Monday, January 26, 2009

Semi-Sabbatical

I got in-laws in town. Don't worry they're cool. I just wanna say my computer time may be limited this week and I am dying to share with you my thoughts on President Obama. As I am sure you are dying to know (just kidding). I also have roughly 55 people coming over for Super Bowl and my FIL's 60th birthday to deal with. I will get back to you all as soon as I can.

When I don't write for awhile my brain becomes a cable news show. You know how they have that running commentary of news items on the bottom of the screen? That is what my brain becomes until I get it out of my system by putting it in writing. Sometimes I just have to stop and write a quick outline on a piece of paper and then throw it away just to purge my brain of that line of words constantly moving across my frontal lobes. Does this happen to anyone else?

Monday, January 19, 2009

Weekly < 30 minute Recipe #2

I have lost 2.5 pounds in the last 2 weeks, so eating healthy so far is worth it. Even though I do miss the See's candy from December............sigh.

Mexican Pork Chops
Thin cut pork chops
2 tsps. chili powder
salt to taste
15 oz. can of black beans rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onion
2Tbs. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lime.
Rub the pork chops with chili powder, 1/2 to 1 tsp. each side and salt to taste. Brown chops in non-stick skillet, rinse beans in colander with warm water so the skins don't split, set aside. Chop onions and cilantro. Toss everything but chops in a bowl. Put 1/2 cup serving on plate and top with pork chop or serve beans on side. Resist the cheese and chips. Serve with a Corona lite and a lime wedge.
1/2 cup serving black bean salad and one thin pork chop and a lite beer is a total of 9 Weight Watcher's Points.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Bush's Exit Interview

I watched the speech tonight because I am a nerd like that. It was background noise as I made dinner for my savages but there were a few lines that caught my attention. Bush actually declared that the hard decisions that he made came from his conscience, from his morals. And that he would hope that Americans at least would appreciate that he had made hard decisions, somebody had to do it right?


Wow, really? So if I make the hard decision to dump my kids' diaper pails on my neighbors' lawn, should I expect them to appreciate me? I mean that is a hard decision, but damn't I went ahead and dumped a week's worth of pee pee and poopy diapers on my neighbors' lawn, they should appreciate that because it came from my conscience.


Bush also made a comment about how we should not turn inward ( I am paraphrasing), that turning inward would result in isolationism and protectionism. And that we should pursue liberty abroad. So to me that means going to any other country and colonizing, conquering, putting the mother fucking smack down, is completely ok in the name of liberty. Another hard sell as far as I am concerned. I mean Liberty is a wonderful word, right up there with Freedom, Love, etc. But when you go and blow up your neighbors in the name of liberty it doesn't sound as pretty.

Ugh, I have now lost interest in this post, even though I started it. I am just done with him. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Sayanora, Adieu, Adios, Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out, seriously, FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Weekly < 30 Minutes Recipe #1

I need to look smoking hot for my 20 year high school reunion, or at least luke warm. So I need to lose weight. So I need to eat healthy. Fuck Rachel Ray, I need recipes that are less than 30 minutes. Erik and I eat usually eat after the kids are in bed, so I need something that I can make in less than 30 minutes because I am just too damn tired to remain standing any longer than that.



I was half-heartedly following this woman's blog where she made 365 crockpot recipes. One for every day of the year. That is super cool. I am not that organized. How about I promise at least one less than 30 minute recipe a week?






This first one I made the other night and it was super tasty! Bacon-Cheese-Turkey-Burger with Special Sauce. I figured out the Weight Watcher's points for it as well, if you are into that kind of thing.



Bacon-Cheese-Turkey Burger with Special Sauce


Sauce:

1 Tbs. Mayonaisse
1 Tbs. Fat free Sour Cream
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 tsp. sweet pickle relish
Dash of Tabasco
Dash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Stir all together and throw in fridge, until you need it.
Burgers:
1.25 lb. package Lean ground turkey meat
1 Tbs. bacon bits (real bacon I used Hormel brand found in salad dressing aisle)
1/4 cup Garlic-Herb bread crumbs
1 tsp. onion soup mix (optional)
1 egg beaten
As much chopped lettuce as you desire.
1 Tbsp of gratted cheddar or cheddar colby mix cheese per person
Make the sauce and toss in fridge. Beat egg in large bowl, add ground turkey meat, add bread crumbs, onion soup mix (or salt and pepper), and bacon bits. Take off rings and mix with your hands and form into 4 patties.
Toss onto a hot frying pan, brown both sides, maybe 2 minutes each side or more. Reduce heat and cook, covered if you want, until center is no longer pink. I am bad at times because I cook from my brain, sorry.
So if you serve this on lettuce with 2 Tbs. special sauce spooned on top and cheese sprinkled on top, you are looking at 5.5 pt.s This is for one patty and 2 hefty Tbs. of Special Sauce. I ate a patty on my fave sliced sourdough bread which is 6 points per slice! That's a lot! That means I was looking at 11.5 points per serving! So I would reccomend serving this over a bed of lettuce.
My husband loved it and ate 2 patties and 2 slices of bread earning him 23 points!!! That is more than I am allowed to eat on Weight Watchers for the whole day, asshole.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

White Trash

I just want everyone to know that my husband thinks the new pic on my header is very white trash. It happens to be a picture of our backyard. It was really cold that day and I wanted a fire. The cooler is left over from a New Year's Day Brunch that we had. If there are still cold drinks and ice in a cooler I just can't bring myself to empty it. Once it is all melted then I will deal with it. I like to go out there and grab a drink from the cooler because it makes me feel like I am camping. My husband gripes a little but when I head out there he always asks me to grab him a beverage.

The fire really annoyed him because I wanted to burn used paper plates and newspaper. It wasn't a "Spare the air day" so I didn't see why not. Erik pointed out that adults don't do that. Really? I pointed out that when I was on my grandfather's farm in Michigan after everyone opened their Christmas presents we burned all the wrapping paper in a huge steel barrel outside in the apple orchard. And those were adults setting the fire, not kids. Erik rightfully pointed out that we weren't on a farm. I childishly said I don't give a shit and proceeded to burn stuff. He got over it. Erik is a very good and tolerant husband. I love him a lot.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year!!! I am sooo looking forward to 2009. Much love and peace to everyone. Here are the highlights of 2008:

Janurary 2008

-Charlotte called the director of Mike's preschool a dominatrix in her blog and then had to go back and delete it because some nosy mom read it.

-Charlotte had her first mentstrual cycle in 3 years because she was finally not pregnant or nursing for the first time in 3 years. This happened the morning Erik and Charlotte were to fly to Vegas. This was supposed to be the first time Charlotte had been to Vegas in 3 years when she wasn't pregnant or nursing.

-Our beloved nanny Katie informed Charlotte she was moving back home to Washington. Noooooooo!

Februrary 2008

-All 3 kids got pink-eye so Charlotte took them to the beach.

-New nanny quit after one day, breaking the old record of a day and a half. At least she didn't just walk out like that other one did after Mike hit her in the head with a dump truck.

-Charlotte found another nanny, a keeper, Sarah.

March 2008

-Charlotte beat her Dad at Scrabble by 400 points.

-Charlotte pulled Mike out of his preschool before they kicked him out. Mike assaulted teachers, students, used bad language and ran with 3 pairs of scissors in his hand.

-Jake turned 1 year old! Giving Erik and Charlotte a 1 year old, a 2 year old and a 3 year old!

April 2008

-Charlotte had a root canal.

-Michael outgrew his kidney reflux that had been diagnosed when he was 20 weeks in utero. Erik and Charlotte were greatly relieved!

-Erik and Charlotte spent a weekend all by themselves in San Francisco. They did nothing but eat and sleep.

-Michael started his third preschool and finally found a place that could handle him!

-Erik had pneumonia.

May 2008

-Charlotte ripped almost her whole pinkie nail off while trying to wrestle Bekah into her carseat.

-Erik and Charlotte took all 3 kids to an open house in a 2.5 million dollar home that had just been remodeled. Erik and Charlotte strongly advise other parents to never do this.

-The whole family went to Auntie Kristin's 40th birthday party and had a great time.

June 2008

-George Carlin died

-Erik and Charlotte had a date day in Livermore for father's day. They had lunch and went wine-tasting.

-Charlotte dressed up all 3 monkeys in Giants baseball outfits and took them to Grandpa Rankin's baseball game for Father's day. Grandpa Rankin's team is named The Giants. Mike, Bekah and Jake are the unofficial mascots.

July 2008

-Jake gets a double ear infection and Roseola.

-Mike is the star of the end of year preschool show.

-A friend of a neighbor gets into a physical fight on 4th of July night and Charlotte has to call 911.

-Estelle visits.

-Merrill and Chris sell their house.

-Mike and Bekah go to Jewish Day Camp together.

-The whole family goes camping with Grandpa Rankin and Grandma Cherie.

August 2008

-Charlotte spends the whole month obsessively watching politics on t.v.

-Mike starts Pre-K

-Bekah starts preschool and doesnt' shed a single tear.

September 2008

-Sarah Palin

-Charlotte's brother Bill came to visit.

-Charlotte's brother Bill gets deployed to Iraq.

-Charlotte loses 26 lbs. in 9 months.

-Bekah feels her first earthquake and the boys don't even notice.

October 2008

-Rutting season starts in San Ramon and there are a ton of wild deer running behind Erik and Charlotte's house. Chris Grimmer wants to hunt them with a cross-bow.

-Charlotte takes all 3 kids to temple by herself for the High Holy Day services and survives.

-Charlotte's best friends of 30 years visit with their children.

-A semi-truck hauling 2 trailers of dirt, loses one of it's trailers and dumps dirt all over a sidewalk on Erik and Charlotte's street.

-The whole family visits numerous pumpkin patches and Mike pees on one of the pumpkins.

-Erik's sister Merrill and her husband Chris move into their new home in San Ramon, yipee!

-Charlotte quits mom's club before she gets kicked out.

November 2008

-Obama

-Erik and Charlotte go to Erik's 20th high school year reunion.

-Charlotte's friends start a new mom's club and let her join.

-Thanksgiving.

-Charlotte's dad beats her at Scrabble.

December 2008

-Bekah turns 3 years old.

-Bekah gets her first haircut in a salon and tries to scratch the hairstylist.

-Bekah gets potty-trained.

-Erik and Charlotte go to a Raiders game in the rain.

-Hanukkah/Xmas

-Happy New Year.

Peace.

Charlotte

For more details please visit the below blog:


http://yousuredohaveyourhandsfull.blogspot.com/