Wow.... just when I think I've seen all the bone-headed items in the world that people actually spend advertising dollars on and infiltrate my television shows about, or worse my MOVIES these days... I hear about this!
May I introduce the NEW Cha Cha Chia.... Chia Obama! WHAT?!
My first response was: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
What was yours? Are you running to your neighborhood CVS or Walgreen's to pick one up?
By the way, I google'd to see if there were any other US Presidents that have had the luxury of being "chia'd", but I could not find one. Not Bush. Not Clinton. Not even Ab Lincoln. Obama is the first and only Chia President currently available.
From the very beginning, the hubby and I have had a theme to our marriage. An underlying motto ... something that we have focused on throughout the first two and a half years of our marriage and plan to acknowledge to the finish line...
WE'RE A TEAM.
This phrase came about from my awesome hubby. One day, either during the beginning of our engagement or right before we were engaged, I was stressing about something. Worried or bothered by something, and while my man was reassuring me that everything would be okay, he looked at me, grabbed my hand, and said, "listen, we're a team!" It stuck!
It became our marriage theme/motto and I even had it engraved onto my hubby's wedding band as a surprise. The dictionary defines "team" as a cooperative unit. And it's true... WE ARE A TEAM!
Whatever it is... whatever we come up against... we've got each other and we back each other up! I'm so thankful that the Lord blessed me with a mate that I can not only view as a husband, but as a friend, a lover, a brother in Christ, and a teammate.
That phrase often comforts me. Especially hearing it from my handsome man's mouth... in the midst of choas sometimes, hearing him say, "we're a team" can settle me. Thank you, honey!
It's amazing... I figured with lots of extra time, I'd have an opportunity to blog a lot more. I figured every day that I was sentenced to use a sick day, even when I'm not sick, I'd type out a post. However, this has not been the case. I have found that with too much extra time, comes lack of words, lack of writing material, and lack of motivation to attempt writing.
Interesting, isn't it? One would think that with more time, more writing could prevail, instead I'm finding the opposite. Today is my fourth full day home with my sick hubby. I'm not sick, he is. So far I've spent the "free" time cleaning house, serving my sick hubby, keeping my sick hubby medicated regularly, catching up with TV shows, piddling on the computer, and trying not to go stir crazy with the groundhog day nature of the last four days.
Same thing over and over.
In other news... This past weekend I had the honor of being a part of Allie Grace Levatino's baby dedication at church. The Levatino family invited the hubby and I to be a part of the festivities, and I did my best to capture the moment in photos along the way.
It was awesome to be able to be there to support the Levatino's as they handed their beautiful new addition to Pastor Frey. He showed off Allie to the Central Church congregation and prayed together that the Lord would assist the family members and church family in bringing up baby Allie to know Christ and the power of the resurrection.
It was a great day (minus my hubby not being able to get away from soccer to be there with us and later him getting sick)... I am thankful for this family in our lives. Aren't they a cute family of four? For some reason Lexi wouldn't smile for this photo, but she's still adorable.
I'm looking forward to a weekend full of fun and no sickness... let's hope this wish comes true.
I've been home the last couple days taking care of my hubby... he's been diagnosed with the flu and as a "better safe than sorry" approach from my employer, I've been sent home to care for him and to NOT INFECT my coworkers.
I'm doing my best to cater to his needs, disinfect the house as best as I can to keep myself from getting sickly, and pushing drugs down his throat as often as possible to keep his symptoms from creeping up and bothering.
I asked my man how he was feeling this morning, wondering if he thought he was getting any better... to which he replied:
"I can never figure out if I'm feeling better because of the medication or because of the drugs."
Uhhh, what? He's obviously on meds... ha ha. I guess only time will tell if this rest, rest, drugs, rest, liquids, rest, liquids, drugs, rest approach suggested by the nurse will help. GET WELL SOON, HONEY!!!
Well the odds were that at SOME POINT my "Something New" approach would bring about a less than delightful dish. It's just the way it goes with cooking... everything cannot be the most amazing thing you've ever had... it just doesn't work that way. Unless you're Julia Child and use a pound of butter per every recipe... ONLY THEN will everything be amazing.
So I wasn't totally distraught after my Baked Tilapia and Sauteed Corn with Tomatoes and Basil didn't turn out to be the bomb diggity for the hubby and me. It was just kind of blah, which is odd because the description under the baked tilapia said, "so much flavor... so few ingredients". Maybe I did something wrong, because in my hubby's words, "I wouldn't want you to make it again".
But nevertheless, I tried something new, and someone else may enjoy it. Here's are the recipes for both items...
Baked Tilapia Ingredients: 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. garlic salt 1 tsp dried oregano 4 tilapia fillets (5 oz each)
In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic salt and oregano. Coat fillets in crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Sauteed Corn with Tomatoes and Basil Ingredients: 1 cup fresh or frozen corn 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
In a large skillet, saute corn in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with basil.
Tonight started the new season of the reality TV show: The Ultimate Fighter (Season 1o). The past seasons of this show are partly responsible for my current affection for the UFC. It's a show in which I not only get the luxury of getting to know up and coming fighters in the industry, but also learn better the personalities and stories of current UFC fighters who are the "coaches" of the rookies.
This season, the focus is the HEAVYWEIGHT division. At first glance, I'm a bit apprehensive about the entire heavyweight division. I tend to believe their fights are slower and more boring. The fighters tend to look like they tire out quicker than some of the other weight divisions, and overall the fights are not that exciting until someone gets knocked out. Think underwater fighting - that slow sometimes. Therefore, it would make sense that I've been a bit unsure about the brand new Ultimate Fighter season involving heavyweights. However, these apprehensions have been put to the side tonight... for one reason, and for one reason only at present... RAMPAGE.
I love this guy... he cracks me up! The facial expressions, the wise cracks, the sense of humor, he's hilarious. I look forward to hopefully being proved wrong regarding the heavyweight division, but in the meantime, at least I know I'll continue to want to see this season because our Memphis own, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is a part of the festivities. Let the games begin.
Although I again attempted a new recipe, this week I slacked a little. The following Rotel Chicken recipe is VERY simple. I didn't do anything that was even considered adventurous for me, I wasn't nervous or worried about it turning out, because it's a simple chicken casserole recipe (hard to go wrong with that). But it was still new to me (so it still counts).
So here it is: Rotel Chicken Recipe
Ingredients 4 chicken breasts 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 lb worth of Velveeta Cheese 1 can Rotel tomatoes Tortilla Chips Instructions Boil chicken, cut into small pieces. Combine Cream of Mushroom Soup, Rotel tomatoes, and chicken bits. In a casserole dish, layer tortilla chips, chicken mixture, and velveeta cheese. repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Another success. I served my youngest sis and hubby with this dish and a side of salad. All parties involved cleaned their plate and went for seconds. Yummy.
If you have any recipe suggestions, feel free to send them my way. If it tickles my fancy, I'll give it a try!
I'm taking a cue from The Turner Tattler and doing a weekend review via pictures rather than using an abundant amount of words. This weekend we celebrated the union of Mr. and Mrs. James Joseph (September 12, 2009). And what a beautiful celebration it was... with the rehearsal dinner Friday night and wedding Saturday night, we enjoyed the time spent with James and Candace and the opportunity it gave us to have some fun with friends!
Being the dork that I am, I made a point to grab the camera even before we stepped out the door Firday night. Here is a shot of me and my hottie hubby before we headed to the Rehearsal Dinner Friday Night.
These three YoYo's were at the rehearsal dinner. Per my request they are showing their name tags, but in typical fashion with these three none of them are holding up the correct name. (Steve, My Man, and Jeff)
Getting a photo with two of the bachelors of the night. Ladies, both of these are a catch... send me a shout out if you're looking for a way to rendezvous with them. I'll figure something out. he he.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith - love these two! They are the proud parents of baby Hayes, born June 28, 2009.
Kel and Super T. My man looks surprised at something, or up to no good. Knowing him the way that I do, I'd guess the latter.
I love me some Tina! Tina and Me at the rehearsal dinner. I was looking forward to meeting her man for the first time Saturday night.
Getting a gorgeous shot with the Bride To Be. She was glowing already!
James (the Groom) and Alan at the rehearsal dinner.
Wedding Reception for James and Candace. Getting a self portrait with Erin Marie.
I laughed after this photo and told Johnny it was "the epitome of their relationship: Johnny being observant and involved, while Erin Marie is texting on the phone" ha ha!
LOVE THE PHOTOBOOTH! James and Candace had a photobooth at the reception, complete with props to wear and a photographer catching the shots. Brilliant! What a blast. I love this one of me and the hubby!!!
Photobooth continued: Jeff. His sign says enough.
Photobooth: Bachelor 1, 2, and 3.
Photobooth: Erin Marie and Johnny. Hilarious!
Yay! I got to meet the man that keeps putting that beautiful smile on Tina's face. Hi Kevin.
James (Groom) tore the keyboard up during part of the reception! It was great! He knew he was wearing the keys out, can't you tell by the smirk on his face!
And then Candace (Bride) jumped in on the mic, awesome to hear her beautiful voice while her HUBBY played the keys behind her! Very cool, especially knowing these two and their awesome musical talent and love for all things music.
I was so excited to get a photo one on one with the beautiful bride!
Congrats James & Candace! Congrats Mr. & Mrs. James Joseph!!
Eight years ago today, the unimaginable happened. The unexpected to the common American citizen occurred. The United States was attacked on US soil by terrorists.
It put the country in a state of shock... almost an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm unfolded across the nation as the citizens of the United States watch the first of the two World Trade Towers burn, and then the second one was hit (caught on tape) while the world watched.
The tragic event that would go down in the history books as 9/11 has forever impacted the United States. According to Wikapedia statistics, 3,017 people died in the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 19 of those individuals were hijackers. In addition, more than 6,291 people were injured in the attacks and/or aftermath of the attacks. We will remember!
Where were you eight years ago? September 11, 2001.
What were you doing? Who were you with?
What do you remember about that day eight years ago?
On that day, eight years ago, I was in my college freshman dorm room at Mississippi State University. My roommate, Ashley and I had just woken up and the radio clock began reporting the atrocity that had just occurred. We almost thought it was a prank, it couldn't be real, could it? We then signed onto our computers, we were quickly presented with the reality - this was really happening! Our high school friend, Jason was attending NYU at the time and had sent many of his friends a first hand report of what was happening in the city he now lived. The US was being attacked... the next hours that unfolded were something that will never leave my mind. Many emails traded, many TV reports watched, many newspaper articles read on the web... I have kept much of that in a binder. A piece of history, something I experienced first hand. I will remember.
Remember today and share your "where were you" experience on the comments section.
My hubby posted a status today on our Facebook that I believe is worthy of sharing: Today is the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Do something nice for someone today in remembrance of those that lost their lives on 9/11.
Some things in life become more funny the more often you view it or talk about it. That favorite comedy, just gets funnier every time you see it. Or simply being able to quote the "funny" parts of your favorite movie puts you into a fit of laughter. Or that personal experience that just gets more funny every time you relive it with friend... yup, some things are like that.
For my hubby and good friend Laura, it's reliving scenes from the movie Austin Powers: Goldmember, over and over and over. As I ask my hubby what's the title of the Austin Powers movie that him and Laura like, he tells me, "goldmember" and after a few seconds delay, he say, "I like Gooollldd!" Uh yeah, the quoting has begun again...
For my coworker it's remembering an interesting choice of words a physician said after a check up... PS. Shan, you're looking good. Looking good!
For my past compeitive soccer friends, it's reliving the crazy high pitch of my voice as I yelled, "come on ladies" on the field to my teammates. Could anyone but dogs hear the intense pitch of that attempt at yelling? Anyone? ha ha.
There are always things that get more funny with the passing of time, the extra discussion, and sometimes the additional viewing... the below is one of those things.
I've watched it once, I've watched it a thousand times - the kid in the red shirt almost brings tears of laughter to my eyes! Hilarious. A must see! And even better on the second viewing.
I'm wondering if I can learn this dance and get down all the moves to share them with my friends and family, but somehow I just do not think I'll be quite as cute and comical as this little guy. Laughter is good for the soul (so they say). Enjoy.
For the Yopp Cuban Themed Couples Baby Shower a weekend or two ago, I ventured out of my comfort zone once again and tried something edible and new for the party.
I was in charge of the Cuban Sandwiches. Not only had I never attempted to put together such sandwiches, I also had never once cooked one of the necessary ingredients within them.
The recipe for the cuban sandwiches is as follows:
Ingredients -
thin slices of ham
thin slices roast pork hot or cold (I use hot, slow roasted pork)
You should be using fresh, crusty Cuban bread, but you can always use a 12" loaf of French bread cut in half. Slice the bread open face so that both halves are still barely connected and spread mustard on both halves. Add the ham, and then the roasted pork. Add your Swiss cheese and then a few pickle slices. Put the halves back together and place the completed sandwiches in the oven on broil. Let the cheese melt and the bread heat up a bit. Enjoy!
The most dramatic part of the cuban sandwiches for me was the necessary "roast pork" ingredient. Uh hello? I had no clue on this one! To help me figure out how to make it, I asked a coworker or two and then went the handy dandy "google it" route and talked to my hubby... with information from all of the necessary sources I settled on the following pork roast recipe (and it worked).
1 pork roast cover it with brown sugar, rubbing it into the meat 1 crock pot (slow cooker)
Set the meat covered in brown sugar into the crock pot, set the timer for 8 hours on low, and voila! Meat came straight of the bone! Tender and delicious!!!
The sandwiches were yummy and were another success! Yay!
So this afternoon, I'm on the phone with a customer facing my computer (looking for the information they are inquiring about), when all of a sudden, a vase of beautiful gerber daisies lands on my desk to my immediate left. A huge smile automatically crosses my face, thinking, "could it be? did my hubby send these?". When I turn around, I see my hottie of a hubby standing behind my chair, smirking!
Not only did I get a vase of my most favorite flowers ever (same flowers we had in our wedding over two years ago)... I also get a visit from my man!!! What a day!!! No special occasion, no holiday, no apology needed, just BECAUSE. The best reason to ever get flowers, ever!
The smile that was already huge, becomes GIGANTIC and I cannot wait to get off the phone with my customer to say thank you and grab a big squeeze from my man.
PERFECT SURPRISE, simply perfect.
Take a look at how gorgeous they are:
Thank you honey! I needed that. Wow! A perfect way to start a three day weekend.
