Recipe Monday: Zucchini Pie

Zucchini Pie

I made this last night and it was really good.

Zucchini Pie

3 cups zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped or shredded
1 large tomato
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk baking mix
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, carrot, onion, eggs, buttermilk baking mix, oil, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper; mix well. Spread into the prepared baking dish. Top with sliced tomato & sprinkle with more parmesan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve plain or with a dollop of sour cream or hot sauce.

Note: I sautéed my veggies 5-10 in a little olive oil before mixing with other stuff and baking. The recipe said they’d be a little crunchy if you don’t do it.

Blackberry

Blackberry 8700c

I've spent hours already setting it up and figuring out everything. It's so kewl! Love it. I have a computer in my purse...with email...and Internet...and...and...I'm officially a computer geek. I'm also officially blind. I stopped and bought some reading glasses on the way home so I could see the damn thing.

Not sure what we have planned for today. Yes I am...nothing. Why did I even pretend we had plans? There's no NASCAR cup race so our normal Sunday is all screwed up. I'm sure I'll do the laundry and wander around the house whining that I'm bored. That is my plan now. Laundry and whining.

Amy's Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

I made these vanilla cupcakes last night. Aren't they purdy? Well, except for the "mauve" colored ones. That was a mistake. I was going to make the icing for those lavender, but when I went to put the red food coloring in, I turned the bottle over to squeeze a drop out but there wasn't a tiny hole and half the bottle dumped in before I knew what happened. I may or may not have said a bunch of bad words. You decide. That's what I get for buying the cheap Wally-Mart brand. Who makes food coloring without a tiny hole in the top for squeezing drops out? Probably sweat shops in China.

Anyway...

This is Amy Sedaris' recipe. There is a recipe link at the bottom of that page. She has a book coming out in October and I'll be first in line to buy it. If you don't know her, you may know her brother. She is so stupid you can't help but love her. She's downright weird just like her brother. I saw him do a reading once on Letterman. It was weird but funny as all-get-out. (I know nobody says that anymore. I have no idea why it popped out of my brain.) Amy makes and sells cupcakes to bakeries in New York. Her recipes are supposed to be to die for. If this one is any indication, the rest will be really good too. These cupcakes are great. I also have another of her recipes for lemon cream cupcakes. I haven't tried that one yet.

Enough with the food.

I still have those fake toenails on, y'all! How long has it been? Two weeks or something? They still look perfect. I did polish them red after about a week of wearing them with the French manicure they came with just to see if they would still look good. They do. They are definitely worth the less than $5 I paid.

I'm seriously considering getting a Blackberry. It will give me more freedom to move about the country when I'm waiting for work. I won't have to rush home to check my email to see if work has come in. That, and it's just cool to have email and Internet access in your purse. I'm calling Cingular today. That's who I have my cell phone service with, and I see they have some great specials going on for Blackberrys (Blackberries?) right now. I'm gonna be connected, y'all! Email me! I'll be one of those people walking around with an earpiece stuck to the side of my head in the grocery store. I think they call them geeks? Dorks? Annoying?

Okay, now I got myself all excited talking about it. I have to go spend some money.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Busy

Sorry not many posts lately. I'm really busy with work. That's a good thing. Will update soon.

Let It Go

I’ve been having some pretty deep discussions with someone online I don’t even know. If you can call emailing back and forth “discussions,” that’s what we’re doing. I have been reading his blog for awhile now, just lurking and reading without commenting. I rarely ever leave a comment on anyone’s blog, but I felt compelled to do so in this case and I’m still not completely sure why.

It has stirred up memories and feelings that I usually keep stuffed way down deep. I keep them there because they’re painful. I spent a lot of years with those feelings just below the surface, anesthetizing them with a daily dose of alcohol so I wouldn’t have to think about them, and avoiding those people who were constant reminders of past mistakes.

I’m so grateful that I’m not in that place anymore. Though I still have feelings of anger, sorrow and regret over past mistakes, it doesn’t lurk just below the surface anymore clouding every waking moment disallowing me happiness. I’m grateful for my life, my family AND my mistakes. They are part of what made me the person I am today whether it felt good or not.

Some things you just have to let go.

(For more info on the image above, go here.) I love Suzanne W**lcott's stuff.

Score!

Here's the king-size quilt and shams I got on sale today. I thought the quilt was half price at $34.99, but when I got to the counter it was an additional 50% off, $17.49! I was being cheap and didn't get the shams, but when I saw what the price really was, I went back in and got them for $4.49 each. Woo-hoo! Go me.

Lazy Weekend

Loser

As I mentioned, no luck on the Pink Panther scratch offs yet.

Glazed Lemon Ring Cookies

I made these lemon cookies this morning. It was fun, and they taste pretty good too.

We're doing normal Sunday things today...NASCAR Cup race, laundry, a trip to Wal-Mart and maybe a visit to Mom & Dad's after supper.

We were lazy all day yesterday and did absolutely nothing but nap, watch TV and mess around on the computers. I made Tuna Melts for lunch, and they were soooo good. Tuna mixed with lowfat mayo, celery salt, pepper and dillweed on top of toasted bread, then a slice of cheese and tomato slices on top broiled until melted. It hit the spot.

Later, taters.

Me & Jamie Lee

People tell me I look like her all the time, especially when I have my hair cut short. Our eyes were exactly the same before I had the eye job, and I bet my hair would be that color if I stopped dying it. Her nose is way skinnier than mine though.

I thought I'd post both of our pictures because somebody saw the pictures I posted a few days ago and emailed me saying I look like her.

TGIF!

Eat More Veggies

Eat More Veggies & Poop With Ease

Is that the cutest little dog pooping you've ever seen, or what? Barnaby eats at a Mexican restaurant at least once a week for lunch. They have a gumball-type machine that has all kinds of dogs in it. He brings them home to me, and I keep them on a shelf in my office. He's been trying to get this one pooping for 8 weeks, and finally got it yesterday. Isn't he romantic? I love it.

I've started drinking/eating these blended salads again. Have you ever heard of them? They taste so fresh and good and really fill me up. I haven't been eating enough veggies lately, and this is a good way to get a bunch in. I had one for supper last night, and it really made me full. You can use other veggies you like and omit the ones you don't like. This is the recipe using the ingredients I like. You can add 1/2 of an apple to make it taste sweeter if you want. I don't like the mealy texture apple gives it though, and I like the taste just the way it is. A beet is good in it too, but gives it an unappetizing color. You can Google "blended salad" and get more recipe ideas.

Blended Salad

Romaine lettuce leaves, about four
1/2 large tomato, or two Romas
1/2 cucumber with skin
1/2 or whole small avocado
1/2 green pepper
Handful of cilantro
Handful of baby spinach
Juice of 1 small lime
1/2 cup water
2 tsp olive oil, optional

Put lettuce and tomato in blender with water. Blend until liquid. Cut up other ingredients into large chunks and add to blender. Squeeze lime juice over all, add olive oil and blend. Serve in a glass and drink it, or in a bowl and eat it like soup. This will not keep. Throw out what you don't eat.

Here's another healthy snack/side dish that I thought sounded good. I haven't tried it yet.

Orange Broccoli

1 head of broccoli, cut into pieces
One orange
1 tsp olive oil

Juice the orange and place in a large resealable plastic baggie with the oil and broccoli. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hour, shaking the bag occasionally. Eat it as a snack or side dish.

Enough with the healthiness. (I thought I made that word up, but it's in the dictionary.)

No Pics, No Entry

Blogger will not take my pictures. My entry was contingent on pictures. Gah!

I did not win the $25,000. Please stand down. I don't even know what I meant by that.

Bras, Glasses, Cheaters & Pink P

I need to write something. I came here yesterday and stared at a blank page forever and just gave up. I'm hoping something will just magically come to me as I'm typing. Oh, I know...

I'm going to share with you how to properly measure for the right size bra. How's that? Wrap a measuring tape snuggly around your rib cage, just under your bustline. Add five inches to that measurement.

27-29" = 32
29-32" = 34
33-34" = 36
35-38" = 38
39-41" = 40
42" = 42
43" = 44

• The center of the bra, between the cups, should lie flat on your chest. If not, the cup size is too small.
• Breasts should never bulge or spill out of the cups. If so, the cup size is too small.
• Your bra should not leave lines or marks on your skin after prolonged wear. If so, it is too small.

Are you riveted to your computer screen? You're welcome.

You'll notice that I haven't posted and treadmill workouts since that first pathetic 11-minute one. That's because I suck and I haven't been back on it. What is the matter with me? I need a kick in the ass. I also need to stop eating so much sugar, which I haven't done either. *Sigh*

I'm still loving the fake toenails. I'm going to paint them red today just for something to do. I need to make an appointment with the optometrist today too. I need new glasses. I broke my favorite ones and never replaced them. I've just been wearing those black-rimmed ones for the last year or so. I like them, but my insurance pays for new ones every two years, and I need an eye exam anyway because I'm pretty sure my eyes are a little worse. What I really want to do is get laser surgery and throw away my glasses forever. I'd rather spend the $3000, or whatever it costs, towards my tummy tuck. I'd rather look skinny than see. That's dumb.

Now I know you are riveted to your computer screen. I am so NOT interesting. Do you know what I am really happy about though?

I'm happy I'm not married to Christy Brinkley's husband. Poor Christy. I know she has that awful feeling in the middle of her chest that you get when your heart is broken. I hate that anybody has to feel like that. It just goes to show you, though; you can look fabulous like Christy Brinkley and still not be happy. You can look fabulous like Christy Brinkley and your husband will cheat on you. You just never know. One day she woke up and everything was normal, and when she went to bed that night her whole life was turned upside down. It happens every day to a lot of people; ugly people and beautiful people. Life doesn't discriminate. *Again, sigh*

Well, I can't leave you with that big downer, can I?

I haven't played the lottery in a long time. I just went to their website and they have a new scratch-off game called Pink Panther. All of you who know me know that I love, love, love the Pink Panther. I think it's a sign. I need to go buy some of those scratch-offs today and I'll win. Stay tuned for the results. I could be a $25,000-aire next time you come here. I could get that tummy tuck AND get laser surgery! It's all about ME!

Blogger won't post my picture, DAMMIT. Blogger, you need to fix that problem, pronto.

Product Review: Dazzle Toez

LOVE THEM ! !

Believe, me. No one is more surprised that I really like these than me. I thought it was the weirdest idea ever. But after my toenail-bashing extravaganza this year, I needed something to cover my big toenails so thought I'd give them a try while mine grow back out. They looked so good when I got them on, I went ahead and put on all the others. Fabulous! A French manicure for your toenails in mere minutes. And they're all the same length. They make my feet look really clean. Go ahead and try them just for fun. I bet you end up leaving them on. These were $4.84 at Wally-Mart. (There will be no pictures of live toes on my blog, EVER! Eww.)

Recipe Thursday: Cheddar Crust Apple Pie

My Pie

I forgot the recipe on Tuesday. Here it is. I made this today but haven't tried it yet. I'm a terrible crust maker. It kept splitting and took me forever to roll out.

Cheddar Crust Apple Pie

2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup iced water
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
6 cups sliced, peeled apples
4 tbsp butter

Mix 2 cups flour and the shortening with pastry blender or two forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese. Add water; mix lightly with fork. Form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll one half to an 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate.

Mix sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon. Toss with apples; place in pie shell. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to 11-inch circle; place over apple filling. Seal and flute edge. Cut several slits to permit steam to escape. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 8

Goofy Pictures

What was I doing? I was trying to take a picture that looked like Beth, but obviously I couldn't get the right look on my face. I wanted to send it to her and tell her I thought we looked alike. Now I don't think we do at all. That would have been kind of creepy for her anyway. Crazy stalker lady is trying to look like you like that crazy bitch in that movie Single White Woman. Run away! I'm not crazy, Beth... Okay, I'm not a stalker anyway.

I have to tell you what I did about three months ago. You can't see it in these pictures, but I got the brilliant idea to shave the outer half of my eyebrows off. I had seen a girl with lovely eyebrows that went up at a 45 degree angle. I think it's 45 degrees. Oh, hell, I don't know. I'm not a geometrist. (Oh my god, that's really a profession. I just looked it up.) Anyway, I thought I could reshape them by shaving off the outer half and then drawing in the rest. Um, not so much, DORK. Now they are not growing back in right, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to shave them and draw them back in the rest of my life.

And what the hell is going on with my neck anyway?

And where did my upper lip go in these pictures? I swear I have one, don't I??!

Gawd! Could anyone be more unphotogenic?

I think I said hell too much and cussed a bunch in this entry. Sorry. I try to keep my mouth clean here and pretend I'm Miss Goody Two Shoes. I'm not. I cuss like a sailor.

Kitty Loves the Smell-Good

I spilled a bunch of baby powder on the bathroom floor. Kitty found it and rubbed her head all in it. She loves perfume and powder and anything that smells good. She'll rub her face all over my wrist if I have perfume on, and she'll even get so excited she'll softly bite on it. Weird. Doesn't she look sweet with that powder all over her though? At least she doesn't roll in dog shit or dead fish like dogs do. She knows what smells good and what doesn't.

Want to be entertained for a few minutes? Watch this. I think it's great. It's so cleverly written, and it's amazing that he memorized it and can recite it so fast without making any mistakes. He's 69 years old too. I saw him do this on Letterman a few months ago, and then again on Leno a couple of weeks ago.

What is up with the fact that I keep bashing my foot into things and breaking my big toenail? I swear, I've done it at least five times this year to both feet. I just did it again a few minutes ago. Is this another thing that happens when you start to get old? I've never done it before, and now it seems like I do it every month. It's not like I have really long toenails either. It looks gross when your big toenail is broken down to the quick. Every time they grow out half-way decent, I smash it into something again. It's starting to piss me off! I wear sandals or open-toes every day March through November around here. I guess I'm going to have to buy some close-toed house shoes to wear in the house all the time. Hey, have you seen those glue-on fake toenails they have out now? I've always thought they were weird, and who would wear fake toenails, but now I'm starting to think they might be a good idea, at least for my big toes. Maybe I'll go get some and see if they'll work until mine grow out again. Feet are so gross. I hate them, especially men's feet. Bleh! Even the cleanest manicured feet make me sick. I hope my toenails don't get thick and yellow when I'm old. Surely there's a way to keep that from happening. We can go to the Moon (supposedly), for goodness sake. Somebody invent something to keep our toenails purdy. Good Lord. That was a long rant about toenails.

Speaking of the Moon, I'm not sure I believe we actually landed there. I've seen all the TV shows about the Moon conspiracy, both sides of the issue, and I'm still undecided. What do you think?

Anklet Tattoo

My New Anklet Tattoo
Barnaby's New Dragon Tattoo

No, I wasn't drunk, and neither was he.

Sugar = Love

I'm sitting here eating some magically delicious dry Lucky Charms and drinking iced coffee. I had bought the Lucky Charms a few months back for my son, but I keep forgetting to give them to him when I see him. I was desparate for a snack the other day and opened them, and I haven't stopped eating them since. Can't. Stop. Help. Me. Those little dehydrated marshmellow stars and rainbows and whatevers are little bits of yummy sugar that dissolve in your mouth. And there are lots of them. You can get one in every bite. I think they really are magical. Look. They've made my eyes look really good! Oh, wait.

Here is something really stupid about Lucky Charms. Here is something even more stupid.

Can you tell I'm bored? I'm tempted to clean something. That's how bored I am. Nah. I said I was bored, not stupid.

You know what I thought of last night when I couldn't sleep? I have to remember to tell my doctor not to be surprised or shocked or grossed-right-the-f-out when he does my tummy tuck. I'm pretty sure he might find some dog hair in my belly button. I always find a dog hair there when I look. Gee, maybe cleaning it out before I go would be a good idea. You think I'm a dirty skank, don't you? I see you looking at me that way. It's no worse than finding corn in your poo. Or a toenail.

I need to go now. I think I'm getting high on sugary cereal. Yep idobelive I ammmm. Beye, yal'
ll.

Dog Days of Summer

Remember Hagatha? The bee-otch I wrote that fake letter to? I talked to a friend of mine who does work for her occasionally. She said she told her she couldn’t do work for her one day last week because she was putting her 16-year-old dog to sleep. That hag actually had the nerve to ask her to “put off putting her dog to sleep until tomorrow” so she could do some work for her. Can you imagine? What is wrong with her that she thinks that was a reasonable request? How stupid. And how selfish and uncaring. Just another example of why I won’t be working with her again. Buh-Bye.

I did nothing I said I was going to do yesterday. I stayed home and slept most of the day. I did that the day before too. I’m feeling very lazy these dog days of summer. Two-hundred-and-forty-degree weather with ninety-nine percent humidity will do that to you. Okay, I exaggerate, but not by much. I think I'm just getting used to my lower heart rate and blood pressure from that new medicine. Either that or I'm just a slug. That's more likely.

I’m getting directly up from here and doing my hair and make-up, and then I’m going to see my mom & dad for awhile and maybe go to the library. Oooh, the library! How exciting.

A Toon For You

I don't have anything planned for today. I've really been enjoying these last six or seven days off. Maybe I'll take myself to Wally-Mart and buy a bunch of cheap crap I don't need. I do need a coffee grinder to grind up my flax seeds, and I could always always always use more magazines.

If anything fantasticly interesting happens, I'll be back to share.

The Party & The Freak

Proof of Party

Why I rarely ever go to parties or other social events:

Because I am a social retard. I'm a freak. I'm so uncomfortable and self-conscious it's pathetic. Why do I think that everyone is thinking about me, what I'm wearing, how I'm acting, what I'm eating, what I'm saying, WHATEVER. My reasonable mind tells me that this isn't so and no one thinks about anybody else that much, but that's all I think about the whole time. I just want to grab my purse and run out the front door screaming.

I used to be the social butterfly. At least I thought I was. You see, I used to drink a lot, and I guess that broke down all my defenses and self-absorbed thoughts so I could relax enough to have a good time. Of course I was an idiot and showed my ass on more than one occasion, but at least I could enjoy myself. AND if I did do or say something stupid, I had something to blame it on other than my own social ineptitude -- alcohol. Now I have no excuse other than I'm an emotional cripple and never developed any social skills with which to carry myself through these situations. Oh, I know how to be polite and say all the right things, but I can't relax, I can't stop being self-conscious about every little freakin' thing. Gah! It's easier just to stay home.

So there ya go. I went to a party. Now I don't have to go anywhere for another year or so.

Big Soft Flaxseed Pretzels

Pretzels Boiling
Pretzels Cooling
Poppy Seed

Pretzel

The recipe I decided on using flax was Soft Pretzels. I had so much fun making these this afternoon! Along with the flax seeds in the dough, I made some sprinkled with kosher salt, some with salt and poppy seeds, and some with salt and caraway seeds. The caraway are my favorite because I love rye bread. They're all good though. I was tempted to make some cinnamon-sugar ones, but I resisted. Maybe I'll do some of those this Christmas.

Product Review: Mascara

Loreal Voluminous Mascara

This is the best mascara EVER. I know a lot of people are still loyal to that Great Lash stuff in the pink tube with a green lid, but that does not make your lashes thick. This does. Thick and long. Approximately $6 anywhere.

We had a good day yesterday. We stayed around the house all morning, then we went out for a little shopping and Starbucks. We stopped at Jasons Deli and got some veggie wraps to take home for an early supper. The rest of the day I did laundry and watched a long show about a big dam China is building. There was nothing else on!

Tonight we're going to some friends' house to play poker. There are several couples going so it should be fun. I made spinach dip last night to take with us.

I bought some flax seeds yesterday. I'm off to search for some recipes to use them in. They're full of Omega 3s and good for you. I have to counteract those danish and other crap with something good. I'm trying to cut way down on the sugar starting today. Wish me luck. No more Twizzlers, Jelly Beans, ice cream and crap like that. I want to lose 10 more lbs by the time summer is over. Cutting out the sugar should do it.

Treadmill

I'm going to start leaving these stats on my site each day. (Okay, most days.) Don't laugh unless you did more. Even if you did more, don't laugh. At least I'm trying.

Treadmill: 11 minutes
Distance: .55 miles

Danish & NASCAR

Ridiculously Easy Cream Cheese Danish

I’ve been looking through Cheese Danish recipes because I wanted to make the Danish from scratch. I kept finding tons of recipes for these Danish made with crescent roll dough, but I wanted to make it from scratch. I finally got over myself and decided just to try it the easy way first. I’m really glad I did because these were fantastic AND ridiculously easy. I’m sure you could replace the cream cheese filling with preserves of any kind if you prefer. I halved this recipe and made it in an 8 x 8 pan. The cheese filling was still too much even when I halved it, so I only used ¼ of the half-recipe I made. Does that make sense? You have to try these. They look impressive and taste great. Here’s the recipe I used:

Cream Cheese Danish

2 – packages crescent rolls
2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg yolk (reserve the white)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Icing
1 tbsp butter, melted
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
Milk to thin

Unroll 1 package of crescent dough and pinch edges to seal. Spread in the bottom of an 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Mix cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread on top of dough. Unroll last package of dough, pinch edges to seal, and lay on top of filling mixture. Brush top with reserved egg white. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. (The 8 x 8 pan only took 20 minutes.) Cool completely.

Mix icing ingredients until smooth and spread on top of cooled Danish.

Fall, Fat Boy!

Tony Stewart won the race. Bleh. Somebody needs to beat the crap outta him. And I wish, when he climbs the damn fence when he wins, he would fall and break both hips. He actually said one time, "If anybody climbs the fence when they win, they are just copying me." What? What kind of adult person says something that stupid? That's something a 10-year-old would say. Most of these rich-ass drivers are so immature and have been spoiled rotten all their lives, they have no clue. And just for the record, he didn't invent it. Dumbass.

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson both wrecked in the last ten laps. I shit you not. The last 10 laps, after being in the top ten all freakin' night. Ugh. Gawd, I love NASCAR.

July 1st

I made that Cream Cheese Danish this morning. It's cooling now. I'll add the glaze once it's cool. It looks great, huh?
There's a night race at Daytona tonight that we'll be watching. I love night races. I'm picking Jimmie Johnson to win, and Barnaby is going with Jeff Gordon. We have a contest every year to see who can pick the most winners. So far this year, I'm ahead two to one. Neither of us have picked as many winners this year as in previous years. You see that monstrosity sitting in my living room? It's been sitting there for weeks untouched. Today I had Barnaby open it up. I REALLY AM GOING TO GET ON IT TODAY -- even it's it's only five minutes!