As I was leaving the parking lot, I spotted this New Mexico license plate in front of me (bad photo because it was taken through the front windshield):
Of course it was on a truck! :-) Must be a big-time hunter. Friday, February 27, 2009
How to announce that you like meat
Went to the Bear's Tooth last night with some girlfriends -- can't beat a $3 movie where you also get to eat yummy food and drink Moose's Tooth beer at the same time!
As I was leaving the parking lot, I spotted this New Mexico license plate in front of me (bad photo because it was taken through the front windshield):
Of course it was on a truck! :-) Must be a big-time hunter.
As I was leaving the parking lot, I spotted this New Mexico license plate in front of me (bad photo because it was taken through the front windshield):
Of course it was on a truck! :-) Must be a big-time hunter. 
Nerd alert
I love candy. All kinds -- I try not to discriminate, although there are definitely some favorites.
Somehow my coworkers have found out that I like Nerds, one of my many candy loves -- how embarrassing, right? A grown woman who gobbles down a food product that is basically crystallized sugar dipped in even more dyed sugar.
Coming into work today, this is the sight that greeted me as I opened the door to my office and sat down to begin another lovely day:
Nerds! Honestly though, I don't need any more. My candy tin is already chock full of the things:
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Fruit crumble
Last year D's mom sent me a bunch of great recipes using rhubarb (which we're now out of -- yay for space in the freezer!) and had suggested mixing in other fruit when baking. So last night when I saw the huge ripe blueberries sitting ever-so-lonely in the fridge (from our first organic box) they got dumped in a big pot along with some frozen strawberries and raspberries from the yard for a quick and easy fruit crumble.
Simmering along with some water, sugar and lemon juice. This is the easiest recipe ever. Seriously.
Flour and sugar mixed with butter for the crumbly topping.
Finished product! Eventually I need to work on making my food look better. Right now I'm concentrating on having everything taste good! As my official taster, D says this dish was delish.
My wonderful family helps feed my Ikea obsession -- received a box from my sister with some items and she even added in some Pocky. It's an Asian treat -- basically a long pretzel cracker dipped in chocolate. So simple in its chocolatey goodness!
Food storage tips from GMA
Good Morning America did a segment yesterday on keeping groceries fresher by storing them properly. Not only does this prevent food from going bad and growing bacteria/etc., you save money by extending the shelf life of perishables.
One of the most interesting things I heard was that milk should be kept in glass bottles with a good lid -- cardboard is the worst for keeping milk cold and sealing out air. Plastic is better, but glass is best.
Apples and pears give off ethylene gas, so they will cause other vegetables to ripen faster. The segment also gave some guidlines on which fruits and vegetables should and should not be refrigerated.
One of the most interesting things I heard was that milk should be kept in glass bottles with a good lid -- cardboard is the worst for keeping milk cold and sealing out air. Plastic is better, but glass is best.
Apples and pears give off ethylene gas, so they will cause other vegetables to ripen faster. The segment also gave some guidlines on which fruits and vegetables should and should not be refrigerated.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
I'm obsessed with gas prices and daylight
Over the last few weeks the gas prices in Anchorage have been dropping slightly. Woot! One of the stations near our house is at $2.33 for regular! At this time last year, gas was at least a dollar more, so I'm not complaining at all. We are quite interested to see where prices will hit as summer approaches since we're driving out of town almost every weekend.
I'm relieved for the current low prices, even though my car is pretty much a gas sipper for an SUV. I cannot tell you how many times over the last two years that I have patted myself on the back for buying the CRV. Good job, self! It's not my dream vehicle by any means, but it gets the job done, has plenty of space and isn't a regular car (just can't bring myself to buy one of those). My last SUV was the Nissan Xterra and I loved the way it looked and drove, but after thousands of dollars in repair bills it was time to kick that bad boy to the curb.
Can you believe that the photo above was taken at about 6 pm?!?! And it's light outside! Granted, the sun was starting to set, but we're gaining at least 5 minutes a day now. That's almost 2 and a half hours more daylight at the end of February than at the end of January. I'm dreaming of those glorious evenings when the sun doesn't set until after 11 pm.
I'm relieved for the current low prices, even though my car is pretty much a gas sipper for an SUV. I cannot tell you how many times over the last two years that I have patted myself on the back for buying the CRV. Good job, self! It's not my dream vehicle by any means, but it gets the job done, has plenty of space and isn't a regular car (just can't bring myself to buy one of those). My last SUV was the Nissan Xterra and I loved the way it looked and drove, but after thousands of dollars in repair bills it was time to kick that bad boy to the curb.
Can you believe that the photo above was taken at about 6 pm?!?! And it's light outside! Granted, the sun was starting to set, but we're gaining at least 5 minutes a day now. That's almost 2 and a half hours more daylight at the end of February than at the end of January. I'm dreaming of those glorious evenings when the sun doesn't set until after 11 pm.
Bobby Jindal is a douche
I know this is political, but what was Gov. Jindal thinking with his recent rebuttal to President Obama's speech on the economy?
"...Something called volcano monitoring?" I understand that he's planning on running for prez in '12 and really wants to raise his profile in a good way, but sounding like an idiot isn't going to achieve that goal. Maybe do a little research before opening your mouth Bobby.
A lot of news sites and bloggers have pointed out that ridiculing money for natural-disaster research is kind of a bad move when you are the governor of a HURRICANE PRONE STATE! Duh. Idiot.
MSN
Alaska Dispatch
Scientific American
"...Something called volcano monitoring?" I understand that he's planning on running for prez in '12 and really wants to raise his profile in a good way, but sounding like an idiot isn't going to achieve that goal. Maybe do a little research before opening your mouth Bobby.
A lot of news sites and bloggers have pointed out that ridiculing money for natural-disaster research is kind of a bad move when you are the governor of a HURRICANE PRONE STATE! Duh. Idiot.
MSN
Alaska Dispatch
Scientific American
Monday, February 23, 2009
A little off
I am not feeling like myself today, or yesterday for that matter. Both mornings I woke up with episodes of vertigo -- which is basically me feeling like the room is spinning around, peppered with some nausea and lack of balance.
It's something I have experienced before but the feeling is quite unpleasant. Sometimes it will happen during the day as well and today I stumbled getting into the elevator. Nothing like looking drunk in front of your coworkers!
If episdoes keep coming by the end of the week, I'll be making an appointment with my doctor. My dad gets vertigo too so it's definitely a genetic thing!
It's something I have experienced before but the feeling is quite unpleasant. Sometimes it will happen during the day as well and today I stumbled getting into the elevator. Nothing like looking drunk in front of your coworkers!
If episdoes keep coming by the end of the week, I'll be making an appointment with my doctor. My dad gets vertigo too so it's definitely a genetic thing!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The view from up here
What an absolutely gorgeous day today. Lots of blue sky and sunshine. AND, it's about 22 degrees ABOVE zero. Nothing to complain about here!
Nice vista from our bedroom window:
Our home is fairly well insulated so there are no icicles hanging down from the roof -- except for this crazy frozen waterfall spilling out from one of the gutters.
Happy Saturday everyone!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Free photo book
This is a great offer from Shutterfly: a free 20-page 8x8 photo book!
It's a $29.99 value, but FREE for you if you enter coupon code PHOTOBOOKS when checking out. Good until March 10, 2009.
I haven't ordered Shutterfly's photo books before, but friends have and the quality is pretty good. Plus you can't beat free, peoples...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Moose alert
A friend and I made plans to have lunch together today, and as I left the parking lot at work it felt as if something was watching me...
The weather has been warm lately, which makes for slushy roads, really dirty snow and gray days.
The weather has been warm lately, which makes for slushy roads, really dirty snow and gray days.
Special delivery
Lots of packages arrived on our doorstep yesterday!
First up is a sample pack of pledge products. A couple years ago I joined a national testing panel and every few months the company sends me a package of items that I try out, tell people about and then write reports detailing my likes and dislikes of the product. It's all word-of-mouth marketing. The great part is that I get to keep all of the items after I'm done. Each package also includes a ton of coupons for the item which I can use or distribute. If anybody wants some coupons, let me know!
The panel has been good to me -- last year I tested and was able to keep a video game system and a Sonicare electronic toothbrush/sanitizing system for free!
First up is a sample pack of pledge products. A couple years ago I joined a national testing panel and every few months the company sends me a package of items that I try out, tell people about and then write reports detailing my likes and dislikes of the product. It's all word-of-mouth marketing. The great part is that I get to keep all of the items after I'm done. Each package also includes a ton of coupons for the item which I can use or distribute. If anybody wants some coupons, let me know!
The panel has been good to me -- last year I tested and was able to keep a video game system and a Sonicare electronic toothbrush/sanitizing system for free!
A lovely package arrived from my parents -- Ikea stuff, my favorite. A mattress cover to protect our new mattress, and a milk frother. Homemade lattes -- woot!
And finally, our first box of Full Circle Farms organic fruits and veggies arrived! It was so convienient to pick it up at work and throw it in my car. We're impressed with the quality. Everything is very fresh and looks amazing. We have two weeks to finish it all before our next box arrives!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Laundry rooms
I know that we are pretty lucky to have a separate space for laundry. In D's other house, the washer and dryer share space next to the fridge. D has been working so hard on remodeling our house and the laundry room is on the list -- yay! Last year I got a new washing machine for Valentine's Day -- it doesn't sound romantic, but I totally appreciated the gift.
The laundry room needs a lot of work (just like the rest of the house) -- the sink should be replaced and we have a capped hole where a toilet will eventually be installed. So for now I'm dreaming and gathering ideas for the new space! I'd love to have a nice countertop over the washer and dryer for clothes folding, sorting, etc -- and a set of cabinets or open shelving with baskets above.
Our room is fairly small and narrow, so we need some effective space planning. Love the baskets.
A bit too industrial for me, but the storage is great.
So bright and cheery! Nice cabinets.
Messy, but I like how the machines are off the floor with a center shelving unit. We don't have pedestals for our front loaders so they are low on the ground.
The laundry room needs a lot of work (just like the rest of the house) -- the sink should be replaced and we have a capped hole where a toilet will eventually be installed. So for now I'm dreaming and gathering ideas for the new space! I'd love to have a nice countertop over the washer and dryer for clothes folding, sorting, etc -- and a set of cabinets or open shelving with baskets above.
Our room is fairly small and narrow, so we need some effective space planning. Love the baskets.
A bit too industrial for me, but the storage is great.
So bright and cheery! Nice cabinets.
Messy, but I like how the machines are off the floor with a center shelving unit. We don't have pedestals for our front loaders so they are low on the ground.
Totally hidden machines! Love it.
I really want these in my laundry room. I do a lot of hang drying for delicates and also to save a little energy. Right now we have a foldable rack and it takes up a lot of space.
Another drying rack option.
Monday, February 16, 2009
At home
Received some news on Saturday that made me sad, so Drift and I headed outside to play and get some fresh air. After we returned inside he got mopey since I wouldn't feed him dinner yet -- he got a little dog biscuit instead.
I totally understand how Drift gains weight when we go out of town and have other people watch him. He pulls the "I'm soooo hungries -- can't you see I'm wasting away" face. Who can resist that?
This bottle of muscat desert wine has been sitting neglected among the other wine bottles for a very long time -- I finally decided to open it and check it out. A few months ago I volunteered at a wine tasting/charity event and had the opportunity to try a variety of amazing wine selections. A muscat (although they called it muscato) was among them and I loved it! A lot sweeter than regular wine.
Sam's Club sells these little plastic pods of edamame -- it doesn't seem like very much, but I finished the whole container and was super full. Good quality. I'll be buying more.
I totally understand how Drift gains weight when we go out of town and have other people watch him. He pulls the "I'm soooo hungries -- can't you see I'm wasting away" face. Who can resist that?
The last few days have been uncommonly warm - high 30's and almost 40's. Felt downright balmy outside with just a sweatshirt on.
This bottle of muscat desert wine has been sitting neglected among the other wine bottles for a very long time -- I finally decided to open it and check it out. A few months ago I volunteered at a wine tasting/charity event and had the opportunity to try a variety of amazing wine selections. A muscat (although they called it muscato) was among them and I loved it! A lot sweeter than regular wine.
Sam's Club sells these little plastic pods of edamame -- it doesn't seem like very much, but I finished the whole container and was super full. Good quality. I'll be buying more.
Coconut macaroons
With D away this past weekend, I kept busy with home stuff, namely cleaning, laundry and cooking. I made a huge double batch of tomato basil soup and picked up fresh french bread -- so yummy. And it was also time to tackle the coconut macaroons that I posted about here.
Cooling down before the dipping stage
My swanky vintage Sunbeam mixer -- originally owned by my mom. I've been tempted by those brightly-colored KitchenAids, but this one works so well that I have no excuse to get rid of it!
Apparently I need more practice with egg white separation
Success on the second try
I heart my blog readers
Ready for the heat!
Cooling down before the dipping stage
The finished product didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the Domino magazine examples, but they taste fabulous!
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