz85BwG2CMFZIG-sU9cj7BfzN8BAhbDcMuBnTxRc/s1600/IMG_0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2xzHh1S2lkIvn0tXQxUqgyJXXf_iJ6OIhdjEggVECOBgxgBevDOFfh_nnyeiexU7tTrqihyphenhyphenMMZFvN_tWTV3frrgZxxoThcCA-dqYz85BwG2CMFZIG-sU9cj7BfzN8BAhbDcMuBnTxRc/s320/IMG_0587.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoLHjmCVVGyuJuZsVSDjv0d1W5uGwmo57UXVBDHCH9oS-bfwd0S55WN8Tz8rf0q_PNusOppkBzDrDyBL3lXkV-0R6_dGtbu7v3jCYoT3vJGUDESVSiO7LmCA6QgjUvi6BlximfRaYoW8/s1600/IMG_0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoLHjmCVVGyuJuZsVSDjv0d1W5uGwmo57UXVBDHCH9oS-bfwd0S55WN8Tz8rf0q_PNusOppkBzDrDyBL3lXkV-0R6_dGtbu7v3jCYoT3vJGUDESVSiO7LmCA6QgjUvi6BlximfRaYoW8/s320/IMG_0589.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmomC8brSP2oxNW1-1h829oJa-WhMXUitV0hAtPl87jUjCERqKNY0K9bD0joeNqmaiGt_uClH3AMN7DVi_pTfQeTcHGzFWcTxfOj2sEgCxt_kJeJI1aODIzUtIWWKvdPm7O9AkujztYJA/s1600/IMG_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmomC8brSP2oxNW1-1h829oJa-WhMXUitV0hAtPl87jUjCERqKNY0K9bD0joeNqmaiGt_uClH3AMN7DVi_pTfQeTcHGzFWcTxfOj2sEgCxt_kJeJI1aODIzUtIWWKvdPm7O9AkujztYJA/s320/IMG_0588.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I then went to the in laws to pick tomatoes. They now have a HUGE quantity of tomatoes that are ripe and the market is only on Saturday. I decided to help out and process some into sauce. We picked 4 crates of tomatoes and 1 crate of basil. I brought everything home and started the canning process. The thing that sucks about canning is the return. From everything we picked I got 2.75 quarts of sauce. I also processed the basil into pesto cubes. It really makes you understand why a quart of spaghetti sauce is expensive. TRUST ME.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LrQv_QGEv_nSO9vBKD_JGahyphenhyphenTXkIVVotp7wro-VV0Hje3BHgXIGx1PCD_zgDn9M9dVyPTP3Mym0hGEXi33F1MZviSpt1kJXJTqRdVodgepj4P6e7ehN3LAXtbPhHURLAAzQCWgd_G4Y/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LrQv_QGEv_nSO9vBKD_JGahyphenhyphenTXkIVVotp7wro-VV0Hje3BHgXIGx1PCD_zgDn9M9dVyPTP3Mym0hGEXi33F1MZviSpt1kJXJTqRdVodgepj4P6e7ehN3LAXtbPhHURLAAzQCWgd_G4Y/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-2983242859300120422012-08-12T23:00:00.001-04:002012-08-12T23:00:13.996-04:00Losing & LifeI finished my 10 day juice fast on Friday. I am pretty strict about my eating habits and I must say that it was harder than I thought. The first days were the easier ones. Its the last days that get ya. I tended to be looser with myself, but all in all it went well. I am still doing 2 juices a day with a normal (sensible) meal for dinner. I have 10 pounds to go and I plan to get there sooner than later. Then I will post pics of my before and after. I shudder when I look at the before photos.<br />
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This week I went shopping for D2. We hit the mall in search of some 18 month jammies and shorts. Poor girl gets all of D1's hand-me-downs and is growing just a slight bit faster than D1 did. Time for more clothes. I was trying to hold off until fall because we have a ton of cute fall outfits but her belly wasn't going for it. Poor kid is popping out of her PJ's. While at the mall I happened to walk past The Limited. Now, I am not a Limited shopper, and I haven't been since high school, but they had an awesome houndstooth skirt. The outfit on the model was awesome. I walked in and looked for my size. I was in luck... they DIDN'T have it. On my way out I got stopped by an employee. She asked me to try it on and I explained that they were out of my size. She prompted me to try on a smaller size. I replied "if I fit into THAT then I will DEFINITELY buy it!" Well, I FIT INTO IT!!! YAHOOOOOOOOO!!!! Makes that juice taste a bit sweeter! Now I just have to find a reason to wear it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGqlZdgVEVpbx4eFzEYNJQa5U8R3EYOgX9quJMIIvAKXEIDgvMkfJUOzIocWPsrckqOX515VY11Jg_Z9joHeNA5cVyj_OQk02LKF4jHm7UpXrjoJqhJSfzw7phS2ZfGoOrAmOkrlq9NM/s1600/IMG_0546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGqlZdgVEVpbx4eFzEYNJQa5U8R3EYOgX9quJMIIvAKXEIDgvMkfJUOzIocWPsrckqOX515VY11Jg_Z9joHeNA5cVyj_OQk02LKF4jHm7UpXrjoJqhJSfzw7phS2ZfGoOrAmOkrlq9NM/s320/IMG_0546.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Life is settling down a bit. We are still waiting on the barn quote and I have contacted our financial advisor dude to get his opinion on the situation. We will see what happens. I just finished getting my references together for my applications and lastly I have to get my essay ready. I want to get them submitted this week. Then its sending off for my transcripts and the waiting game starts. Hopefully I get my interviews sooner than later so I can relax. Once I know that I am in (or not) then I can mentally prepare for next year. Fingers crossed!<br />
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Tonight I made an awesome dinner! <br />
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Grilled Salmon with a Creamy Pesto Sauce and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXdsHebBbJ_6Te7MeSlfH1HWxbXyoCg64F-zQklrRopIOAA9QoVynlp_HdKYvRiOWRAhqldmgzaROsz28jQ0b02axfS4R4AW6ei5qDasfZt4Tw5p_PQoboua-LRh1kNXZ9BpGXrRmiBc/s1600/IMG_0574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXdsHebBbJ_6Te7MeSlfH1HWxbXyoCg64F-zQklrRopIOAA9QoVynlp_HdKYvRiOWRAhqldmgzaROsz28jQ0b02axfS4R4AW6ei5qDasfZt4Tw5p_PQoboua-LRh1kNXZ9BpGXrRmiBc/s320/IMG_0574.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<ul class="kv-ingred-list1" style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">3 pounds <a class="crosslink" debug="9 22" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sweet-potato/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">sweet potatoes</a>, peeled and cut into chunks</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1/2 stick butter</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1 banana, sliced</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1 orange, zested and juiced</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1 cup <a class="crosslink" debug="140 152" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/stock/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">chicken stock</a></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1/2 cup <a class="crosslink" debug="167 177" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sugar/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">brown sugar</a></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Salt and pepper</li>
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Directions</h2>
<div class="instructions" style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
Boil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve. Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Add butter and <a class="crosslink" debug="112 118" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/banana/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">bananas</a> to the pot. Cook bananas 5 minutes and add the juice of 1 orange to the pot, reserve the zest. Allow the juice to cook out, 1 minute. Add potatoes to the pot and the stock and sugar. Mash potatoes, banana, stock and sugar together until well combined. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper and <a class="crosslink" debug="409 419" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/zest/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">orange zest</a>, to your taste. Mash to combine spices and serve.</div>
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<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
1 pound Salmon</div>
<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
8 Oz Cream Cheese (cut into blocks)</div>
<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
4T Basil Pesto</div>
<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
3/4C whole milk</div>
<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
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<div class="instruction" style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
Grill salmon on George Foreman grill (or similar) sprayed with pam. Cook approx 10 mins until fish flakes apart. In small saucepan over med heat warm milk & cream cheese. Whisk until blended. Add Pesto. Spoon over cooked salmon.</div>
</div>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-8771897938693590032012-08-06T00:29:00.000-04:002012-08-12T22:32:29.586-04:00Fence & FastThe fasting has gone well. I have survived pizza night, Medina Fair night and Bunco night. Flying colors all the way. Today..... not so good. Its day 6 and I broke. I am completely stressed out with everything going on in my life (which I will explain later) that some sautéed zucchini in olive oil took me. I know.... pretty funny that it was actually something healthy... but oh well. Tomorrow I will be back to finish my 10 days (although I will have to try a tad bit of the recipe I am posting this evening!!!). At least I know that I am on the correct path and that the weight will continue to drop.... 11# to go to get to my goal!<br />
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Hubby and I devised a plan today. We wanted to put up a temporary fence for the dogs since we are having to tear down our fence for the lake excavation. This project has spiraled out of control at this point. It started as a lake.... then I though it would be wise to call a barn builder to get opinions on how the barn that we imagine would fit into our pace. We DEFINITELY do not want to make any mistake that would make us sacrifice an outbuilding. It was a good call and I am glad we made it. A very nice Amish man came out and is doing some drawings for us. The meeting was one similar to when we built out home! All I could see was dollar signs but I feel that he will be fair. We will also have 2 others come out to tell us their opinion. This razing was to be in the 2 year plan but it seems that Hubby is thinking sooner than later. UUGGHH. Hubby then thought of a great idea instead of putting the fence back that we could mound dirt and then make a retaining wall out of railroad ties. Our landscaper came out to give us a quote as well. MY HEAD IS SPINNING. All of these pieces have to fit together seamlessly. We cant dig the lake without building the mounds of dirt... we can't mound dirt where we eventually want a barn. UUGGHH. My suggestion tonight was to push the lake dig off for a month to figure out ALL of the details first. I just don't want to rush and regret.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76h8vD6DSA708vlZFi_FJThCXCy-Nn5-uqayCwOIK6E-p38H09w9kieqNdvL038dRViGiYpSs7Ck4u-z0-24TAPyBSFBzQWloD9VOC63i9jmT1vJLSaaP3mhIaNQ-SpmhsTuqwK8uEng/s1600/IMG_0527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76h8vD6DSA708vlZFi_FJThCXCy-Nn5-uqayCwOIK6E-p38H09w9kieqNdvL038dRViGiYpSs7Ck4u-z0-24TAPyBSFBzQWloD9VOC63i9jmT1vJLSaaP3mhIaNQ-SpmhsTuqwK8uEng/s320/IMG_0527.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temporary fence in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwlpavlqMAB057BzzBe5X7S66cH8SVxz5VdjifrrMNNBAJKA414HMv6fFGaEzPemD0fV7EHQjgBSVFPTDjwOLy8a9zF58qBP2URAdWGJMsPRE0HsTBhfPLREwHfVxpSBthSRGq8xJ2x4/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwlpavlqMAB057BzzBe5X7S66cH8SVxz5VdjifrrMNNBAJKA414HMv6fFGaEzPemD0fV7EHQjgBSVFPTDjwOLy8a9zF58qBP2URAdWGJMsPRE0HsTBhfPLREwHfVxpSBthSRGq8xJ2x4/s320/IMG_0528.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doggies new smaller area</td></tr>
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I'm also a bit stressed because I have decided to apply for grad school to start next summer/fall. I think that its something that will HIGHLY benefit our family and it will be attaining a personal goal for myself. The kids are only getting older which is more reason for me to want to go back to work. Its all about role modeling. I think it would be great for my kids to know that I got to stay home with them and then I took the initiative to go back and get my Masters degree. I hope I get in and I hope I finish. My fingers are crossed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlp-tIOz_XrjKrShJJzMAc1blkVhYHOdO4MQBwm2KgXo08xajUk1JoJCoG6clHxpcVXnWDL9mdu0nKPMOZHvFoDhxk6kA8hwpySEo8hjMyPKUs2Mzmo2NDatSWtSh-UlMrAiQSUhrAaw/s1600/IMG_0530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlp-tIOz_XrjKrShJJzMAc1blkVhYHOdO4MQBwm2KgXo08xajUk1JoJCoG6clHxpcVXnWDL9mdu0nKPMOZHvFoDhxk6kA8hwpySEo8hjMyPKUs2Mzmo2NDatSWtSh-UlMrAiQSUhrAaw/s320/IMG_0530.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread chopped</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKlrSjvkQuVJyFL4UxIjQR_LB6gjAkW5XGfMIOailkLBic5wddmrG0UhQl5fhbVA9yEwLhmGXhlx2LDbMzkQrWiuWAOuiMJ-eoXmBVKc_WFExyCHNPfbti6ccJAcVl4s-rN55bM4hAco/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKlrSjvkQuVJyFL4UxIjQR_LB6gjAkW5XGfMIOailkLBic5wddmrG0UhQl5fhbVA9yEwLhmGXhlx2LDbMzkQrWiuWAOuiMJ-eoXmBVKc_WFExyCHNPfbti6ccJAcVl4s-rN55bM4hAco/s320/photo.jpg" width="240" /></a>Tomorrow I am having several women & children over to do the annual audit for the mothers club. Ever since Spring Tea I have been wanting to make a strata. I chose a country style strata but used italian sausage and added mushrooms. CAN NOT WAIT TO TASTE IT!!! Even if its just a bite!<br />
Here's the recipe!<br />
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<ul>
<li><span itemprop="amount" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">12 ounces</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">breakfast sausage</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, removed from casings</span><span itemprop="amount" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">medium onion</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, diced</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 tbsp</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">olive oil</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2 loaf</span> italian <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> bread</span>, day old or toasted in the oven</li>
<li><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">tomatoes</span>, sliced<span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 tbsp</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">fresh rosemary</span>, finely chopped</li>
</span></ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTspKWdpuRWgYNxQywQut8CwyCJvzk-luAMDuI3dIVPzJ9ipNQzeoub5940oWdiXMDifja3gYLNHLTePyoV0uK_OPLQqZN5EQzgAEZVkxh9wSYOCJwfg449w0xKVQVsKhMOOD5paCpqw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTspKWdpuRWgYNxQywQut8CwyCJvzk-luAMDuI3dIVPzJ9ipNQzeoub5940oWdiXMDifja3gYLNHLTePyoV0uK_OPLQqZN5EQzgAEZVkxh9wSYOCJwfg449w0xKVQVsKhMOOD5paCpqw/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 1/2 tsp</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">salt</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2 cup</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">half & half</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2 cups</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">heavy cream</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">8</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">extra large eggs</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 tsp</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">black pepper</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="amount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4 cups</span> <span itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">fontina cheese</span>, grated (should measure 4 cups after grating)</li>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em 2em; padding: 0px;"></ul>
<div class="module moduleInstructions color0" id="mod_18981060" style="clear: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="moduleInstructions" id="18981060_instructions" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span itemprop="instructions" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span><br />
<ol style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em 2em; padding: 0px;"><span itemprop="instructions" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">Butter the bottom and sides of a 9"x13" baking dish.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">In a large skillet, break up the sausage and saute in the olive oil with the onion until the sausage is cooked and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Once done, allow to cool and drain out the excess oil.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">Meanwhile, cut the toasted or day old bread into cubes about 1" to 1 1/2" in size, set aside.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">In a medium bowl, whisk together the rosemary, heavy cream, half & half, eggs, salt and pepper.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">Layer half of the bread pieces in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the sausage/onion mixture, half of the tomato slices and half of the cheese. Repeat, layering with remaining bread, sausage/onion, tomato and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or over night.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the baking dish and place on a baking sheet. Bake 40-50 minutes (until golden brown on top). Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes before serving</li>
</span></ol>
<span itemprop="instructions" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</span></div>
</div>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-44672300395874891162012-07-29T21:14:00.001-04:002012-07-29T21:14:26.892-04:00Juice Fast & More JoggingToday starts my 10 day juice fast. I will be taking a day off when Hubby and I see Coldplay on Wednesday but other than that I am all in. I have been doing breakfast & lunch for the last 2 weeks with a normal dinner. I figured that I would ease into it. Today was rough. Last night Hubby and I went out for drinks after the kids went to bed and this morning I was regretting it. I felt horrible. I only had 3 beers but this morning it felt like I had 12. I went for a 2.5 mile jog to get over it. I saw TONS of bicyclists and one of them had stopped to look at a map so I got to ask what the event was. They were doing a 100 mile ride. AWESOME.<br />
<br />
After my run I mowed the lawn and weed wacked. It was such an awesome day outside I decided to lay on the front porch couch... 45 mins later I woke up!<br />
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Dad was hungry for a pizza so they ordered. I figured that if I could withstand the BLT's hubby made for lunch.. I could do anything. Grrrr.. the pizza looked and smelled AMAZING. Guess I will be meal planning for day 11!!! 9 more days to go!<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-75120442309794159372012-07-25T23:06:00.000-04:002012-07-25T23:06:00.727-04:00Dog Sitting & RecoveryLuey is doing much better. She finished her antibiotics and her incision has closed up incredibly. She is still walking with a limp but a better limp than she had before surgery. Im hoping that my bionic dog is on the up & up. She is definitely in great spirits and her appetite is almost back to normal. Im thinking that she likes being in her crate at this point... she has a dog bed she doesn't have to share... no kids climbing on her and she gets personalized attention when she is out. Doggie Heaven.<br />
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One of Mike's friend took a last minute trip to Florida so we volunteered to dog sit. The dog's name is John. He was a rescued racing Greyhound and has the tattoos to prove it. He is a very gentle dog. He's 11 years old. Such a good boy. He's fitting in the house of estrogen well!<br />
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I'll post a great photo of one of my favorite summer time eats. Flying Saucer Squash. My BIL had gotten squash borer so Im not sure how many veggies he will get from his plant so I decided that, since it was my favorite, that I would grow some here. This is my first plant and I have 6 more now going. This is a photo of my 1st squash.... grow baby grow! Yummy!!!!<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-66727637193525135112012-07-19T23:45:00.002-04:002012-07-19T23:45:37.944-04:00TTA & RecoveryI've been away for a few days. Still doing my juicing 2x a day and making some awesome meals... but now I am back to playing nurse. This time for Luey. Right when you think things are starting to settle down... WHAM. She had right elbow surgery 1.5 years ago in December because of a limp. They never saw anything severely wrong... but they cleaned out her joint hoping to find a bone particle and never did. She recovered well and continued to limp for about 6 months. Then she stopped and seemed to have healed. About 3 months later she began with a limp again and we just automatically assumed it was her elbow. Some days it didn't bother her but lately she was REALLY lame. Now it was obvious that it was her left hind leg. Hmmm. It was definitely worse in the morning and after being outside. I called her Orthopedic Surgeon. <br />
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We saw Dr D on Tuesday. He confirmed our fear. Our big baby tore her ACL/CCL. UUGGHH. This meant another surgery, another long period of crating, and lots of money. Luey just turned 4 on July 9th. Without saying, we would do whatever she needed, even if it were to the tune of $4000. Dr D explained the different procedures available and gave me the option of doing it that day or waiting 3-5 days. We opted to get it done ASAP. He said that he would not know which procedure would be done until he had some X-rays done under anesthesia because the decision is based on her anatomy. We had hoped for the <a href="http://ttasurgery.com/" target="_blank">TTA</a> surgery vs the <a href="http://tplo-surgery.com/" target="_blank">TPLO</a> as the TTA has a shorter healing time. She could be on leash walking in 2 weeks. Now, we are talking about a 110# Rottweiler. This isn't some chihuahua that I can carry under my arm. This was going to be work. We got a post op call at 5pm that her anatomy was suited for the TTA procedure and all went as planned. WONDERFUUL NEWS!<br />
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Luey spent the night recovering and came home yesterday. I have been her full time nurse since. Yes, she must be in the crate 24 hours and only out on leash to pee. The fine print is that her leg must be iced 4-6 times a day for the first 3-5 days and she gets medications four times a day. She has to be taken outside via leash but can't do steps so I have been slinging her with a towel under her belly to hold up her back legs. Today the MIL offered us her doggie ramp which is pure heaven. Helps 100% with the patio steps. I only have to sling her down the 1st step from the house to the top patio step. She is doing well. Not much of an appetite and VERY swollen but happy to be home. I lay in her crate holding her ice packs and she continually gives me kisses and it makes everything worth it. Gotta love unconditional love <3.<br />
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Today Hubby was home so I got to do some serious cooking. I had never tasted Chilean Sea Bass before and decided it was time. As a backup I made some Mahi but the winner hands down was the Sea Bass. I made this with some broccoli cheddar rice, swiss chard and I made Caprese fresh from our garden. YUMMO!<br />
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<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Butter & Capers</span></u></b><br />
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2 4oz pieces of skinless Chilean Sea Bass<br />
2 cloves garlic, Minced<br />
1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced<br />
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil<br />
3 Tablespoons Butter<br />
2 Tablespoons onion, finely diced<br />
1Tablespoon capers, diced<br />
Kosher Salt And Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in oven safe pan. Salt and pepper fish on both sides. Place in hot oil. DO NOT FLIP. Allow to crisp on one side only which takes about 5 mins in high heat. Once crisp put pan in oven. Cook for 10 mins per pound. Next take 3T butter and melt in small pan. Add garlic, capers, onion and lemon zest. Once onion is translucent add lemon juice (no seeds). Mix well and take of heat. Serve fish with seared side up and dress with Lemon Butter. Enjoy!<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-74697119351331281372012-07-15T22:48:00.004-04:002012-07-15T23:01:52.766-04:00My Zen & MORE JUICEIf there were no bugs in the world I would sleep on my porch. I love the sound of my waterfall. This week we somehow sprung a leak.. in a major way. For this reason, I am glad I built the entire pond myself. I know where everything is and how it is all laid out. Problem was that it basically emptied all of the water from the pond. The entire time I was scrambling to fix the problem I was apologizing to both my frogs & fish. I'm sure that I looked pathetic. Nonetheless, I got everything solved in about 30 minutes and I left everything open so that I could see that the problem was fixed for good. Today I sealed everything up again. There is peace in the world and I can go back to listening to my Zen.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I am on day 6 of juice. STILL LOVING IT. I did have one day that I had a headache but who knows what that was from. Saturday I went to the market and got an overload of fresh organic veggies. Its always a wonderful feeling to buy directly from the grower. I am fortunate that I get much from my BIL the organic farmer, but I still purchase a lot. I just wish I could grow everything. It has really made me want to expand our garden for next year. I got fresh beets, kale, cucumbers, a loaf of sourdough, some cheese, baby summer squash, green apples, and a ton of basil. I went right home and conjured up a new recipe. Its my favorite to date.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 carrot</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 beet</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">6 stalks Kale</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 golden delicious apple</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1/2" slice of ginger</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 cucumber</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZpPlfchyphenhyphen4Wx8sA4-kFQlJl8biGOH4qL8lZbb3LC7mVK86q7ANi8p-qBNdEDJPZd503lwI08eURkwb0YyVgnUOoS5yWw0gY6Xv7E0DiOFlJjctE5rUKvgWixrJSV_90MtXNpzNydD3CY/s1600/IMG_0371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZpPlfchyphenhyphen4Wx8sA4-kFQlJl8biGOH4qL8lZbb3LC7mVK86q7ANi8p-qBNdEDJPZd503lwI08eURkwb0YyVgnUOoS5yWw0gY6Xv7E0DiOFlJjctE5rUKvgWixrJSV_90MtXNpzNydD3CY/s320/IMG_0371.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I am now doing 2 juices a day and a reasonable dinner. Reasonable to me means that I have an average portion and its not fried or smothered in cheese. Yesterday I made Chicken Enchiladas and tonight was spaghetti. I had to find something to do with the boat load of basil I had so I figured that some pesto would go PERFECTLY with the sourdough. ITS HEAVENLY. I swear I could eat the whole loaf along with the entire bowl of pesto. Oink oink. This, my friends, is why I will NEVER be skinny!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I was talking to a friend tonight and it has kinda stuck with me throughout the night. I think if I am going to be AWESOME to my body and give it a ton of vitamins and minerals all day.. I am not going to completely throw the day out of whack for dinner. I LOVE to cook... but it has given me more clarify about what I want to make for my meal of the day. I now look forward to making a great meal. I have made AWESOMELY good choices so far. I know that I don't want to 'blow my day' on PB&J or some crappy cheesesteak. I'd rather enjoy a fresh bowl of pesto and some great pasta. Makes sense, right?</span></span><br />
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<blockquote style="font-family: Papyrus;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div id="recipe-ingredients">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">
INGREDIENTS</span></span></h3>
<ul style="color: #4f1f06; font-style: normal; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts <b>(I USE WALNUTS)</b></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste</li>
</span></span></ul>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="recipe-method" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; clear: both; color: #4f1f06; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 12px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">
METHOD</span></span></h3>
<div style="color: #4f1f06; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 8px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>1</b> Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4f1f06; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 8px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>2</b> Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.</span></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-family: Papyrus; font-size: small; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">NOTE.... if you are going to freeze this (as I do) do NOT add cheese.... wait until you are ready to use it. </span></span>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-13557836718031386802012-07-12T23:06:00.002-04:002012-07-12T23:06:50.196-04:00Green Juice & AquariumSo today marks 4 days of green juice. Monday was lunch then I switched it up Tuesday and Wednesday and did breakfast as we were traveling on Tuesday and Hubby and I saw the Warped Tour on Wednesday. Today I did breakfast and lunch. These are the recipes I have tried:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;">Mean Green Juice (original)</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">This is the official recipe used by Joe Cross and Phil Staples according to the <a href="http://jointhereboot.com/" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Reboot Program</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">6 Kale Leaves<br />1 Cucumber<br />4 Celery Stalks<br />2 Green Apples<br />1/2 Lemon<br />1 piece of ginger</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: small;">Mean Green Juice #2</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">handful spinach<br />3 stalks of kale<br />2 golden delicious apples<br />small handful parsley<br />1 lemon<br />1 cucumber</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I like juice #2 better but Hubby likes #1. So I modify it a bit each time. I like the ginger taste a lot. I did get some different apples at the grocery tonight to add variation. I feel like I can do this. I'm not snacking half as much and I know that I can get 1.5 juices out of each batch. Right now I share with hubby. When I do the total cleanse I will make larger batches so that I am full and Hubby still has his share. I plan to hit my BIL's farmers market on Saturday and load up on kale, cucumbers & celery. My garden is coming along but I have definite plans to make it larger next year. I can really tell you that I feel GREAT. 2 people have already asked me about juicing this week. I'm very excited to go full throttle and see how I feel. Can't wait to get started... but I have to be realistic and plan around the obligations I already have. Soon enough! GO JUICE!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">D1 is in love with fish. She loves going to the Cleveland Aquarium... she loves going to the zoo to see the 'fishes'. Yesterday I threw out an idea to get her an aquarium of her own. She wants a nightlight... and so I mentioned it to Hubby and of course he said "sure"! I went today alone (great idea!) so I could scope everything out and decide without her wanting everything in the store. I got some 17 year old kid that knew EVERYTHING about fish. Score! Problem was that he said that I should not buy the fish today. Grrrrr. I knew he was right but I KNEW D1 would not see it that way. I went in with the intension of getting a 10 gallon starter tank. When I was told that I would have to clean it every other week I easily increased the tank size to 20 gallons. The larger the tank, the less maintenance. I'm ALLLLLLL about lesser maintenance. Hubby, D1, D2 and I got everything washed, rinsed, and filled. The filter set up, the gravel and plants in place and we are golden. Tomorrow (as long as we are a good girl) we will be getting some fish. 17 Year old suggested tetras. We can fit more fish in the tank (and therefore if one goes belly up... she won't notice) and they are friendly and stay small. WISH US LUCK!!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-82765517962600844762012-07-09T00:26:00.003-04:002012-07-09T00:26:12.972-04:00Challenge & My Water GardenToday I pose a challenge to anyone who reads this. Watch a movie. Yes, a certain movie in particular.... Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.<br />
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My husband and I like to think that we live a fairly healthy lifestyle. We eat 90% of our meals at home, we eat organic when appropriate and available, don't drink soda regularly and we have cut out the majority of red meat. We are FAR from perfect but we try. We try for our kids. I have always had a weight issue and therefore I don't want to pass these body-ism's onto my kids. D1 & D2 have rarely eaten fast food and have never had soda touch their lips. Again, not prefect but we try. We have watched movies like Food, Inc, King Corn and Supersize Me. After each one we have taken something additional out of our diets. Not that we ate bad before, but there is just too much to consider when eating. If you look at food as fuel (which it technically is) then you tend to eat better. Todays movie struck home.<br />
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It was a fluke. Hubby and I sat down after putting the kiddos to nap for a 5 minute rest before heading outside to do chores (which never got done). I bought a Roku and Hubby wanted to check it out. He was perusing Netflix and happened to stumble on this particular movie. After watching the first 5 minutes we were both hooked. I don't want to give away any parts of the movie.... but all I can say is that its just amazing how the human body works. The documentary inspired us to try a fast. We have my BIL the organic farmer to help us with produce (and he is an AVID kale smoothie-er), its summer and I have my own garden as well, and we already own the same juicer as Joe has. We are in business.<br />
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The challenge is to do a 10 day juice fast as in the movie (sorry had to give a tad away). We have now been discussing the option to chew SOMETHING. Hubby suggested that we would be allowed to eat any raw food, i.e. carrot sticks, celery, even a salad but no dressing and I think its acceptable. I will be just doing juice, but whatever helps him! Tonight I had already planned a grocery store run so I added some of the ingredients to make their green machine juice..... found this site: <a href="http://myjuicecleanse.com/juicer-recipes/mean-green-juice-recipes/" target="_blank">http://myjuicecleanse.com/juicer-recipes/mean-green-juice-recipes/</a> I plan to do lunch juices starting tomorrow. Our official start date is July 28th. I will blog about it as we go and I hope it does us well. I have a feeling it will!!<br />
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My water garden is in full bloom. I had had several lilies pop up in all colors, white, red and pink. Yesterday my lotus bulb decided to open. All I can say is AMAZING!!!!!!! I am enamored by it. The best part is that its a hardy plant and will continue to return every year. Once our lake is excavated I plan to put some in it as well. I just love summer with all of its floral beauty!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm9iAQaIv-GlwcfaSxacxcTi4UAiaOXuvJ_RwWFwSqENROa2QUPe2rA6yXI2Q5xDNPLMrPhU5ghT7M6M8Ahb_et2uk-lQ9u29zrOMECXqyvyfK55KDArVPjUMV-k26WYtRtry5tzRjyo/s1600/DSC_0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm9iAQaIv-GlwcfaSxacxcTi4UAiaOXuvJ_RwWFwSqENROa2QUPe2rA6yXI2Q5xDNPLMrPhU5ghT7M6M8Ahb_et2uk-lQ9u29zrOMECXqyvyfK55KDArVPjUMV-k26WYtRtry5tzRjyo/s320/DSC_0348.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-29889672491629085362012-07-05T22:37:00.001-04:002012-07-05T22:42:57.130-04:00Long Time & Garlic ScapesSo its been awhile since my last post. Sorry. Just a TON of stuff going on here. Mainly it was my father moving in and the kiddos birthday bash. It required me to do all sorts of cleaning, reorganizing and outdoor work. This left little time for much else; including blogging. <br />
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Dad has easily moved into the guest bedroom and basement. Pretty uneventful to tell the truth. He has his bedroom upstairs and his 'shop' set up downstairs. He deals in antique toys and sells on ebay. Mostly Tonka and old cars & trucks. My future basement bathroom is filled with inventory and my exercise room now holds his computer/desk and tables of stuff to photograph, wrap, and ship. My treadmill is in the midst of all of it and as long as it doesn't get buried, we are ok. We are settling into a routine which is music to my ears. Its nice to have someone here at night so that if I/we want to go out, its fair game!<br />
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The outside work has been busy. The garden is in full growth pattern and I pretty much weed on a daily basis to keep everything under control. I also planted grass around the patio where it got ripped up from the build and watering it every day has been painstaking. My routine of starting the sprinkler, walking around the house and pulling a weed here and there, moving the sprinkler, deadheading my flowers, moving the sprinkler, skimming the pool, and moving the sprinkler is tedious. My routine pretty much takes the entire nap time depending on what I do. I do this EVERY day. I do bonus self and get into the pool most days until I hear a wailing baby. I also decided that instead of spreading weed killer (ie. chemicals) on the lawn that I would try to pull most of the broadleaf weeds. This has taken HOURS. My compost pile has LOVED it, my back has NOT. I am going to do an organic fertilizer here in the next week or so, and we will see how that goes.<br />
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The birthday party weekend has come and gone. SO much planning went into it. I had said about a dozen times that I am not sure why I do it to myself, yet I am sure that I will be doing it again next year. The main issue is the D1 <i>ASKED</i> for the princess party. This was the 1st time that she has been into it. Hubby has also always wanted to have a pig roast. We joined these two events into one. We had a princess party with a pig roast and rounded out the evening huddled around a fire watching fireworks. It was great. One of my brothers (I am the oldest and only female of 3) brews his own beer and brought a mix of 6.5 cases. Mark my words, he is the next Sam Adams. The stuff is amazing! I also had our Mom's club's bounce houses set up so the kiddos were nice and tired by sunset. It was awesome to have my whole family here under our roof. My niece and nephew did amazing. You always have to worry with 4 kids under the age of 3 in one house but it was great. They all behaved and the 3 year old girls just love each other dearly. They ate together, slept together and bathed together. They were each others babysitter which was amazing! Now I am taking the week off before assuming the role of President of our Mom's Club. That is sure to be a blog entry!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">raw garlic scapes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trim and add to the food processor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUDEhhyvHkMNNftsCM0f16NWK5gdWONq7BtnDsUuN4Bwwj24ZB4UNptqaqDbDZDKQ_wXsX47aGSqItzglYTm6VQ6AlF484-EGzcSettuItLZqBmTXe5GpxdanN2Yf_qD1PxaoT5meYO8/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUDEhhyvHkMNNftsCM0f16NWK5gdWONq7BtnDsUuN4Bwwj24ZB4UNptqaqDbDZDKQ_wXsX47aGSqItzglYTm6VQ6AlF484-EGzcSettuItLZqBmTXe5GpxdanN2Yf_qD1PxaoT5meYO8/s320/IMG_0256.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chop 'em up with some walnuts, salt and EVOO</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BAM! Garlic Scape Pesto!<br />
(from the above you must add some parmesan cheese)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and into the silicone mold to freeze!</td></tr>
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Garlic scapes. What are they? Well. When you grow garlic, as my brother in law does... it is planted so long (you plant in fall for a summer harvest) and then goes to seed. This seed pod at the top of the garlic plant is called a scape. They have many uses. You can steam them, fry them and add them to soup. If you cook them the garlic stinginess goes away. I decided to try my hand at scape pesto. Let me tell you how awesome it was! Now, I usually make a TON of pesto in the food processor and freeze it into cubes before I add cheese (cheese does not freeze well in pesto) with the over abundance of basil and garlic from the farm. Making scape pesto was simple. Olive Oil, scapes and walnuts (you can also use pine nuts- but they are expensive). No need for garlic because a raw scape is VERY garlicy and no need for basil. Now, you have to LOVE garlic as we do. We can't use enough of it so it suits us well. I then freeze the balls and take them out and add a bit more olive oil and parmesan cheese and add it to pasta, soups, or just as a dip. I actually put a thin layer on top of my turkey burger tonight for dinner! YUMMO!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We steamed and then sautéed a few with mushrooms!</td></tr>
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<b><u>GARLIC SCAPE PESTO</u></b><br />
Garlic scapes<br />
EVOO<br />
Salt<br />
Parmesan<br />
Walnuts<br />
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Mix in food processor to taste. <br />
***If you are freezing do NOT add cheese. Defrost and add some EVOO and the Parmesan<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-22836910825205958032012-06-12T23:30:00.000-04:002012-06-13T00:16:06.880-04:00DirectTV & Pasta AmatricianaOk.... I choose to rant. Our satellite contract has been up with Dish Network since February, but you know how it goes, and we JUST decided to work on it. With dad moving in and the fact that we still do not have the TV's hooked up in the basement yet, it was time. Hubby called Dish at the end of last year to hook up the basement but they wanted a new 2 year contract and that wasn't happening. So we have the playstation down there and are only able to do movies. I did give Dish the benefit of the doubt and called them 1st to see what they could offer us. They have this 'hopper' system that allows up to 4 TV's to 'talk' to each other and see DVR'd programs on all of the TV's.... but we have 6 TV's and want a whole house system. Not available yet. BOO. We had ATT U-verse at our old house and were VERY spoiled. Alas, no U-verse availability where we live. ALSO... we initially tied to get cable 3 years ago when we built our home but Time Warner quoted us $3000 to put a line back to our house. Needless to say, I told them to shove it!<br />
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Then I called DirectTV and spoke with Brooke. She promised me everything I wanted. A whole house system that was capable of handling up to 8 TV's. They system would allow me to record in ANY room and go to another room and watch it. It also allows 500 hours of record time. I never make a decision on the 1st call but the woman talked me into a 'no obligation order' which was basically an account setup and credit check for qualification and you could cancel at any time. Against my better judgement I did it. I must have asked 500 questions during that call. I clarified 5 times that we had 6 TV's and that our dish was a tad over 100 feet from our home and that is where we would like the new one to be placed. We kept asking about channels (ones that we frequent) and all was 'in there'. We were elated. We only had to pay $99 out of pocket and they tried setting up the install for 3 days from then. I pushed it back a week just to be able to continue my research. I asked the lady if the monthly price quoted would be for the entire 24 month contract and she confirmed that if there were no changes that the price would stay the same. I hung up happy and that night I watched DirectTV's videos on this whole house system. I was excited.... it was basically Uverse.<br />
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So the next morning I received the confirmation email that stated that I had the whole house system, DVR and 4 receivers, that there was one monthly price for months 1-12 but a $19 higher price for 3-24.... it also spelled my hubby's name wrong. I called. I had an irritating feeling in my stomach which should have told me something. I got his name changed and clarified that we had 6 TV's. They confirmed and stated that the whole house system counts as 1, the DVR as another plus 4 additional which would equal 6. I asked about the price increase after the 1st year and he explained that I was getting some sort of rebate for the 1st year. Not sure why but I went with it. He seemed like a nice guy that was 'fixing' my account. On hold I heard that they bundled with Windstream, our telephone company so I asked for more information. They said that they did and that I would get a $15 credit/month and this made the deal even sweeter. When Frank returned to my call he said that I would have to call and cancel Windstream and re-sign up via them. This made no sense but after I hung up I called Windstream. They said that they do not bundle with DirectTV but that DirectTV gives a credit to Windstream customers. GggggggRRRRrrrrr. You know that feeling that you get when you are getting a run around???? I had it.<br />
<br />
I called DirectTV back AGAIN. Spoke with a Christina who said that I didn't need to cancel and that they could just 'put it on my bill'. She applied the credit after I gave her our Windstream account number. I was happy once again but RECONFIRMED the 6 TV whole house deal and she verified it again. Now all we had to do is wait for Tuesday 12-4pm.<br />
<br />
This morning hubby and I got into a tiff about TV. He CONSTANTLY has one (or more) on. Every room if he had his way. I don't watch TV. I DVR one show and most of the time I watch it on my iPad. He, is ADDICTED... and I feel like the girls are getting that way. If the TV is on D1 doesn't hear a word you say. I NEVER turn it in before breakfast as she will not eat. Today Hubby did just that.... turned it on and then expected D1 to listen. Total joke. So I went silent & got snippy. I think he started to understand after asking D1 what she wanted for breakfast for the 5th time. He then asked if we could head out for a hike at the lake. I happily complied. We went on a small hike and the took a dip in the lake. I had planned to get up ready to go by 11:30 so we would be home well in time for our noon appointment. <br />
<br />
My phone rang at 11:40. It was the installer. In his broken English he said that he was at my house. I explained that the appointment was 12-4 and that we were 5 minutes away. He said that he would go and get gas and head back. We live 3 minutes from the lake and headed right there. He was in front of us in the driveway. Stupid dude even called when he got to our house as we sat there behind him unable to get into the garage because he was parked in front of it. Remember that feeling in my stomach??? It was back. Hubby got out and asked him to move the truck.<br />
<br />
I got out of the car and introduced myself. He did the same stating again that he had been here before. DUH! EARLY! So we walked to the back of the house and I showed him where the dish currently is. He said that it was 'far'. I explained that when we made the order I had specifically told them how far it was. He said that he had to call his supervisor. He then made a call and came back to me saying that this was now a 'custom install' and there would be a $50-70 charge. I said that I would cancel if this were the case as I specifically explained this in my order. He said again that he would have to 'call his supervisor'. I walked into the house and he followed me. Hubby was in the kitchen feeding D1 & D2 and he proceeded to make the call from my kitchen. REALLY?!?!???! Hubby kept giving me the 'WTF' look. I was NOT going to pay this charge. He then ended the call and said that he didn't like doing it but that his supervisor approved it. <br />
<br />
The installer then asked what equipment we were expecting. I went on to tell him that I had 6 TV's and that I ordered a whole house system. He said that was not what was on the order. HOLD IT. Now I was getting upset. He said only 5 TV's were on the order and it was a whole house system but the additional 4 receivers would not work as I described. I would only be able to record off the whole house DVR box.... not the additionals. Now I was getting hot. He explained that he knew there would be problems with our order based on the equipment. Apparently we got a whole house receiver which is their best piece and the receivers didn't 'match' it. They weren't even high def. He again called 'his supervisor' from my kitchen. I told him that I wanted the order cancelled. He called customer service and put me on his phone. The service rep explained that I did not order what I think I had BUT I could pay an additional $200 to get what I want. BULLSHIT. I hung up on her.<br />
<br />
I went into Hubby's office, grabbed my notes from all the phone calls I had made, and called customer service. I spoke with a Venus who apparently discussed the issues with her supervisor. They were 'nice' enough to offer putting the $200 on my 1st bill instead of me paying it today. NO WAY. She wanted me to make the decision right then. She said that my case would be reviewed and that she 'escalated' it but what she could do is give me what I want for $200. Needless to say, I didn't do anything and hung up.<br />
<br />
I then wrote a letter to DirectTV, posted on my status about this on Facebook and then also posted on DirectTV's Facebook page. I started a small riot on FB. Many comments about people cutting the cord and just going with a service like ROKU and a HD antenna on their house. I'm all for it. I called Dish and cancelled my cancellation of now until we decide what we are doing (they gave me a $10 credit/month for staying). After about 2 hours someone from DirectTV responded to my FB complaint and asked me to message my account number. I did so and have yet to hear back. I also received a generic letter from customer service apologizing for my inconvenience and asking me to call in to speak with an account specialist. I replied stating that someone needs to review the phone calls and they can call ME! GGGGRRrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! <br />
<br />
I spent the next hour looking up ROKU and Apple TV as well as HD antennas. I called a friend that 'cut the cord' and she couldn't be happier. I AM REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT. I just do not understand how companies can get away with this bait-and-switch stuff. It's INSANE. I'm still irritated about it! To be continued!<br />
<br />
Ok, on a lighter note.. a fellow foodie friend sent me a new recipe I had to try! I will tell you it was fabulous. Very easy and DELISH. Thank you Noelle!!<br />
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<strong>Spaghetti Amatriciana</strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"> </span></div>
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<em>Serves 4</em><br />
Ingredients:<br />
olive oil, for brushing<br />
generous 1/2 cup pancetta, diced (I used 4-5 slices EXTRA EXTRA this cut bacon)<br />
1 onion, thinly sliced<br />
28 oz can of Cento SAN MARZANO tomatoes diced & keep juice<br />
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped (I just added a tad bit of crushed red pepper as I do not like things spicy)<br />
16 ounces dried spaghetti (if you can get bucatini-use it)<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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Directions:<br />
Brush a flameproof casserole with oil, add the pancetta/bacon and cook over low heat until the fat runs. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and chile, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for about 40 minutes, adding a little warm water if necessary. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted, boiling water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce in a warm serving dish.<br />
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</blockquote>ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-57676066593792898052012-06-10T23:06:00.002-04:002012-06-10T23:06:55.262-04:00Been over a week & Fever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its been over a week since my last blog. I have been on overtime here getting the outside the way I want it to look. I have been watering those darn grass seeds every day and Im barely seeing anything. Hoping in the next wee things will take off. Fingers are crossed. I pretty much weed on a daily basis around the house (takes 5 mins) but today I tackled the hill and it is starting to get to where I want it. I planted a lot of shady plants there and it seems like they are getting to much sun so I am going to hit the nursery this week and get some sun plants to get it up to par. I am in LOVE with color this year. I will post some photos.</div>
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I finished the pond today as well. Got all the leaks taken care of by moving some of the rocks around and all seems good. I buttoned up the last of it today and reassembled the pump housing and rocks. I will take a few photos tomorrow. I got rid of all the 1/2 full bags of peat moss & potting soil and got the yard completely cleaned (except for the kiddos' toys). I an trying to get the bulk of the dirty work done before the party so all I will have to do is mow and weed whack.<br />
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D1 has had a mysterious fever the last 2 days. She woke up the other night on fire. We started the Tylenol/Motrin regimen and the fever breaks but returns when she wakes up (from bed or nap). She doesn't complain of anything and when she is without fever she is a rock star. She wants to go shopping, play outside, etc. Not sure what is up. If it last another day I am gonna bite the bullet and give her pediatrician a call. <br />
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We got a sneak peek of our family photos and they are AMAZING. I will post a few here once we get the 'rights' to them.<br />
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Also..... if you have an Intex pool I CAN NOT tell you how much I am loving the saltwater system that they offer. We got it on sale at Walmart (online) at the end of last year for just over $100 with a $50 gift card. Basically you dump in salt and since it does not evaporate you never add again (online chlorine). You just run this copper iode salt system that converts the salt to chorine. I was so completely against it when Hubby brought it up because I HATE salt water. But even if you get a mouthful it does NOT taste like salt. The concentration is less than that of a teardrop. Its AWESOME. I do not remember the water ever being this clear and sparkly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!<br />
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We cooked on the grill the last few days and I had to post a few pics of the awesome zucchini and Bourbon salmon kebabs! YUM!<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-29046045121351874842012-06-02T23:30:00.001-04:002012-06-02T23:30:36.638-04:00SWING SET DONE & GardenWe had our family photos done today. In the last 3 years it has become "our thing" t get our photos done in June/July. First was the birth pics of D1 in 2009 then the 1 year pics then D2 arrived in 2011 and this year is now D2's 1st birthday. With the girls' birthdays being so close it just makes sense. Get their photos done and get a few with mom & dad looking pretty/handsome. We have died a few things throughout the year but my all time favorite is outdoor photos. A friend that I worked with in Columbus did both kids birth pics but she is 2 hours away with a busy schedule. A local friend posted her family photo shoot a few weeks ago and I LOVED them! I got a referral and set today up. We met at 11 at a barn/park. I had been stressing the last 2 weeks about what we would wear and I got everything sorted out about 3 days ago. OF COURSE I had planned to have everyone in shorts and today was 60 degrees. I rummaged through TONS of clothing at 8 am. I finally got everyone fed and clothed and was even able to do my own hair. WHEW. Hoping that there were some good ones!!!<br />
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We visited Grammie and my BIL at the market thereafter and kiddos were getting hungry so we finally after 2 failed attempts (first the two places we went to were CLOSED for lunch!??!?!?) had a nice lunch and got home. Hubby and I were EXHAUSTED so we ALL had nap time today. I then headed out to get some of my "to do's" off the list.<br />
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I FINALLY finished staining the swing set. 8-10 hours and a cell phone later... it is done! ITS BEAUTIFUL. I was a bit premature and though I was done at one point until I looked up. I had forgotten about the ceiling in the sand area. I then finished 45 mins later. We LOVE this thing and as far as I see it.... it will be here for a LONG time and if this stain survives the next 3 years I will be a happy camper!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done + a rainbow!</td></tr>
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D1 then helped me set up our vegetable garden. I picked up plants from my BIL and we get everything in the ground. We planted 6 tomato plants (various types), 2 basil, a Hungarian pepper, a bell pepper, an eggplant, 2 swiss chard and 2 kale. I saved some room for flying saucer squash, cucumbers and rosemary. While taking photos today we were in an herb garden and I am REALLY thinking about doing something like that too next year. It was adorable... a little fenced area with a bench and every herb you could think of. We use TONS of cilantro and basil so I think it would be awesome to try... NEXT YEAR.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our raised beds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIsIZNoT7nxfmVriaT5WldfNM18l9bf3OhN-eZ7MSeIZ50OaepkQCWUYiubHxlCT_AYf73BTtwlJrBvj5JxrljhzqTJElguGAfWfAb6qUXFSTgVzpFALkhcmxyd_qlm4kPHaXWhrNFuI/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIsIZNoT7nxfmVriaT5WldfNM18l9bf3OhN-eZ7MSeIZ50OaepkQCWUYiubHxlCT_AYf73BTtwlJrBvj5JxrljhzqTJElguGAfWfAb6qUXFSTgVzpFALkhcmxyd_qlm4kPHaXWhrNFuI/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topsoil and more seed!</td></tr>
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There are still loads of bare spots in the yard from when the patio was installed. Today I laid some leftover topsoil in the majority of the areas and threw down some new seed. Hoping it will start filling in in time for the party. D2 is SO excited. Last night I went through EACH of the princess and was trying to decide on a food. This is stressful. I have the cake and cake-truffle pops ordered. This is gonna be quite a shindig. We are having Gridirne Cookery roast a pig half for us and I will be preparing sides. We'll have the bounce houses and a princess theme so D1 is ECSTATIC! She asks pretty much daily when 'her party' is. I have a feeling this is JUST the beginning!ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103654029678069559.post-11639140053411318922012-06-01T00:20:00.001-04:002012-06-01T00:20:08.301-04:00STAIN & a LONG dayWhere to start. Today I had an electrician coming over at 1030 to do some minor stuff around here. D1 has been asking to go to Grammie's house lately so I offered to take her over there this morning. Everyone was excited. D1 was happy to visit, Grammie was happy to see her, I was happy to be with only 1 child, and its nice to have some 1:1 time with D2. I feel like I never have just the little one and she will be a year old in 2 weeks!! <br />
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I rushed back to be here when the electrician got here. I can't say how much I was happy with the service. Apparently everything with this company is a flat fee so I gave him the walkthrough & list, he offered his suggestions and gave me a price which I was very happy with. He finished in a few hours. Only problem was that it was approaching 2pm and D2 was getting tired FAST. If she falls asleep in the car I usually get burnt getting her to nap. So I called Grammie and she offered to keep D1 longer and to have her nap there. Score.<br />
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I got D2 down to nap VERY easily. No fuss whatsoever. I then mowed the yard by the street that is pretty much all weeds at this point. I called a lawn care company today because I am QUITE frustrated with it. I've done what everyone has suggested and still CRAP. UUGGHH. I then went onto tackle the rest of the swing set. It was about 80% done but today was to be all ladder work. I needed to get the top beam and I was set. I was in a major groove and was flying right along. Hubby called from work and I climbed down the ladder and was too slow to catch the call in time. So I tried back and it disconnected. Calls usually drop when he is in the elevator on his exit out of the building so I figured that I would put the phone close so that I could get it when he called. I put it on the very top of the ladder and the next thing I know I heard a "plunk" into the stain. It really took me a second to process what just had happened. I quickly submerged my hand in to de a search and rescue. It was COVERED. WTH. Only me. There was no amount of rice that was fixing this. I wiped and shook and wiped some more. Surprisingly it still worked... I could get online and text. Then I noticed that the volume of was severely muffled. Then I made a phone call and couldn't hear a thing and nor could the other person. UUGGHH.<br />
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I texted Hubby and explained what happened. This is my 2nd iPhone this year. I dropped the 1st one while running a 5 k and it shattered into a million pieces. At that time I purchased Applecare +. Thank goodness. I ran inside and made my Genius appointment. Damn. Earliest was 630pm. I had the neighbor kid coming to babysit D2 shortly and the plan was to go and pick up D1 from Grammies. Change of plans. Now I was going to pick up D2 and head to the Apple store.<br />
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I got on the road (the swing set it now 95% done) and got D1 and was on our way. Appointment was at 630pm and we were just on time. The Apple dude laughed at me as I naturally expected. They quickly did a last minute backup and I had a new phone in hand in about 15 mins and $49 later. The problem was the restore. It took FOREVER. It was now approaching 715pm and we had not eaten.... D1 was getting a bit crazy so I left Apple as I couldn't stand there waiting any longer. We did some quick shopping because I am STRESSED about what we are all going to wear for our family photos on Saturday. I had gotten outfits 2 days ago from Old Navy but just was not happy with the selection but ran out of time. Today I checked out Banana Republic, Gymboree, Crazy 8, and Gap. Found EXACTLY what I was looking for in Gap. Got D2 the PERFECT shirt at Crazy 8 and we were SET. I now have a ton of returns but I don't care.... we have our outfits!<br />
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We stopped at Applebee's for a quick dinner and by this time D1 was punch drunk and hungry. I was at least 20 mins from home so I figured a quick meal would help. She was a NUT. be bopping all over, singing and professing her love to me. Cute but I had a headache. I still had to do 1 last errand and I was willing to forego it but she asked me if we could go to "one more store". Thats my girl! So we ran into Best Buy and I got a LIFEPROOF case. It's waterproof, dust proof, impact proof, snow proof and STAIN PROOF!! LOL. The phone is STILL restoring but as soon as it is done I am installing this case and I will hopefully be set! FINGERS CROSSED.<br />
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At least the swing set looks amazing, right???????<br />
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<br />ShawnPeperahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03375599724711471381noreply@blogger.com0