More Comfort Food

I must confess: we love comfort food in my house. Probably why we are so overweight, but whatever. The other day I made another one of our favorites. Meatloaf, yum!!! I've had this recipe for so long I have no idea where it came from. Its been in my recipe box since at least 1993. So almost 20 years. It has served its purpose on more than one occasion. And over the years I have tried to 'lighten' it up by taking out one of the two pounds of ground beef and replacing it with one pound of ground turkey. It's not the same, but pretty close. I did make the error in judgment of having the meatloaf before heading out to Zumba. Big mistake. It sat like a rock in my belly while jumping around like a crazy person at Zumba. Won't make that mistake again! Anyway, I wanted to share the recipe and also confess that I love my as seen on TV meatloaf pan. So worth the $15 to be able to get the meatloaf out without all the greasy parts and accidentally dumping the entire thing in the sink. Yep done that before!

Meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef or 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground turkey

1 package dry onion soup mix

2 eggs slightly beaten

¾ cup dry breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)

¾ cup water

1/3 cup ketchup

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or large plastic bag. Personally, I use my kitchen aid stand mixer with the dough hook. Place in loaf pan or shape into loaf and place on a 9x12 baking dish. Bake uncovered until done, about 1-1 ½ hours at 350 degrees. I also put some ketchup on top for extra flavor.

Fresh out of the oven, mine looks light because I used half turkey, half beef.

 Easy to get out of the pan because I have the special as seen on TV meatloaf pan.

Happy Cooking!

Wendy

Zip Lining was PRETTY FREAKIN' AWESOME!

I must confess: I might be a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Well maybe not so much. But I am all for trying new things, so for my birthday my cousin Kristine wanted to go zip lining. I was all for it until I fell and sprained my wrist and then found out I have tennis elbow then it was Christmas and well here we are 7 months later, almost to the DAY, and we finally went. It was so much fun! I wasn't nervous at all and we had the best time. We opted for a two hour tour that included tree walks, sky bridges and nature walks. After all that, I was so glad we didn't go for the three hour because we were exhausted! But in a good way. I love breaking out of my comfort zone every now and then and trying something new. And this is definitely something I would do again. And again. And even again. 

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy! 

Getting our zip lining lessons.

Kristine ready to go! 

Kristine and I taking a breather.

Me having a great time and showing off  'look ma, one hand!'

Happy Zipping!

Wendy

Girls Night Out- Redefined

I must confess: I love the new definition of Girls Night Out. Remember when GNO was getting dressed up and meeting your girlfriends out for dinner, drinks, dancing, movies, etc? Well that is still popular, but there's a new definition. Companies are getting in on the action and organizing events at their places of business. Recently I've been to two GNO events. The first one was at a local department store, where they offered a silent auction, an additional 20% discount on your purchases, and raffles for various items. They had an acoustic guitarist who also sang and some little things to nibble on. I went with a friend and it was nice. Really nice, just to be out with a friend for some designated, quality time together. Which these days seems harder and harder to do.

Then, a week later, I went to event number two. It was held at a local plastic surgery center, where they do more than just plastic surgery. This one had sponsors. At the door we received a gift bag. Then we were sent up to the next floor to receive our complimentary Peanut Butter and Jelly Martini's. Which were gross by the way, but free. Then off to the silent auction, see a pattern here? After the silent auction, were were able to wander around and visit various 'booths'. A booth for Dior makeup and perfume, put on by a national department store, and a boutique with handbags & clothes (nothing over a size 10, so nothing for this big girl). There was a DJ and live performance by someone we didn't know, but was a Grammy nominated artist. Then we could watch women get 'injectibles', it is a plastic surgery center after all. We were able to speak with doctors, nurses, patients, etc. They also offered wine tasting, temporary tattoos, food, dessert, and raffles. And all of this was free. We just had to sign up beforehand. I went with my cousin and one of her friends, it was so nice. Again, designated time to spend with friends. And this is what I love about. A preplanned event where all we have to do is show up. No making dinner plans, picking restaurants, bars, movies, etc. It's all done for me! YAY! I will be attending more events like this because it's so easy, not to mention affordable!

So check you local business: department stores, hair salons, plastic surgery centers, esthetician centers for your own Girls Night Out!

Happy GNO y'all!

Wendy

Has Lisa Rinna sunk to a new low?

I must confess: I feel sorry for Lisa Rinna. Well maybe not that much. But seriously, I do, a little. As I was going through the coupons from Sunday's paper I came across this page:

I was floored, as in I couldn't stop looking at it. Like a bad car accident. Lisa Rinna hawking adult diapers? Even though she doesn't use them (according to the TV commercial), I don't believe a person should support a product if they don't use it or believe in it. I know it's very Pollyanna of me to think that way. It really made me sad to think she's been reduced to pushing adult diapers at the tender age of 48. If it were Betty White, I might be able to accept it, she's 90 for crying out loud and still working hard as ever! But 48? I'm almost 44 and hopefully no where near the age of needing adult diapers. Which makes me sad for me for the possibility that by the age of 48 (in four short years) my years of controlling my bladder comes to an end? Times are tough everywhere I guess including Hollywood. What does something like this do to a Hollywood career? I seriously can't imagine it helps. But I guess like so many other Americans around the country, she is doing what she can to make ends meet. So please, someone give Lisa an acting job quick, because I don't think I can buy into this crap that even though she doesn't need them, she's willing to sell them!

I'm off to do my kegel exercises, maybe Lisa should do the same.

Wendy

Duh, Winning!

I must confess: in the last couple of days I feel like I've been 'Winning!' - Let me explain, yesterday I took my 8 y.o. nephew shopping for his moms birthday present.  It's always a challenge taking a kid to a store to shop for someone else, all they are thinking about is what can they get for themselves.  Yesterday wasn't any different, while shopping he found a digital camera on clearance for $6.  I hate saying no to him because he's my sweet nephew, but I knew that the camera wouldn't last and it would be a waste of money. He didn't care, he had to have this stupid cheap camera.  I texted my sister-in-law for some support and advice, not being his parent I think I was looking for permission to just say no.  She informed me that he already had a digital camera and didn't need another one. Yes! ammo to back me up in my fight against the unnecessary $6 camera.  When I reminded him he didn't need it because he had one at home, he argued back that he couldn't find it.  I knew then, he wasn't backing down, but I knew we weren't leaving with it either.  We 'discussed' this back and forth for a good 10 minutes when I finally told him I can't let you buy this one when you have one at home, he finally gave in.  I was SO PROUD of myself!! I had actually WON, yay me!

Then, today, I was sitting on the couch watching TV, when something on the floor caught my eye.  I could NOT believe it, a lizard sticking half of his body out from under the couch!  I was paralyzed with fear! I don't like reptiles. At all! Since moving to the South almost 13 years ago, I've gotten used to them being around the house, but outside!  In my hysterical panic I called my husband, no answer. Damn. I called my best friend Jodi. I was in such a frenzy it took her a few minutes to understand what I was screaming into the phone. She was the epitome of calm (after she stopped laughing) which is exactly what I needed. I was yelling at her, what do I do, what do I do! She said, very matter of factly, Wendy you have to catch him and put him outside.  I was like, you want me to touch it?!?! Are you crazy?!?!  Crap, she's right, I have to get this little guy out of my house, alone.  I put her on speaker and she was there the whole time supporting me, telling me I can do it. I'm completely freaking out.  I went and got a Glad container and some disposable gloves.  I turn over the first piece of the sectional, not there.  I move the second piece and he runs out and starts moving along the wall, I start screaming bloody murder and I can hear Jodi laugh at me.

But I keep going, I start moving the second piece again and he runs out and I get him trapped.

 
I slide the lid under the container, took him outside and let him go.

I won! Again, yay me!

So, yeah, lately I feel like I've been winning. I know it won't last, but for now, it feels pretty good!

Wendy

Madonna- Hot or Not?

I must confess: I used to LOVE Madonna. Now, in my own opinion, she's just ok. In high school, I loved her so much I wanted to be her. Who didn't when she first came on the scene. Supposedly, some where, out there, is a picture of me dressed like her at school. This photo hasn't surfaced yet, but I suspect it will eventually. I keep praying it was Halloween. She was an enigma, so cool and controversial at the same time. But over the years she lost her appeal to me. When we watched her during the Superbowl halftime show, I really felt like she was trying too hard to hang on to her youth. And I didn't think she was pulling it off. Don't get me wrong, she can still sing her ass off and her voice still sounds amazing.

So when I found out she was touring again. I had to get tickets. I couldn't afford them growing up, but now was my chance. I really believe you should see a legend if you can. I missed out on Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. I just want to be able to say, I've been there done that. Even if it's just once! So I got tickets for myself, the hubby and my cousin, who after 20+ years is still in awe of her. I can only imagine she'll put on a good show. Gotta love a good show right?!

Because we bought concert tickets, we also received her new CD MDNA in the mail. Yep an actual CD in a CD case and everything. I can't remember the last time I bought an actual CD. Anyway, I listened to it more than once, trying to find a new favorite song. And honestly, they all sounded the same. Ugh, does this mean I'm getting old? I hope not, I really wanted to love the CD, but just couldn't. Hopefully, her concert, will bring back memories of high school, college and beyond. But I won't find that out for another 221 days. But you can bet your ass, I'll be writing about it in November!

Rock on!

Wendy

Heal Thyself!

I must confess: my husband, Eric, gets a cough EVERY Winter that drives me CrAzY! Every Winter, around November, he gets a nagging cough that lasts clear until Spring when the weather finally gets warm. And for most of those he's coughing all day and all night, which sucks for both of us, because no one is getting any sleep. He's seen countless doctors who have prescribed all kinds of drugs and cough medicines for him but it never lasts for long. So this year, I was determined to find a way to address this problem without us having to sleep in separate rooms, which has been done in the past. :-( First I found a site on line that said that if you rub eucalyptus oil on the coughers feet at night, it would help subside the cough and we could both get some sleep. I was a bit skeptical because, really, the feet? But as desperate as I get, I gotta give it a try. Well I'll be damned, it worked! Now mind you, I didn't find this tip until mid-March when the coughing starts subsiding, but you can bet, the first cough he gets next Winter, the eucalyptus oil is coming back out. It's become a nightly ritual for us, I rub the oil on his feet using a cotton ball and he feels like he's getting a little pampering, because lets face it, no one wants to touch a guys feet.

The next thing I found was a site that said you can make your own shower soothers. You know the kind, you drop it on your shower floor and while you shower it dissolves and releases wonder vapor medicine to help you breath when you have a terrible stuffy nose. Yeah, those, you buy them in the store, they are tiny and expensive. So I figured I'd give it a try and make my own. Really what did I have to lose, considering how expensive they are. Below is the pictures of my progress and a link to the website I found them on.

http://beingfrugalbychoice.blogspot.it/2012/03/homemade-vicks-vapor-shower-disks.html

What you'll need, and water.  I used inexpensive baking soda and cupcake liners.

 Mix with water until it's thick and pasty.  I used a spatula to mix.

I used an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners, but that didn't work so well because it's too thick.  But the spatula worked GREAT!
And this is what they looked like afterward.  I filled them each to different levels so that if we wanted to take a long shower it would last longer and if we wanted a shorter shower, not so much. 

As you can see, my attempt is not as good looking as the ones from the site. But if they work, who cares, they are just going to dissolve and go down the shower drain anyway, right?!?! 

Or can I just say 'Nailed It!'  LOL!!!!

Hope these two tips work for you like they did us! 

Happy Health!

Wendy

Baking Hard Boiled Eggs

I must confess: I love hard boiled eggs. One they have a lot of protein which is good for you. And two, if you only eat the egg whites they are only one point each on Weight Watchers. So I eat a lot of them as snacks. But making them is the biggest pain in the ass! I know, how hard is it really to boil water. It isn't, but when you boil them you can boil them too much and they get that green film on the yolk. So when I found a site that suggested baking them, I was intrigued. I'm all for trying something new and possibly better. So I gave it a shot. I got out my muffin pans and put one egg in space and baked them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. That may have been to much for my oven but others suggest 325 degrees. You really just need to know your oven. Mine usually takes longer, for everything, but next time I'll try 25 minutes at 350. After you take them out of the oven, put them in a big bowl of ice water, use tongs and don't burn your fingers! After a few minutes they will cool and you can peel. I like this way because when they are baking, I can walk away and do something else, instead of watching for the pot to boil over. The yolk, if you eat it, is much creamier, this was confirmed by my cousin, who loves the yolk and was really surprised by how much creamier it was.

Ready to go!

Only one casualty during the baking process, the brown spots are normal. 

Put them in ice water.

Peel and store.  I believe because I baked mine at a higher temperature for a longer period of time is why i have a lot of brown spots.

Happy baking!

Wendy

New Nail Polish color!

As I confessed early, I love nail polish! This time around I did a mani/pedi with China Glaze 'Dress Me Up' from the Hunger Games collection. LOVE!!!!

Wendy

DIY Mirror Makeover

I must confess: the mirrors that builders have been putting in homes for the last 25 years, suck. You know the kind I'm talking about, edgeless, boring and completely glued to the wall so that they cannot be removed without a total remodel of the bathroom. I was getting pretty tired of the ugly builder mirror in the powder room downstairs, when I came across this website and it inspired me:

http://www.thesitsgirls.com/food-lifestyle/diy-bathroom-mirror-a-re-do-for-only-18/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20thesitsgirls%2FdIsr%20%28The%20Secret%20is%20in%20the%20Sauce%29



Now, my powder room isn't any wider than the mirror itself so I used bull-nose to make it pretty on the inside of the mirror. The unfinished edges didn't matter in my powder, but it might in yours. Be mindful of that when picking your tile. Finished edges all around might be the way you have to go. I couldn't find the exact adhesive that was used in the original blog, but I found one similar and used Loctite Interior/Exterior Clear Silicone Waterproof Sealant, the kind you can use for making fish tanks. Figured that would do in a bathroom. Because I used bull-nose my project cost about $35 and I bought extra tile, just in case and I'll be returning what's left over. Below are the before during and after stages. It might not be perfect, but it's great for me and no more ugly mirror!




Before 

During

After

Happy DIY!

Thanks,

Wendy