Tip for the day: Stay clear of the break room!

 'Tis the season for the BREAK ROOM to be overflowing.......

A sideways view (couldn't figure out how to rotate it!!) of what our office kitchen looked like yesterday...all kinds of tempting goodies!!  THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!!!! This picture does not include the several dozen mini sandwiches one of our partners graced us with mid day! Nor does it include the huge box of bagels that Brueggers dropped off for us late in the afternoon.......OMG! 

The BREAK ROOM--- the place where everyone puts the treats they don't want to tempted with at home........

I don't know about the place where you work but my workplace is filled with lots of very generous, sharing people who whip up all kinds of salty and sweet treats or who love to pick up special treats and bring them into the office!   So, there are times when our office kitchen is a literal  smorgasboard of gut-busting temptations......
Although this food-sharing goes on throughout the year, right after Halloween, things ramp up quite a bit.  Take yesterday for example---one of my lovely coworkers entertained all weekend and had some yummy leftover taco dip she wanted to share.   Another coworker wanted to test his culinary skills on everyone by baking up a batch of muffins.  And, another coworker decided to pick up a few bags of sponge chocolates while he was on a little weekend getaway.  And, then there was the employer partner who decided to order several beautiful sandwich trays for their luncheon---only to have MOST OF THEM leftover....which they then put in our office kitchen! And, last but not least--can I mention that Bruegger's loves us so much that they wanted to show us how much by dropping off a huge box of bagels to our office at 3 pm!!!    All of this on the day after another coworker decided we needed a carton of munchkins. 
Now, like I've said a million times before---there's room for all of these things in life.  My Lap band has taught me that.  But, you know....I must make one teensy weensy confession here---with the kinds of days I've been having at work lately, those break room temptations are not doing me any favors.  Yes, I'm human like that.   By the time mid day rolled around yesterday, I was *THIS CLOSE* to taking the taco dip and chips in my office and shoveling it into my mouth with non ladylike abandon.  But, I didn't.  Because people would talk about me.
And, at this point, I don't need to give people one more reason to talk about me......
And, let's face it----the taco dip wouldn't have solved one thing.
Except.....it might have made me sick enough to go home. 
On hindsight.....perhaps I should have taken that taco dip and chips into my office.....yesterday would have been the perfect day to come home and curl up on the couch in a fetal position and feel awfully sorry for myself! 


 In any case......just thought I'd warn you about the break room thing.....

'Tis November!!!!

Yes, I realize we are 5 days into November. 
5 days into the biggest foodie month of the year.......

So far, November has been a whirlwind of visitors and cooking and cleaning and entertaining and running here and there. 
There's been no time to stop....until right now. 
Today is a very special day here in Judiland.
My new college grad.....my smart, creative and wonderful daughter......begins her big girl job.
Full time.  In her field of study.  With benefits.  
Today is the start of her career.
Ah, to be young.
Such an exciting time......for all of us.  
But, especially for my  fashionista girl.....

My Career Girl and I.....celebrating her new job with a bunch of fun girls at Rumfish Beach this past Friday night! 

  Oh, and before I forget....speaking of cooking.....I wanted to share this new-to-me recipe that I whipped up this past Sunday evening during one of my cookathons.  I'm working on a few new menu items for the next round of guests we are entertaining this month.  We had a chance to sample it last night and let me tell you......it's definitely an easy yet elegant meal.....and it tastes scrumptious!  It got rave reviews from my taste testers!  
Romantic Chicken with Artichokes and Mushrooms 
I experimented a bit with the recipe and made the following adjustments (based on the reviews):
-Before sauteeing the chicken, I dredged it in flour seasoned with a little salt, pepper and lemon zest.  It helped to thicken the sauce.  
-I used frozen artichokes from Trader Joes instead of the ones marinated in the can
-I added a heaping tablespoon of  Herbs de Provance when I was sauteing the artichokes and mushrooms.
-I added a splash of heavy cream at the end to give the sauce some richness.
-I served it over linguine (I may switch it up and serve it over Farfalle--bow-tie pasta).  
-I am still working on the type of salad I want to serve.
-I have decided on serving a cheese course with this meal.....this one looks yummy and simple.   
-I served this last night with a simple white table wine--a Verdiccho---that I had on hand.  But, since I think artichokes can be a complicated taste to pair with a wine, I might spend some time researching what wine might work best.  The Verdiccho might end up being what I will go with since it did work well.  Note:  I did not use the Verdiccho in the recipe.  I had a half a bottle of Pinot Grigio sitting in the fridge so I used that.  



Yes, it's November.
Let the cooking begin.....
 

EEEEK!!!!!!! SCAREY NEWS!!!!

BEWARE!!!!! (click here for the scariest news ever)

TRICK OR TREAT!

GOT WINE?

Oh, Candy.......

Candy just isn't my thing.
Unless it's sitting right in front of me.
Then, it's my thing.

As I think I've shared many times, I am not a candy girl.
I don't go out looking for it, I can forgo a piece in the line at the grocery store and if I was asked what my biggest foodie weakness was--candy would not be at the top of my list.  
But, put a bowl of candy in front of me around this time of the year and all of a sudden....I eat it.
So, in an effort to keep my hands out of the candy bowl, I decided to purchase microwave popcorn and bags of chips and crackers to pass out to the little Trick-or-Treaters who stop by the house.
Did I mention that popcorn, chips and crackers are some of the favorite treats?
I just can't win.....
 

And, so it begins.......

Having just come off a full weekend of house guests and entertaining and dealing with the aftermath of it all.....I'm pretty sure I need a mega dose of energy, a live-in house staff, some big time happy pills and 24 more hours in each day in order to deal with what's to come......

Hello Holiday Season.....

Late Friday afternoon,  as I raced home to meet the furnace guy (yeah, we have heat again!) and as I feverishly cobbled together a plan to also pick up my car from the shop by making a few calls to see who could take me to the shop....all the  while  mentally making a list of what I needed to pick up at the grocery store as soon as I got my car,  I found myself in the very unfamiliar place of wanting to run away...and never stop!   With guests coming in a few hours--expecting the first of several meals--it  hit me---it was only the beginning of what was to come the next 8 weeks.  I was feeling very unJudilike.  Instead of feeling my usual rush of excitement, I was feeling overwhelmed and tired.  

So, this is what being 50-some is like?  I whined to myself.  

As I lamented my plight, I tried to figure out what had put me in such an unfamiliar place. 

Although I don't have an exact answer, I have some very sneaky suspicions.

First of all.....I really am tired.

Life is tiring.

Oh, and my hair feels out of control.  

And, every time I grab a pair of panty hose, there's a runner in them or each time I need a sweater, I realize they are in the dry cleaning pile that I made last April and never got around to getting them there and just when I think I did something, I realize--I didn't.....and on and on and on....

So, yeah, I don't feel as organized as I want to be.

And, I am feeling like I might have the onset of dementia....

Trust me, even though my standards are quite low, I look around and realize there's lots to be done!

And, I'm not quite sure when or how it's going to get done.... if ever. 

And, of course, let's not forget that the wallops of life don't stop just because I have company coming.

The car breaks down.  The furnace breaks.  I'm wrestling with spreadsheets and reports all day long at the office and thinking about them all night long at home.    And,  with my husband's grueling schedule rendering him either out of the picture or quite cranky when he is in the picture--everything feels like a FOUR letter word---WORK.   

 It's not the way I like to feel about anything.....

It's reeking havoc with my sunny disposition and optimistic outlook.

I'm thinking a new shade of lip gloss and a new pair of boots might fix me right up.  

 

 

 

When it rains, it pours......

Well, sweeties.....there's a monsoon here......just waiting on the flood!
Let's see....
*I had to have my car towed
*I gave in and decided to turn on the furnace....guess what?  It won't turn on.
*I have house guests arriving tonight.
*I am  entertaining  tomorrow night. 


In the meantime.....might as well have a sense of humor......

Send good vibes, say prayers and if you have extra wine......

send it my way...I am sure I will need it! 

Did I mention that I just got a new set of pretty awesome knives?

It's NOT Winter yet!!!

Why is everyone acting like it is?

It's OCTOBER people.......!!!!

I've got this thing that I hate turning the furnace on.
Call it what you will but I am just stubborn when it comes to batting down the hatches and flipping the switch.
I aim to hold out until November 1.
Usually, I don't win the war.
The moaning and complaining in my house wears me down and I give in.
And, I suppose the fact that I can't give a good rationale for selecting this arbitrary date doesn't give my fight any punch.
But....  
Several weeks ago when the first complaints began, I made a decision to dig my heels in and lay down the law---we are not turning the furnace on until November 1. 
It's not going so well.
Those damn weather people are being so dramatic about this blast of cold air that's coming our way that my whole house is in a panic.  My daughter is quoting the weather people and my husband is accusing me of finally trying to freeze him to death.   "I'm not getting any younger, you know..." he tells me. 
Then, my son announced that it was snowing in his locale--4 hours away.
Now those weather experts I live with are positive that winter is only steps away from our door and they are convinced I have lost my mind.
Granted, the house is a little chilly.
Hell, we aren't even there that much!!!  
My response is to put on a sweater and a pair of socks and soldier on when you're in the house.
I can do it, why can't they?
They are positive I just want to see them suffer.  
It's not called suffering.....it's called adjusting.  
They just can't seem to see that. 
Adjusting just isn't in their vocabulary.
Why is it in mine?
Why can I figure out a way to just make a few tweaks and they can't?
I don't want to brag or anything but I am a master of adjusting without complaint. 
I just do what needs done and get on with things.
In fact, I always find the silver lining of the adjusting.
Case in point---I am enjoying the slight chill in the house.  It's nice to get some use out of my pretty flannel jammies.  And, I just love piling on blankets and falling to sleep under them. 
And for the record...here's another example of my ability to adjust---now that we have three drivers living in the house, we've been figuring out purchasing a new vehicle for me versus getting a used vehicle for our daughter. We haven't had much time to really figure it out nor have we had the time to go out and look at cars. And---not to mention that my husband does not just go out and buy cars---he does massive research.    In the meantime, my daughter and I have been sharing my car.  What this means is that there are some days that I  take the bus to work. One of the perks of my job (that I never really took advantage of)is that we get free bus service.  And, the bus stop is about 50 feet from my driveway--I take it into town, get off of it, cross the street and get on another bus that takes me to the front of my building (closer to my office than where I park!).  After the first time I did this, I came to the realization that not only do I get to work quicker, I am also not nearly as stressed as I am when I sit in awful traffic.  And---I can read on the bus or text or hang out on Facebook or read blogs or even write my blog.  And, I get to go into town on the way home when the stores are open--something I don't do very often!   I have stopped in a few stores before getting on the bus home--sneaking in a little shopping as a stress reliever from a long day instead of sneaking a smoke for relief.  Win, win , win!  As a matter of fact, I am now considering being a permanent bus rider.  Why didn't I think of this sooner???    Stay tuned on that.....

Why can't we just enjoy the beauty of October?
Winter will be here soon enough!  
 

I like to read.
I like to write.
Reading is just something I do.
Writing is just something I do.  
Every so often, I read something that touches me in the moment and changes my perspective on things.......
It is then that I realize why I write......

I want to share this piece of writing with you.
I hope you have a moment to read it. 
Why We Struggle to Find Ourselves and How To Do It
by Jade Doherty

Changeofseasonitis.......

That's the wretched disease that I am afflicted with at the moment....... 

After 6+ years of Lapbanding and 4.5 years of living in my current body, I still feel those aches and pains and feverish moments of terror when confronted with having to fit into a new season's wardrobe....
You know those raging symptoms.....

Will that dress fit me this year?

I am positive I won't fit into those pants!

I need all new clothes in a bigger size, I am sure of it!!!!  
OMG, I won't have anything to wear!
My husband is going to shoot me when I go on a major shopping spree!!!
Will I have any money left over for new shoes and boots????
I will have to call off work because nothing fits me!!
WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?
I HAVE TO LOSE 20 POUNDSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OHMYGOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 It's like a  flu that comes with the change of each season.  I apologize for sharing my malady with you each time I'm struck down by the disease.  At this point, I think I'm more frustrated with myself than anything.  Clearly, old habits die hard.  For so many years, my panic was well deserved....I had every reason to believe that the clothes I wore the year before would not fit. Because they didn't.  It's just the way it always went. I had always gained a few pounds (or more) and went up a size (or more!).  So, of course, my internal clock was very used to the dreaded return of the seasonal wardrobe change over.   Not only was it massively tough on the wallet (to have to go out and buy  5 new pair of black pants....), it was also extremely hard to come to grips with my ever growing body.  Did I really eat that much in those few months?  

Last night, as I found myself in that familiar place of not wanting to go up to my closet and figure out what to wear today, I tried to analyze why I haven't figured out that those clothes will fit me.  They really will!  As evidenced in 2 of the gazillion times during my Lapband life....here and here. 

I found myself astounded at the fact that I haven't caught on...even after I've lived through the same scenario time and time again.  

Anyway....

I won't be calling off work today due to not having anything to wear.  

Even though I could use a day of rest....today won't be it.   

 

I'm just way too pretty for housework......

my looks are best suited to cooking in the kitchen or shopping at the mall or sipping libations at the bar.....

 

Why can't I just have it all???

This morning, I have a major housework hangover.
Although Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest or a day of cooking or a day of shopping or a day of football or a day of movie-watching or getting pedicures or reading magazines or visiting with old aunts, I was forced into manual labor. 
Yes, forced.
You see, next weekend begins the house guest and entertaining season here in Judiland. 
And, it stretches all the way until January 2, 2014. 
If only my house guests could just come and eat  drink and make merry and not have to sleep or poke in every nook and cranny, I'd be just fine.  
But, no.....I've got needy visitors.  
They want to have sheets on their beds and not clothes and assorted junk piled high on them.
And, they want to shower in an empty shower stall--they don't like to share it with buckets and mops and assorted cleaning supplies. 
And, I am pretty sure they would open the closets and cabinets and peek under the beds and the dressers.    
They are awfully nosey too. 
Plus, they expect everything to be spic and span clean in addition to being clutter free.  
When will their demands end???  
Needy, nosey and high maintenance.
That's why I was forced into manual labor.  

I know, I know....you're sitting there thinking that I have someone who comes in every other week to do some cleaning so I should not be complaining. 
But, let me tell you....even having cleaning help causes me work. 
Before she comes, I have to get the house ready for her to come.
Which gives me no time to tackle major projects like controlling the clutter of the shit I throw in the rooms and spaces and closets that I don't have my cleaning helper clean.
So.....yesterday I awoke during the wee hours of the morning and began my chores.
By 10 am, I had to take a break to make wedding soup and French onion soup and a good old fashioned pot roast and braciole.
No, no one was coming to dinner.
I just needed a break.
And, a good excuse to keep me in the kitchen so that I was so busy cooking for my imaginary dinner party that I just could not finish cleaning that awful closet or tackled under the bed or scrub down the shower stall....

By 2 pm, I not only had a huge mess in the kitchen and a problem of where I was going to put all the food that I just cooked but I still had the rest of my work to finish.
The torture did not end until midnight.
And, I am not even done.
But, I have a freezer full of yummy food.  

Yes, I am my own worse enemy.
But, still....I deserve sympathy.
 A housework hangover is worse than a wine and gin hangover combined....
And, to make matters worse, it's effin Monday!
But, dinner is made.  

 

 

Farewell our quacky friend........

The Big Rubber Duck is leaving Pittsburgh today!  He's been a wonderful guest of our Three Rivers! 

My breasts are doing well---how are yours?

Please don't forget.....

ALERT: THERE IS A CHOCOLATE CRISIS!

Just in time for Halloween......the news on chocolate is bitter.....

"Attention in Washington remains focused on the government shutdown.  But a far more important issue confronts America while the president and congressional leaders dither:  rising chocolate prices.  When will the government address this terrifying global crisis?"

Doug Bandow, FORBES Contributor

October 14, 2013

Okay, so here we are, smack-dab up against a major candy holiday and we are  just about to enter  8 weeks of non-stop holidaying and BOOM.....all of a sudden...a major chocolate shortage is in the news!   Well...more precisely--there's a cocoa shortage and it's threatening to drive the price of chocolate up by as much as 70%.   

Yes, you heard that right...SEVENTY effin percent??????

So, what are we to do?  Tell those little Trick-or-Treaters "sorry, cute little kid, the cost of chocolate is up 70% so no candy for you!"?

No chocolate turkeys and Christmas trees this year?

What about hot cocoa by the fire?

What about those chocolate chip cookies we leave for Santa?

A holiday season without chocolate?  

 

So, what the hell is going on here????

Okay, blog friends, I've done a little research on this issue and I've come up with some interesting findings:  

* It appears that part of the chocolate shortage is being blamed on folks eating healthier chocolate.  Thanks to an uptick in demand for dark chocolate as more health-conscious consumers seek out the commodity, chocolate prices are expected to soar! (they are also blaming weather...but doesn't everyone blame the weather for everything?) Ever since word got out that dark chocolate was a healthy treat, there has been a huge surge in people eating dark chocolate.  And, dark chocolate requires more cocoa to produce.  Damn, people must be eating a whole lot of dark chocolate. 

*Although there is the threat of higher chocolate costs, there is no concern that chocolate lovers will cut their chocolate spending.  To quote Pittsburgh's premier candy maker- Bill Sarris of Sarris Candies-- "Candy goes a long way to please a lot of people, so no matter what happens with prices, I think everyone will still be smiling when they eat chocolate."   Why does this not surprise me? 

*Candy makers have dealt with one chocolate crisis or another for years.  The threat of rising chocolate-making prices is nothing new to them.   Of course, their story spinners (marketing folks) go all out to get the word out via the media and make it into a big story!   Then, when they reduce the amount of cocoa they use or cut back on the size of their products so that they don't have to raise their prices--saying that they are committed to making chocolate an affordable treat--no one is complaining.  In fact, consumers are thanking them!  Hear this--your favorite chocolate indulgence is going nowhere...shortage or not!

All of a sudden.....I need a major chocolate fix. 

 

Tic-Toc, Tic-Toc, Tic-Toc......tictictoctoctictictoctoctoctictictictictictictoctoctoc.....

 MY CLOCK.....ON STEROIDS!!!
Take me back to simpler times.....

MEET ME UNDER THE CLOCK!!!!

The iconic Kauffman's Clock......a staple of life in Pittsburgh before there were cell phones and emails and texting and skyping and personal  schedules that resemble government documents

The days and the hours are passing by with lightening speed. 
And, within each one of those days and hours, there's things to do, places to be, people to see.
Times 250....
Yes, I've been missing from Stories from the Road for a few days....living a life that's going 100 miles a minute and filled with more demands and obligations and commitments than I can even begin to explain here. 
The fervor has been so insane that I don't recall when I ate my last real meal.   
Yet, even with all the doing, doing, doing and going, going, going.....I'm still unable to make everyone happy, do everything that needs done and keep up with even the most minimal of my own needs....
Although this time of  the year is typically overwhelming in my work life and busy enough with just the normal business of my personal life, the add-ons that have found their way into my world have  pushed my life over the edge....

I am pretty sure my husband is at the point where he is going to either shoot me or chop off my head.... (at this point, either would be fine....whichever is less messy because I'm not sure who would clean up the mess if I'm unavailable.)

As I rode a bus into the town (which is something I do not do all that often...) yesterday morning in the very, very early morning hours,  I contemplated this whopping insanity that has become my life this past week.  In that rare moment....with nothing to do but gaze at the other passengers and  think about how the hell I was going to get some balance, I spied a piece of Pittsburgh heritage that has come to symbolize friendship and love and happy moments for many generations of Pittsburghers.  Fortunately, I am one of those Pittsburghers of bygone days that the Kaufmann's Clock means so much....special trips to town--with my mother, school shopping in town--with my mother,meeting my dad after work under that clock--with my mother,  meeting my aunts under that clock soon after my mother passed away, meeting girlfriends from other towns under that clock, meeting friends and cousins for movies under that clock, meeting  college roommates during breaks under that clock,  meeting old college friends for happy hour when we all started our careers....under that clock.  
The happy smiles and warm embraces, the lingering moments, the anticipation, the laughter....under that clock. 
A peaceful joy came over me......something I haven't felt in a very long time. 
I felt a peaceful joy engulf me.  I decided I should take the bus more often..... 

Surviving.......

Is the secret  CAFFEINE?  
Because, if you know me.....you know I love the pumped up feeling that caffeine gives me....I'm very into jolts!  Some days, it's the only thing that gets me from *HERE to THERE*.....
 

My CHAI LATTE keeps me going!!!!

If anyone is friends with me on Facebook or looks closely at a lot of the pictures I post on this blog....they may notice that many pictures of me having me holding a cup of my favorite caffeine fix....Starbuck's Chai Latte.
So, by now, I am sure you are convinced that I live on Chai Lattes!  
Yes, I admit, I have a pretty big addiction to this stuff.
I can thank my Lap Band for that addiction.
(just another reason to love my Lap Band!)
You see, in the early years of Lap Banding, Starbuck's used to have something called "an energy shot" that could be added to their drinks.  Manoman, I was in love with that stuff. (if anyone recalls, I nearly lost it when they dropped energy shots from their offerings!).  I was like a junkie who needed a fix when it came to those energy shots!  And, since I was also hyper-mindful of getting enough protein in my diet, I would also include a "protein shot" in my drink--another add-on that has since fallen off their menu.  I looked forward to those Starbuck's visits....they got me through  my cravings and through mourning the loss of diet coke and gin and tonics and pasta and fillintheblank. 
In those early Lap Banding days, I would find ways to "treat" myself.  It's a little trick I've always used to help me get through things.   Call it a coping mechanism....but, whatever it is, my planned treats have helped me in many aspects of life--the bumps and bruises as well as the small things that caused inconvenience or discomfort.  Whether it be a Chai Latte or a spa day or a pair of great shoes or a solid day spent in my kitchen cooking, I would ease the pain and suffering of whatever I had to do (that felt a little bit hard) by promising myself some kind of treat to support me through it or for when it was all said and done.  It always made things a little more bearable....helping me in more ways than I can count....
Chai Lattes are one of those easy treats that I rely on.....
Perhaps it's the caffeine that really helps me get through these certain things....but I'd like to think that it's the fact that I TREAT myself  with my favorite dose of caffeine....to gets me through it.....

The proof? 

An early morning train to NYC after a very late night of wine and song.....the perfect time for a Chai Latte!

Surviving the streets of NYC.....give this girl a Chai Latte!

Still standing after a day at the wineries in Niagara on the Lake.....a Chai Latte will keep me standing!

Hanging out in the early morning hours with my coworkers at the buggy races....a Chai Latte is the only way to go!

Packing up another year at college......Chai Latte to the rescue!

A hot and steamy 4th of July.....bring on the Chai Latte! 

Facing a day of Christmas shopping.....ring in the Chai Latte!

The wine bus is late!  OMG....I am thirsty! Quenching with a Chai Latte!

OMG it's cold!  Warm me up with a Chai Latte!

My son is running a marathon!!  Gotta get my Chai Latte on!

A day of hauling big pumpkins......Chai Lattes are a must! 

A visit to the nursery.....need a Chai to help me decide on which blooms to buy! 

The end of a lovely Mother's Day weekend visiting my son......Chai Latte heals my heart! 

Spending a hot day visiting an old church.....God bless me with a Chai Latte please! 

Be kind to yourself......promise yourself TREATS!
(and, if you haven't tried a Chai Latte.....today might be a good time to treat yourself with one!)
You can THANK ME later.....

Casseroles are okay........

Over the years, casseroles have got a bad name.
The name alone shrieks of 70's dinners that included a week's worth of leftovers smothered in a can of cream of mushroom soup.
Now, I have to be totally honest here...I was not raised on casseroles.
My mother never made casseroles.....she was so totally against them.
As children, we always wanted her to make a casserole.....we wanted to be just like the neighbors, we wanted to be modern and not eat the old fashioned Italian foods she put on the table each night.  We wanted her to make Tuna Noodle casserole on Friday nights instead of her Italian tuna cakes, her polenta , her home made pizza and pasta with aglio oilio.....
(yeah, I know....how nuts were we?)
She declared casseroles off limits in her house.  She would slave all day to make a dinner she felt was suitable for her family.....free of any canned soup (she considered serving anything that came in a can bad mothering....). 
We even wanted Hamburger Helper.....to which she would claim was junk food.....poison!!! 
Again----only bad mothers served their children Hamburger Helper.  
(yeah, no wonder I am a foodie....)
Years later, after my mother passed away and I become chief cook and bottle washer for my dad, my sisters and I, I found how right my dear mother was.....Hamburger Helper was not good.   It made for another night of eating cereal.....which was not very popular.  It was bad enough we missed our mother terribly and ached to taste just one more of her wonderful meals....but there we were...3 motherless girls with their widowed father eating cereal for dinner.  A sad site indeed.

Although I will admit to making a few casseroles in my time and I will come clean that I have used canned soups in those casseroles, I don't talk much about those recipes.....it just feels wrong. 
Once my mother's daughter, always my mother's daughter.  
But, today, I am going to break my casserole silence and share a  casserole recipe with you that I am not ashamed to talk about.
And, I am going to cross my fingers that my mother in heaven is too busy focusing on some of my other misdeeds that she won't even notice!  Fingers crossed. 

As I told you....this past weekend, I had the opportunity to sneak in  some girls weekend fun with some of my gal pals.  One of the events that I had to miss was the Welcome Brunch on Saturday.  With all the banter about how fabulous it was, I know I missed something incredible.  The friend who hosted this weekend at her amazing castle of a home has always been known to be a master of creativity and style.  She always had a certain knack to turn even the most ordinary piece of junk into something beautiful, classic and elegant.  She even made hangovers look good in college by sporting a jaunty red beret....tilted to one side with a fancy broach attached  and wearing a fabulous pair of Jackie O. sunglasses.  While the rest of us just looked like hellrunnethover....
 Her entertaining style---even during her days as a young single, divorced mother of two trying to make ends meet--always exuded elegance and great taste.  She has  always had this seemingly effortless fabulousness.  (All that and a small waist and long legs, you would think I should hate her.....)
So, when I heard that the brunch menu was  built around a chicken casserole...of all things.....I couldn't help but be intrigued.  My classiest friend does not make casseroles.....does she?  
But, when my gals pals could not stop raving over this particular  casserole, I just had to find out what all the hallabaloo was about.
I called the hostess and demanded that she spill the beans on her menu because I just needed to know....
Well, not only did she spill the beans and not only did I find out what the hallabaloo was about.....I got to experience it first hand.
Dinner was waiting for me on my FRONT PORCH when I arrived home late Monday night......
Well, to be more precise....it was enough food for several dinners!
I wish I would have taken a picture of the gorgeous basket display that awaited me....it put a huge smile on my day.  I could feel my body sigh with delight.....
It was a complete remake of the Saturday morning brunch that I missed.....
(with all the links to the recipes included.....does my girlfriend know me or what???)

Aren't my friends the bestest?  

So, I'm paying it forward.....ENJOY!!!


Butterscotch Sticky Buns  (these look and smell amazing.....I put them in my freezer to enjoy over the weekend)
Pumpkin Fritters  (I never heard of these before!  yummy!)
Butternut squash, raisin and pine nut  lasagna    (this stuff was seriously good...even leftover! I have enough food for a few more meals...yippee!)
Chicken Cobbler Casserole  (totally good and yes there's  cream of mushroom soup in it....and wine.....true comfort food! I'm definitely sharing this with my father!)
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Sherry-Walnut Vinegarette  (seriously addicted to the roasted beets now!  who knew???)


 
 



 








 

Does anyone count calories anymore????

 EXACTLY!

Math was never my strong suit.
Sure, I could count with the best of them.
But, give me long addition or subtraction or multiplication tables and I'm not a happy girl
Diets that required counting anything soon lost my interest.
Carbs. Proteins. Calories
YAWN...... 
I just don't think anything should be that hard....or boring.
My Lap band has given me freedom from having to do all of that.
It's taught me reality.  
The reality of what normal portions should be and what a normal day of eating should look like.  
Another reason to love my Lap band.

Postscripts from my girlfriend getaway weekend.......

Well, I was right.
I can't leave Judiland all on it's own.
Remember when I wrote this post?   
I was wrestling with myself about going to  my girls' weekend. 
I had excuses after excuses about why I just could not go. 
But, I told myself that I had to go.....I deserved to go.
So, I made plans to go....I carefully figured everything out and made sure Judiland was able to spin all on it's own.  Everything was in place.  I was packed. 
But, my father had other plans.   
He decided he wanted to go to the hospital at 4 in the morning on Saturday. 
I was leaving for my weekend at 8 am. 
Eh.....nope I wasn't leaving at 8 am.
In fact, leaving was not in the picture. 
Until......
One of my dear friends called me and said......"just try to get away for some of it......the parts that you need most".
Funny, I needed all the parts!!!!
So, with my father's situation not a threat (we think he just wanted to go visit the nurses in the emergency room.....he likes new audiences), I did what I do best......I figured it out. 
It wasn't exactly the weekend I imagined but I was able to take part of in a few of the lovely events.....the massage, the winery, the martini happy hour, and the after happy hour shopping trip (btw...don't shop after 2 martinis with friends who also had 2 martinis...you end up with very expensive leopard pants!) on Saturday and the Chef's Table Luncheon on Sunday.   
 

 Look what I would have missed>>>

So, what do five 50+ year old college friends talk about when they finally leave the trappings of their lives and gather at one's incredibly fabulous home for a gourmet luncheon put on by 2 renowned local chefs?   
Why, BORAX, of course.......

Did you know this stuff can perform miracles? 
(it was the talk of our Chef's Table luncheon....even the chefs chimed in!) 

Who knew?  

So, it wasn't the weekend that I had thought it would be .......I spent more time driving the highways than I did lounging and relaxing.   And, I certainly didn't expect to talk about Borax!
But, it was good.  
Lounging and relaxing is over rated anyhow.  

Fashion ME Fall.......

I love, love, love FASHION! 

(shocking, I know! )

And, I have this horrible addiction to Chico's........

Oh yeah, and I am disgustingly vain.....

And...for the record.....did I ever mention that I adore shoes beyond reason?

Um.....and....did I happen to tell you that I have a whole list of other baubles and lotions and potions that bring me complete joy and utter rapture?  

Yep, these things are all true.  

Okay, now that I'm come clean on a few things, I'm good.  

I can now talk fashion without any guilt whatsoever........

I don't need an excuse to be thinking about clothes.

But, the change of season really kicks my thinking about clothes head  into hyper drive.  

The other night, I had a little time in the hair salon chair--got my Fall hair color going on, got a little trim, had some stacking done in the back.   I followed it up with some facial waxing and a quick stop at the Estee Lauder counter for a new Fall lip shade....

Yes, it was all so rushed but it was definitely a yummy way to spend a work night.  

The next morning (which was yesterday!), as I was getting dressed....all of the sudden....I had nothing to wear.

Yeah, tell that to my family.....

I blame it completely on the deeper hair shade, the tidy little hair trim,  the new lip color and the fact that it was going to be 80 degrees outside.  

Thankfully, I was able to cobble an outfit together (haha!) that worked out just fine but I couldn't help but spend a great of my trip into the office and in between meetings and projects and on the trip home and then deep into the night....thinking about Fall Fashion.  

I think I need a shopping FIX....wouldn't you agree?

(followed by a facial, a massage, a few martinis, a winery visit,  roaring laughter and basking in the joy of friendship.....)

Thank God my girls getaway  weekend with my college friends is here!  

Sometimes, it's just too damn early.........

So, I turn to caffeine and more caffeine to wake up and feed my brain......
This morning, neither are working for me.
I think it's just really too damn early.
I'll try again tomorrow.
This girl is tired.  
 And, my day is long..... 

In other exciting news, I finally got my hair cut and colored.