Yummy Lentil Soup

Wednesday came and went, but I did manage to make a very yummy lentil soup.  The primary recipe was from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook.  I made a slight variation by adding in ham while the bacon was cooking.  I wanted the ham to get a little brown on it.  The meal was topped off with a side salad and a thin slice of asiago and cracked pepper artisan bread. 

My Renewed Desire to Cook...

My renewed desire to cook is taking shape this week with the tried and true, something new and something with a new twist.

Monday night was meatloaf with mushroom gravy, yam and fresh green beans. Okay, so you might not appreciate meatloaf.  God knows there are many variations and some are quite disgusting (as my sister plagiarizing-ly says, meatloaf, beetloaf, I hate meatloaf). I happen to think my meatloaf is the one of the best recipes around. Mine is straight out of Betty Crocker with some slight variations. First and foremost is the addition of fresh thyme (a lot of thyme). You cannot go wrong with fresh thyme and beef.  Rather than bread crumbs I use oatmeal and add in more garlic.

I love my Pampered Chef Stoneware loaf pan. The thing is stained from years of use, but bakes in a nice crusty edge. 

I found inspiration at my local Safeway's floral department and added in a fresh bouquet to round off the setting.  I love arranging flowers (when I am in the mood). 

The flowers on the left are left over for my office.  Stay tuned for Wednesday's meal plan.  If you are asking what happened to Tuesday, leftovers baby.  Bon Appétit All!

My Inner Child

Project made at Frenzy Stamper - My Inner Child

My outdoor living area

Gardening breathes life into my soul.

This little patio in the back corner of the yard is my oasis.  Sitting with a fire, the dogs and some wine, oh and lighted candles is my escape on the weekend.  Cheers!

Friends and family are vital to one's well being

Thankfully, I have the best group of friends and family in my life. My pals and my sister have all been there for me this week. They have let me vent, let me express my consuming need to remain upbeat and positive. They are supportive, encouraging and give enlightenment from their past experiences.

I am so blessed to have such great friends.

Thank you!!

Mighty Endorphinity

I would just like to say that whenever you feel yourself starting to slide down the slippery slope of despair, give exercise a try. After the 3rd day of not being at work, the realization of being unemployed has began to hit home. Shopping helps, but I have to face the facts that I cannot go around spending money like I have an unlimited supply. At least I shouldn’t be. Okay, so today is the first day without any retail therapy.

I found that giving myself daily goals has kept me from sliding down that steep hill and kept my happiness in good standing. A very big part of my day is to include 1.5 to 2 hours of workout time. This gets my endorphines flowing and before long, my outlooks is once again sunny.

My daily goals look like this…
• Get up by 7:30 a.m. (this is reasonable given I have been sleep deprived)
• Get coffee and breakfast (because I need the stimulation)
• Check emails (because nowadays, this is my only outside interaction)
• Do Yoga for 30 minutes (purely to keep limber and break up computer time)
• Do boxing for 15 minutes (to get rid of my aggressions and back fat)
• Do abdominal crunches and weights for 15 minutes (no need to explain)
• Do cardio for 30 minutes (because they tell us we need it for our heart)
• Play with dogs and cats (just because)
• Work in garden (the payoff is amazing beauty that I perpetuated)
• Fix lunch (cause I worked my ass off)
• Afternoon work will be all about job searching (for the obvious and so I can afford to shop)
• Late afternoon check emails, play on Facebook and my blog (again, it’s interaction and an outlet for creativity)
• Fix dinner (suddenly finding an interest in cooking again)
• More blog time, read or watch TV, but definitely stay off Coldwater Creek’s website

So far this routine is helping to keep me from giving into the Dark Side (Luke, this is your father. Give into the Dark Side you nob). Couldn’t resist a quote from Strange Brew.

Cheers!!

Paper Dolls for Alexis and Taylor

I have a fascination with paper dolls and one day this past summer, I decided that my granddaughters, Alexis and Taylor, needed to have some very cute and quirky paper dolls. Here they are.

Wow, this is very exciting for me to finally have my own blog.  I have been interested in creating a blog for about 2 years, ever since Stampington & Company began publishing Artful Blogging.  I like the idea of posting craft projects, pictures and thoughts holds appeal.  So as I go forward, I hope to gain experience, inspiration and friends.  Cheers!