The weekend before last, I had the fabulous opportunity to head down to LA for a weekend getaway with some fantastic ladies. Each one represents a period of my life and I was so thrilled I got to share my time away from home with each one of them.

Starting on the left, we have miss caroline. I have known her since I was 6 years old. She is my oldest and dearest friend. She took me in, the new girl in school, and never let me go. We’ve shared school days, college years, (oh my, was that a drunken haze. cards anyone?) the real world together (and maybe dated a few of the same guys? we were like 12. or 17.) It’s been an amazing journey, along with its embarrassing moments, but I’d rather have no one else to gab with along the way.

In the middle, we have miss sarah. Sarah and I grew up in Oklahoma together as well, but we went to different schools. We did cross paths in Sunday school. We were confirmed together. (Go Episcopalians!) Her uncle was our teacher and used to bring us muffins and donuts. I do recall us being at the same party in high school and she told me she liked my boots. And, with that, or somewhere in there, we began our friendship. And I am sure this is due to living in a small town, but we also dated a couple of the same guys. (It just happens, ok?) She’s a keeper, for sure.

Next to me, is miss marci. (aka lvgurl) Marci and I met over 10 years ago when I moved out to CA. She must of been the first girlfriend I met here. (And, no, we did not date any of the same dudes.) Her boyfriend/husband was best friends with hubs in high school. And with that connection, we’ve never looked back. Halfway through our time in CA together, she and her hubs moved out to Vegas. It was a sad day when they moved away, but she made my bachelorette party (and FIRST time to Vegas EVER) weekend, one I will NEVER forget. See?

I’m the one in the middle with a TIARA on. I was asked in the ladies room if I had just won a pageant. Awesome.

And I even got my very own lap dance with TWO dudes in fluorescent banana hammocks. Can’t you just feel the grease on your hands? Wait, where was I? I got distracted for some reason. (I know, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT. memories. la la la lllall lala)

Point is, these girls, these AMAZING girls have been there for me, MY WHOLE LIFE. And to that, I can never thank them enough. Here’s to many more getaways celebrating true friendship.

Oh, and if your ever in the LA area and need a place to stay, I would suggest the Standard hotel. There, you can have an A/C unit that says something like this:

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Until I can get to my printer and upload photos from my fab LA weekend with lvgurl, whoorl and miss caroline, I will share with you my disturbing dream and photo that happen to go hand in hand.

First up, the photo.

At first glance, here’s a darling photo of Rt getting into the box action along with his brother for his own photo op. After uploading it, and showing it to hubs last night, I noticed it looked like he was smoking a ciggie with his left hand. Totally random, but funny none-the-less.

Moving on.

Then, I dreamed Betty White and some other people I “knew” were visiting someplace after getting off a bus. She kept asking for water, and it took me forever to find the right cup and a water supply that didn’t have things floating in the liquid. (Hello, random.) Later, we were sitting at a table outside at some restaurant. Betty was at our table and I guess had been smoking. I, of course, was gabbing with someone random at my table and wasn’t paying much attention. After Betty got up from the table, I turned to Rt and noticed he had ciggie breath. At FOUR years old. I was clearly horrified.

Then, I woke up.

Whenever I have the chance to sleep in, like this morning, I have these kind of dreams. The most random and clearly loopy ones that really get you when you’ve been sleeping for only an hour or so. No rest over here, just mind tricks galore!

How I came up with this dream seems pretty easy to detect. Looking at the photo above last night and viewing some video a gal friend of mine placed on FB the other day. Betty White, along with Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds (love him) were spoofing their new movie, The Proposal.

You really don’t want to know about the dream I had the night after the American Idol finale. Let’s just say Kris and I were an item, but in a high school, “he just grazed my boob, tee hee” kind of way. CREEPY.

And just to even things out, here’s Hola playing in the same box.

He had been standing in the box, after crawling in himself, then decided to fall out, cause that’s a safe bet. Luckily, he landed on all twos.

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This is my FAVORITE meal these days. I CRAVE it more than life itself. If you are ever in the mood for burgers, you have GOT to make it this way. So easy, so fantabulous. My great friend, Allie, made this for our family one night while over at their house. She’s a great cook. Quite creative.

Ever since we had them at her pad, we make them every time the thought of burgers enters our minds.

So, this photo is actually of my leftovers. If you look closely, there is a half of a burger, then the rest of Rt’s that he didn’t eat the night before. (clever, huh?) Hubs had gone out of town, and I really wanted another burger night, so I did what I could. And, of course, there are the roasted tomatoes and asparagus again. Can’t get off that kick either. Perfect meal for many, or for ONE!

Here goes. (Quantities will vary depending on how many burgers you want to make.)

Gorgonzola Burgers

1 large onion (2-3 tbs. of butter, 1 tbs. of sugar)
1 lb. ground beef (makes around 3-4 burgers)
1 tub of Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1 package of sourdough English muffins

Chop onion into rings and saute on low in 2-3 tbs. of butter until tender.

Mix ground beef and whatever other items you through into your burgers. (We use onion soup mix, Worcestershire Sauce, and crushed red peppers.) Then plop them on the grill or grill pan and cook to your liking.

Toast muffins.

Right before onions are tender, add 1-2 tbs of sugar to caramelized for 3-4 minutes.

*****

Take your muffin, add the burger patty, top with cheese crumbles. Then add the sauteed onion rings followed by the muffin top. And EAT!

Then, go all out and eat another burger because they’re JUST THAT DAMN GOOD.

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As I was checking out of Trader Joe’s yesterday, I told the cashier lady it always seemed most of my purchases were for the kids. Luckily, for them, there are lots of options for healthy eating and snacking. Here’s my top ten organic must haves.

1) Bag of Sweet Potatoes

I peel, chop, steam and freeze these guys in small pieces, so when it comes time for dinner, I have another vegetable option that’s one defrost button away from their plate.

2) Fresh Fruit: Pears, Peaches Strawberries, Bananas, to name a few.

I have always been satisfied with their organic selection and it’s only growing! Sometimes one of my peaches might be bruised a bit, but I start with that guy first…

3) Frozen blueberries

13 mo old eats these straight from the bag. It may get messy, but the look on his face is priceless! Best price in town, too.

4) Ketchup

Have you looked at the label on regular ketchup? HFCS, who knew? Glad we can use this when turkey meatballs are on the menu.

5) Bag of frozen corn, green beans, peas and carrots medley

It’s hard to find frozen green beans that the boys will eat. With this medley, they are getting the best of all worlds. (13 mo old doesn’t eat the corn yet, skin too hard to digest yet, they say.)

6) Can of Black beans

Best dish for the kids when I need a side of protein. AND, we use the rest in our tacos and taco salads.

7) Peanut Butter and Jelly Spreads

I’ve mentioned these before, but they are a staple in our 4 yr old’s diet. And, the peanut butter tastes perfect with a side of apple.

8 ) Mac and Cheese Single Servings (pasta is organic)

I even eat these when there are no leftovers or burritos in the house for lunch. They are great for the kids to share at dinner.

9) Joe’s O’s (Picture Spaghetti’o’s without the junk)

Haven’t busted open this can yet, but I could place a bet they are just as tasty as the original.

10) Polenta tube

Another great side dish for us, or the kids. I have never made polenta until I found it at Trader Joe’s. Who knew cutting off a few pieces and baking in olive oil could be that tasty. Especially with a tomato-based sauce.

Anything else to add to this list?

Happy Shopping!

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My boys gave me my second charm necklace to complete my set.

It’s hard to make ground beef look purdy, but the taste of this dish is amazing. My grandmother, Nonna, was a wonderful cook. One of my favorite recipes of hers is her Tamale Pie. There are plenty of varieties out there, but this one is by far, the one and only one you should ever make.

I have made this meal, along with my caramel brownies, for all of the new moms in my town every time they have a baby. It’s a major hit. While making their meals, I double the recipe and enjoy some pie for myself! This week, I have had this for dinner, lunch, then dinner again. And I so wish there was some left!

(My photo of the finished pie, with the corn meal topping, came out looking like a yummy yellow layer and nothing else. But, if you can imagine the photo above, in a casserole dish, covered with a layer of corn meal heaven, then you’ve got your delicious end result.)

ingredients:

2 tbls of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup of celery, chopped
1 lb of ground beef
1-2 teas. of salt
1 teas. of chili powder
1 teas. of cayenne pepper
1 regular can of tomatoes, diced
1 regular can of whole kernel corn
1 small can of black olives, sliced
grated cheese for top of casserole
(i use sharp)
1 cup of Cornmeal

8 x 10 greased casserole dish
350 degrees for 45-1hr

Saute onion, garlic, celery in olive oil
remove from pan

cook ground beef slowly (drain)

add onion, garlic, and celery

add seasonings
-salt
-chili powder
-cayenne pepper

add tomatoes (drain)
add corn (drain)
add olives (drain)

simmer 15 minutes on low

Boil 2 1/2 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Mix 1 cup of cornmeal with 1 cup of cold water, stir thoroughly
Once water is boiling, add cornmeal mixture to pot.
Stir on lower temp for around 10 minutes to thicken meal and get
out all lumps. (this part can be tricky.)

Add beef mixture to 8 x 10
Spread cornmeal mixture over top
add enough cheese as desired. (I add my cheese about 10 minutes before I take it out of the oven.)

enjoy!!!

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My good friend, Amy, had her FOURTH baby (and third girl), Lauren, Saturday, May 2nd at 12:43 a.m.  She weighed a mere 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. (She weighed the smallest out of the 4 kids. Her brother, the second child, weighed ELEVEN lbs at birth.) Oh, and my lovely friend had all of her babies naturally. Utterly Amazing.

(that is a cardboard tube from wrapping paper he is wrangling with his legs. It was “sit still entertainment” gone a tad awry.)

12 1/2 months

3 weeks

First, let me say, the photo below does not do this meal justice. I have been on my own while hubs brings out his inner tri-athlete, so any dinner plans I have are usual short and sweet once I lasso the kids to bed. And since I have been slacking in posting, especially for my Feed Me Friday editions, I needed to get something up, quickly! The end result is super fab. The pic does lack color variety. Guess that’s what happens when you only have certain items in your fridge to work with. And most of them were of the red variety….

My girlfriend, who is two days past due with her FOURTH baby, is the originator of this recipe. It is based on a rather popular vegetable Cous Cous dish, but I like they way she does it. And for last night’s meal, I added my own spin on it as well. Here’s her way about it…

Vegetable Cous Cous

1 cup of whole wheat cous cous
red onion
cucumber
baby tomatoes
red/orange/yellow or green peppers
feta cheese (any kind) (sprinkle on top based on how much you like!)

(The amount of the vegetables above is based on how much you want per serving. I use half a cup or so of each veggie)

Cook cous cous per box instructions. Set aside.

Dice each vegetable and add to cous cous.

Once combined, add feta cheese. VOILA! Now, eat.

******

Easy enough, right?

Well, last night, I was craving roasted cherry tomatoes. (I roasted asparagus the night before and added tomatoes for kicks) So, I diced all my vegetables (INCLUDING GARLIC) and added them to some olive oil on the skillet and sauteed away!

I didn’t have any red onions, so I used yellow onion for the needed onion flavor. I only had a red pepper, so I went with that and kept the cherry tomatoes whole while sauteing. I didn’t have any cucumbers, which I did miss. I think the crunch is necessary. (clearly, I wouldn’t saute the cucumbers. I would just add them after I combined the cous cous with the rest of the veggies.) Plus, keeping the tomatoes whole, added a fabulous burst of flavor when broken in each bite.

Due to the heat of the cooked veggies, my feta that I added at the end melted into my dish. YUM!

AND, since it was only me last night, I have leftovers for either lunch or dinner tonight. SAWHEET!

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