My Day Off

After looking at the event calendar I decided to take today and tomorrow off mainly because it is my last chance before December 23, however, that is a good thing because it means we are slam full booked for the holidays! Sooo, I started my day off by arriving at work early. Before you say, "HUH?" let me explain. Last night I woke up almost every hour second guessing myself if I had booked a band, changed a menu and a thousand other details that go with parties. Finally at 6 AM I said oh the heck with it, just drag your sorry self to the shower and go to work for a few hours. So I did. I felt much better having that out of the way and then decided heck, I'm up and out so why not go to Old Time Pottery and finish the shopping for holiday centerpieces and candles we still need. I love Old Time Pottery but absolutely positively hate to shop. Debi is sick as a dog and I decided that is too bad because if I had to suffer she should suffer too. So I called her from work and told her to get a cough drop, put on her sweat pants, don't sneeze on me and drag your sorry self out to the driveway...we're going SHOPPIN'! Debi loves to shop so unless she is in a coma or has a fever of 108 I knew she would be ready to GO....and go we did. Hope you didn't plan on buying anything from Old Time Pottery that has the dark red apples because we cleaned them out. We have to go back on Friday and pick up bows we are having made and other than a few more glass candle holders and we are done, done, done!

Vegetable Soup

I love hamburger vegetable soup and have been known to eat it twice a day for as long as a month. Guess that proves my menu choices are just as dull as my wardrobe choices. I usually make tuna noodle casserole, chicken vegetable casserole and hamburger vegetable soup and then freeze individual portions in sandwich bags for my lunch. If I am organized enough to make and freeze all three dishes in one day then I have lunches for a month. Everybody at work makes fun of my chicken and vegetable casserole and they call it "barf in a bag". Yeah well, laugh all you want to my friends because it may look nasty but it is goooood! The recipe for hamburger vegetable soup is below...very complicated, so pay attention. You will have plenty to eat and freeze unless you are trying to feed the Osmond family.

HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP

1-2 lbs of hamburger

1 large onion, chopped

3 large cans of diced tomatoes including the juice

1 large bag of frozen mixed vegetables (without lima beans,YUK)

1 small bag of your favorite vegetable (I use corn)

Brown the hamburger and onion in a dutch oven, drain fat if necessary. In the same pan add the 3 cans of diced tomatoes, and both bags of vegetables. Simmer (lid on) for an hour or so and you got yourself some soup! Sometimes I use plain diced tomatoes but I like the ones with basil and garlic best. You can also add cooked macaroni if you want a heartier soup. See what you learned today? How about that and you thought this space was just for fun. Stick with me and get educamated.

Wow!

If you want to hear from old friends whom you haven't talked to in ages all you have to do is write "I normally have my Christmas shopping done and wrapped by now". Come on people, you know I don't shop this early because I'm organized...it's because I HAVE TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY IN DECEMBER! However, I do have to admit it's a nice feeling to put the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving AND be able to put wrapped gifts under the tree and know you are DONE. Unless I get my hiney in high gear that will not happen this year and my kids may be getting a picture cut out of a catalog with a note saying, "This is what I would have bought you if I HAD gotten my hiney in gear." We had a great corporate group for a reception this evening. Love these type of groups as they come in ready to have a good time, enjoy the food, see everything we have to offer and just plain make our jobs easy and pleasant. Morty is pounding on the cabinet door where the cat food is stored so it must be dinner time!

We made hushpuppies!

I am using the term "we" loosely as my participation consisted of passing the basket of hot hushpuppies to our guests. This was the second time we offered this cooking class and once again it was a hit. It's always nice when things come together and actually work. These hushpuppies are a bit different as there is shrimp and crab in the recipe, very tasty. Oh for heaven sakes...how can anybody not like something that is sooo not good for you! I worked most of Sunday trying to get a jump on the holiday parties and did make some progress. The bad news is I usually have my Christmas shopping done and wrapped by now and not only have I not started, I haven't even given it a thought. Now that I have thoroughly depressed myself, it's time to go to bed!

The mailman thinks I have lost my mind.

All of Aunt June's mail is being forwarded to me so I can get her final bills paid and forward what needs to go to the attorney. However, in addition to the bills I am now getting all the junk mail from The Amazing Kreskin, Marie Duvall, The National Enquirer, Star Magazine and I don't remember all the others right off the top of my head. I have never in my life thrown away and shredded so much paper! My mailbox used to be empty several days a week...well ha ha, not anymore! Sooo, if you are in need of any gossip rags just give me a call because I have a whole butt load and will happily share.

Just Shoot Me Now

Wedding rehearsals...no big deal. They last 45 minutes to an hour, start out chaotic and then magically fall into place, NORMALLY. However you have probably learned by now that I apparently live in bizarro world and normal rules do not apply. Tonights rehearsal lasted 3 1/2 hours and the ending was more chaotic then the beginning. If you have anything you want to say to me I suggest you call before 4 PM because I fully anticipate TommyB going postal no later than 3 PM and I will just be a memory.

I have been set FREE!

I have a good friend from high school days who is a retired physician. Loren is a big believer in vitamins and supplements and sends me OTC herbs to try on a regular basis. Well, in the last package there was a bottle of flax seed oil capsules and probiotic acid capsules. Not sure I spelled that last one correctly but you better believe I will recognize the name on a drug store shelf. He always includes a note telling me the recommended dosage, what side effects to be aware of, and what should not be combined. The information for these two supplements said they help form healthy bacteria in the stomach and digestive track. Nothing to alarm you there, right? For the past two days I have been taking my daily vitamin along with the recommended dosage of both supplements and I have come to the conclusion that the directions should have read: Take two capsules in the morning with a full glass of water, pray you don't cough or sneeze, wear dark pants and a Depends. Holy moly, I think I just flushed something I ate in 1983.