Cookin' Mama

I've been trying to channel my inner Martha lately.
My foray into crocheting has failed miserably- I really think I can't use my fingers like a normal person.
To make up for this domestic deficiency I've been trying new things in the kitchen.
I have been skimming magazines like Ladies Home Journal, Women's Health, etc. for yummy and relatively healthy recipes. This week was my busiest week of cooking thus far... with 6 or 7 new recipes! So, since I know you all are so very interested I've made a list and graded myself for each effort and how the dish turned out.

Chicken Flautas and Spanish Rice- (A+)This one was very easy and turned out great. I lifted the flautas recipe from Women's Health and the rice was bag but still I wouldn't say I totally cheated on this one because I chopped fresh red onion for the flautas, then rolled them with chicken and cheese.

Turkey Wrap- (D) This one was an after school lunch for me and it didn't turn out as yummy as it seemed in the picture. I think it was because the recipe calls for honey mustard and I didn't have it so I used dijon. Oops. Plus it said use 2 laughing cow wedges on one tortilla and that was just too much damn cheese. I don't think I'll repeat this one.

Onion Burgers and Fries- (A+) This one was amazing! Lipton onion soup mix, water, and meat and viola! Fries were frozen but I get full credit for patting out my own burgers. Besides this is 2010 and you aren't going to catch me over a damn potato machine shooting out fries.

Ham & Cheese Calzones and Leftover Fries- (C-) This recipe came from my pampered chef connection and the failure was all my fault. I love onions and I think I over estimated how much I love them cuz this damn thing was basically an onion in a pizza crust. Another problem was my easy bake oven. The top of the crust was cooked but not as wonderfully golden as the bottom and sides. I've heard that means your oven is off-temp or something like that and you can correct it by covering the fast cooking parts with foil....or is it the non-fast cooking parts? Hell, I don't know- I'm not that advanced. Not sure if this one will be attempted again.

Zesty Ravioli Skillet and Bread Sticks- (A++) This one was freaking amazing. This was one that my pampered chef connection actually cooked for me and it was so good then and I actually managed to recreate it! Woohoo! It is a very nice tomato sauce without being spaghetti saucy. Three cheese ravioli, spinach, diced tomatoes. Extra points on this one because I used heavy whipping cream for the first time ever AND managed to get Dwayne to eat some spinach with the promise of sex. I am happy to report that we both got what we wanted.

French's Onion Chicken, Oven-Roasted Vegetables, and Onion-Roasted Potatoes-
Chicken Grade (A), Veggie Grade (B-), Potato Grade (C)= Overall (B-)
I hate that damn French's Onion commercial where the lady bribes her kids to the table by saying "it's french's onion chicken" and I was like whateva lady- they aren't going to eat that! Well, I am going to type my apology letter to French's as soon as I am done posting this. That chicken was freakin good! Very easy...crush the french's onions, egg, flour if you like, bathe the chicken and 20 min- done! The Veggie's came out a little too "limp" for me... I like crispy veggies. I think I over estimated the abundance of veggies I chopped ( zucchini, squash, onions,green pepper, mushrooms) and added a lil bit too much oil. The potatoes turned out to be a pain in the ass- the recipe didn't tell me to spray the pan and I thought the oil on them would be enough- wrong! Talk about sticking. The bad score on the potatoes is leveled out by the fact that I bought squash and zucchini for the first time ever.

Most of the problems are my fault cuz I suck. But all in all I'd say it has been a pretty successful cooking experience. One thing that makes it even better is that I actually used all the items I bought- not one thing went to waste. I used the small left over amounts of mushroom and spinach in an omelet this morning. Yum. Now I just have to find some recipes I'd like to tackle for this coming week.

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In other news-

1. I got a tattoo!! My stars are awesome. I will have to post a more recent pic after I study- which I am supposed to be doing right now.

2. Is it bad to keep secrets? Even for just a weekend? Our tax money came in Friday and I haven't said anything to Dwayne about it. I'm just letting it sit there quietly for the weekend. I feel like I'd like my account to rest for just a little bit. Is that bad?

3. The following is an example of the people I go to school with. (And this concerns me because I'm worried about the "value" of my degree....)
In my speech class we are currently evaluating great speeches to pick out main ideas, supporting details, transitions, etc, etc.
Friday's assignment was the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. We were supposed to read it individually and then get in groups of 4 and discuss. I outlined the speech as I read because I rock and noticed quite unhappily that no one else in my group had written down anything. NOT ONE OTHER PERSON. Omg. So, here is what happens from this point on- all of which I will testify before God that this is true-

Me: Does anyone have any other ideas, other than the ones I wrote, about what the main points of the speech are?

DumbGirl#1: Well, he mentions a check and it being returned insufficient funds, and about the "bank of justice" being empty- so the banking system must be a big issue to him.

*crickets*

Me: Um, well actually, the "check" is a metaphor. It isn't real. He is speaking about a promise of racial equality.

*DumbGirl#1 Blank Stare*

DumbGirl#1: Oh, ok.

DumbGirl#2: Amanda, can you be the one to write this? I mean, my vocabulary is really small.

*crickets*

Me: Um, ok. I guess I will just figure this out on my own.......

DumbCountryBoy: Sounds good to me!


4. We have been watching the Olympics like non-stop. Love them. If you aren't watching the Olympics, especially Ice Skating, then you are a terrible American. Seriously.


Well, I think that is all for now......

Argh!

Yesterday after I posted my last blog I decided to look at tattoo ideas.

I've really, really, really wanted another tattoo recently and I think it goes well with my theme of doing whateva I want for 2010.

I did find a pic of a tattoo I'd really love to get (posted at top) and am going to price it Friday night. The Absolute Ink by MTSU shop minimum is only $40.00- yay! I can go beg my momma for $40.00- whateva- I do what I want!

So, anyway- right after I found that pic......disaster strikes!

My computer goes into massive meltdown and I can tell it isn't good.

So, I pull out my trusty laptop and do some research and discover that I had apparently stumbled upon a virus/worm. Something called bankerfox.a and win32/nequel.e?

It gets into your system and replicates itself over and over.... won't let you connect to the internet, won't let you open any file, application, and in my case wouldn't even let me turn the damn computer off.

This computer is not even 1.5 years old yet so I call Dell. I have a 2 year warranty- so I'm thinking the Dell gods will fix this. After sitting on hold and repeating the same information several times I find out that my warranty is HARDware and a virus is SOFTware. So, I get transferred to a "technical specialist" or something like that- yay, help is coming.

After repeating my information about 5 more times and before they even want to talk to me about what is wrong I am informed that this service is a "premium software service" and thus there is a fee. Of course, why didn't I see this coming?

The lovely technical specialist tells me he can offer me this deal for $129.00 or for a year he can cover my desktop and laptop for $239.00.

I start to bawl my eyes out.

I am in school full-time, no job, and I seriously do not have this cash. And I want to throw this damn computer out the window. (I knew I should have gotten a MAC!!!!!!! <---- was yelled several times.)

But in doing research on my laptop I learn that this is a pretty nasty virus and the only other way to get rid of it is to reformat and start over with a Windows reinstall. Do you have any idea how much music/movies/stuff we've put on this computer? And that back-up I've been meaning to do..... yeah, didn't happen.

After being assured by the Dell guy that this service is guaranteed and that guarantee includes the statement that I don't have to lose my data..... I paid the Dell gods.

So, after 2.5 hours on the phone, some tears, and $239.00 my computer is fixed. Yay.

Want further evidence that the universe hates me? OK- no problem.

Dwayne and I play video games. I like video games. We love the Xbox 360 game Bioshock. He is the muscle and I am the navigator. We kicked this game's ass and have been stalking the sequel for a YEAR. A year, people.

Viola- it came out, we had it delivered same day. We've been kicking ass and taking names. We did about 3.5 hours of play, brutal, killer, badass play on Monday. (Woohoo- snow days!) That put us about 1/2 way through the game.

I go to load the saved file to relax a little bit today to celebrate my 93 on my political science test and what I feel like is the very successful completion of my Tennessee history test today- and it isn't there.

I look again.... and it still isn't there. ALL the work on Monday is gone. Apparently, I didn't save it or the Xbox ate it or something. I probably forgot to save it cuz I didn't realize we hadn't hit an autosave point or something. Cuz I am a dumbass, of course.

ARGH!

Misc.

There are times when I dream of bubbles.
I want to encompass everyone I love
and protect them from their troubles.

Perhaps we'd live in a commune
and grow our own vegetables.
We'd also raise beef that was naturally immune.

And if one of you made me sad and cry;
I'd pop your damn bubble-
and watch you fly!

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Sometimes, like when you broke my favorite cow plate......
I really want to punch you in the eye.

I don't trust you in the kitchen by yourself...
Really, dear, how much butter do you need?

But there are other times, like when you waited with baited breath as I read your Christmas poem.......
And when you held me close and just let me cry....
That I know that I am where I am supposed to be.

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I think of escape plans for all occasions.
(Do you think this chair could break this window in event of an emergency?)
And when I think of floor plans I always add secret rooms and panic buttons.
(What about a secret panel in the closet that leads to the attic?)
We'd all slip out the backdoor and into safety.
(Everyone accounted for.)
The thieves can have it all.
(Books, blankets, and things.)
But they can't have us.

So......

This is how devastated I was/am about the Superbowl debacle.

And that is all I have to say about that. (I screamed most of what I had to say during and immediately after the game.)

The big wheel of school keeps on turning and I keep churning out the papers/study guides/note cards.

I've had my first speech, B+, had my first astronomy test, A, took my first political science test, grade tba, and my first history test is Monday. So far, so good.

I'm supposed to be working on a reaction paper for sociology right now- and as the mom voice in my head screams at me to get to work the kid part of me says- I KNOW, MOM- GAH!

The best part of all of this..... I found out that after this semester I will actually be a Junior-progress! FINALLY! I'll be a year 4 junior! Woohoo!

I made a most amazing hashbrown casserole last weekend (yummy recipe, KRB!) and followed that up with a not so successful attempt at Maryland steamers. They are a Northern version of sloppy joes- more ketchupy.

Realized that I am old and over lunch with the blonde tried to pinpoint when it happened but can't. It kind of happens and before you know it you go from keggers to wanting to wipe makeup off of a stranger's face. But I think I am Ok with being old- when I think about somethings I did or thought/said when I was younger- I laugh. Now I realize I have no clue. I'm just enjoying the ride.

Bad News....Good News

Got a cold this past weekend......... for the first time in almost 3 years it didn't turn into Pneumonia!

Lots of dishes for me to do........ I made homemade potato salad for the first time (and it didn't suck!)

Had to give a speech in my Communications class...... got a "B+"!

EA Sports predicted the Saints would beat the Colts 35-31 in the Super Bowl.......EA Sports is a dumb, stupid, not-real, game.