I've really been neglecting my journal! Again, I blame it on the winter blahs; there's just not much going on. And I readily admit to my Facebook addiction.

Here is this week's Four Foods on Friday:

1. Olive oil. What kind do you prefer to use?

I'm not really a connoisseur of olive oil. I usually buy it at Trader Joe's (they call their olive oil Trade Gianni's). It might be EEVO, but I'm really not sure.

2. Meatballs. Do you make them from scratch, buy premade cooked or buy premade frozen?

I've made homemade before. It's a lot of work. I realized that the frozen ones are just as good and so much easier. I usually buy Market Day frozen meatballs.

3. Do you use napkins at home? Paper or cloth?

Paper! Maybe cloth is better for the environment, but you really have to weigh out. Is it more harmful to the environment to throw away paper napkins, or to have to constantly do loads of napkins to make sure you have enough for every meal every day?

4. Share a recipe for a white sauce.

I don't have one! I made an Alfredo sauce once years ago, but Chris wasn't really crazy about it. And it's so fattening, I just don't bother anymore.

It's been a while since I participated in FFOF, so I'd like to get back on track. Here are this week's questions:

#1. Coffee. Do you use ground, bean or pods?

Ground. My favorite restaurant sells great bags of ground coffee.

#2. Coffee filters. Do you use paper, gold or other?

Just regular paper ones.

#3. Tea. Do you prefer tea bags, loose tea or something else?

I pretty much just drink iced tea, not hot. I use Luzianne decaf tea bags and brew it in my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Pot. I drink the tea with lemon only. The girls and I go through a lot in the summer.

#4. Share a recipe for something you like to eat with coffee or tea.

The chocolate cake in this entry would be perfect with coffee.

One thing I absolutely love is cold-brewed coffee that I use to make iced coffee in the summer. It's really easy - Add one cup of ground coffee to 8 cups of water and mix well. (I do this in a giant measuring cup.) Cover with plastic wrap and leave on your counter for 24-48 hours. Store in refrigerator. I pour it over a tall glass of ice, then add a couple tablespoons fat-free half and half, a packet of Equal and sometimes a little chocolate or caramel syrup.

And since today was gorgeous and warm and the weekend is supposed to be nice, I think it's getting time to get some coffee into the fridge.

Getting this week's list in just under the wire.


#1. What’s the oddest thing you’ve ever made with bread?

When I was a kid, I used to make ketchup sandwiches. On Wonder Bread, of course.

#2. What’s the oddest thing you’ve ever done with mac and cheese or pasta?

When I was pregnant with Becca, I was anxious to go into labor once I got around my due date (like every other pregnant woman). I read a trick where you added worcestershire sauce to a bowl of mac and cheese, and it would start your labor. It didn't.

#3. Is there a food you eat other than it is intended?

I like dipping pizza in ranch dressing.

#4. What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever seen?

Anything with suckered tentacles poking out of it:



My next post will be how I made like Marty McFly and went back in time!

Woo hoo, it's Friday! And the girls have a five-day weekend. SWEET. School was closed yesterday for some non-existent snow. At first it started out as a two-hour delay, which was understandable. Our county is big, and the Northern areas (close to the Pennsylvania border) have worse weather. There was some snow making the roads slick up that way, so they called the delay. Very shortly after that, they CLOSED the schools! When Chris woke me up to tell me, the sun was shining! Completely unnecessary and ridiculous. I think the school system is afraid we might have too much summer vacation if we don't use those snow days. Whatever.

Here is this week's Four Foods on Friday. All about Chinese food, which isn't my favorite. I like it, but I don't LOVE it like Chris does. He needs it like he needs to breathe! And spicy enough to burn his nasal passages.

#1. Do you prefer to eat Chinese food in the restaurant or to have it delivered?

Delivery around here? Ha! We're lucky to get Domino's out this way.

#2. Do you prefer wonton or egg drop soup?

Egg drop. Yummy stuff.

#3. What flavor fried rice is your favorite?

Shrimp.

#4. Describe your favorite item on the Chinese food menu.

Pineapple chicken - white meat chicken with pineapple, green pepper, a sweet and sour sauce and some red pepper flakes for just a little heat.

Hopefully it'll be warming up soon - it was only about 15 degrees today! Thankfully it was sunny as well. I guess that will teach me to piss and moan when it's 35 degrees!

It's been a couple weeks since I participated in FFOF. I'm going to do this quickly because I'm exhausted and need to get to sleep soon.

#1. Waffles. Do you usually eat frozen or homemade?

I buy frozen, but I really should make them since I do own a wafflemaker. I've never even taken it out of the box! It intimidates me for some reason.

#2. Eggs. Do you buy brown, white, or it doesn’t matter?

Usually white; I buy large white eggs in the 1-1/2 dozen carton. If brown eggs were on sale, I'd pick them up. I don't think it really matters.

#3. Oatmeal. Do you usually make instant or cooked?

Instant. My container of Quaker oats is used for making cookies!

#4. Bacon. Share instructions or a recipe that you use bacon in.

Oh, we are bacon lovers here. I get a pound or so from the butcher up the street, and it's delicious. Plus, it's loads cheaper and I get to support a local business. Usually we just have it with French toast or other breakfast foods, or I use it on sandwiches in the girls' lunches. However, I'm planning on making a quiche tomorrow that uses bacon. Here is the recipe:

Spinach Bacon Quiche

I plan to follow the advice of those who have rated the recipe to get the best results. I'll post pictures later in the weekend.

Before I post my answers for this week's FFOF, I'd like to thank Sue at Stay at Home Mom and Lucy at Lulu's Petals for the virtual gifts they gave me the past couple weeks. I'm sorry I haven't posted them until now!

Here is the one from Sue:



It came with a poem:

And lovely are the blossoms
That are tended with great care,
By those who work unselfishly
To make the place more fair.
And, like the garden blossoms,
Friendship’s flower grows more sweet
When watched and tended carefully
By those we know and meet.
And, if the seed of friendship
Is planted deep and true
And watched with understanding,
Friendship’s flower will bloom for you.


And here is the one from Lucy:



Thank you both! I hope you don't mind if I don't tag other bloggers right now.

OK, now for FFOF:

#1. What’s your favorite crunchy food?

Popcorn! Recently, microwave popcorn has just been tasting so stale and blah that I bought a popper a few days ago. It does go in the microwave, but the popcorn is FANTASTIC. We are all getting addicted.

#2. How often do you try new recipes?

Usually a few times a month.

#3. Name a food that you almost always have in the house.

Baking staples. I can put together a batch of cookies pretty much anytime.

#4. What kind of food do you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

It used to be cookies and eggnog, plus a couple of baby carrots for Rudolph (which the dogs always got). But this is our first year without Santa, so nothing will be put out. Cookies and eggnog, however, will still be consumed.

And speaking of cookies, many will be baked this weekend. And Becca has requested fudge, so that will be made as well. Pictures and recipes to follow!

I'm exhausted, so I'm just going to do this quickly and go to bed. I'll have a better entry sometime over the weekend. Probably not tomorrow night - Chris and I are actually going out! A great local band, Sticktime, is playing at Champions and we're going to go see them. One of the members is in my neighborhood, and another is a friend of mine who is a staff member at Becca's school. Should be a fun night.

Here are this week's questions:

#1. Does your family usually eat meals in the kitchen or somewhere else?

Usually at the kitchen table, but once in a while (like pizza night or make-your-own) we'll just sit in the living room and watch TV together.

#2. Who usually does the dishes in your house?

I do, but I think it's getting time to show the girls...

#3. What’s your favorite small appliance or tool in the kitchen?

My Kitchenaid stand mixer, definitely!

#4. This one’s for my son. Share a recipe for chili.

I've posted this one before:

Trader Joe's Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 package (about a pound) of ground turkey
2 cans Trader Joe's Marinated Bean Salad
2 jars Trade Joe's Three-Pepper Salsa
Various spices

Directions:

Brown the ground turkey; rinse and drain. Add the bean salad (undrained) and the salsa. Then add whatever spices you like. I use chili powder, cumin, salt and then I add some sliced green onion. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with cornbread.

This is a recipe Chris's mom gave me. It's originally made on the stove, but I adapted it for the crockpot:

Crockpot chili

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained
24 ounces of V-8 (I use the spicy flavor)
1 envelope of onion soup mix
1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (you can use whatever are your favorite; I use pinto)
3-4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Couple drops of hot sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes (I use spicy; use whatever you like)

Directions:

Mix everything except the can of tomatoes together in crockpot. Cook on low for about 3-4 hours. Stir in tomatoes (undrained) and cook for about 10-15 minutes longer. Serve with cornbread.

I saw this one over at my internet buddy Berleen's blog and decided to do it since I'm a questionnaire junkie. In other words, I love answering questions about myself.

LAYER 1: Tell us your...

* Name: Sheri
* Birthday (month, day): Dec. 16th
* Birthplace: Cheverly, MD
* Current location: Jefferson, MD
* Eye color: Hazel (isn't there a better name for that color)
* Hair color: Brown with red highlights (although more gray highlights at the moment)
* Height: 5'5"
* Righty or lefty: Lefty
* Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

LAYER 2: What's...

* Your heritage: Mostly Irish
* The shoes you wore today: I didn't wear shoes today
* Your weakness: Diet Coke
* Your fears: Illness and death
* Your perfect pizza: Diced tomatoes and spinach
* Goals you’d like to achieve: to raise happy and successful kids
* Your first waking thoughts: Just a little while longer
* Your best physical feature: No idea
* Your most missed memory: my grandmother Mom-Mom

LAYER 3: Do you...

* Smoke: No
* Cuss: Not as much as I used to
* Sing: Yes, mostly in the car. I love it, but don't know how good I am!
* Do you think you’ve been in love: Of course!
* Did you go to college: No, I took secretarial courses in high school, and went right to work after graduating
* Liked high school: I did; it was an all-girls' high school and I had some great friends and wonderful times.
* Want to get/stay married: Yes!
* Believe in yourself: A lot more than I did even just a few years ago.
* Think you’re attractive: I'm not hideously deformed or anything.
* Think you’re a health freak: I freak out about my health; does that count?
* Get along with your parent(s): Depends on the subject.
* Like thunderstorms: Yes, they're very cool.
* Play an instrument: No, but I wish I had taken lessons back when I was a kid. I did "play" in the elementary school band, but I don't count that since I didn't really learn anything. I want to play the guitar like Chrissy Hynde!

LAYER 4: In the past month have you…

* Drank alcohol: I had a glass of wine tonight while making crab pasta. I also had a glass of eggnog and Kahlua a few nights ago. Woo! I am out of control!
* Smoked: No
* Done a drug: Some Aleve for a headache a couple weeks ago
* Made out: No
* Gone on a date: No
* Gone to the mall: Just yesterday, actually
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos:. No!
* Eaten sushi: Ugh, no
* Been on stage: No.
* Been dumped: No.
* Gone skating: No. Chris and I do want to take the girls roller skating, though
* Gone skinny dipping: Not since high school!
* Stolen Anything: Candy out of the girls' Halloween buckets

LAYER 5: Have you ever…

* Played a game that required removal of clothing: No
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes, but not in a long time!
* Been caught “doing something”: Yes
* Been called a tease: Only by my high school boyfriend
* Gotten beaten up: No
* Shoplifted: No

LAYER 6:

* Age you did get/hope to be married: 20 the first time (WTF was I thinking?!) and 27 the second
* Numbers and names of children (either you have or want): Sarah (almost 20), Lauren (13), Becca (almost 11)
* Describe your dream mate: After my first marriage, I knew I wanted someone mature, responsible, loving, nice, who would treat me well and kindly and with respect. That's what I have in Chris
* How do you want to die: In my sleep when I'm old but not senile
* What did you want to be when you grow up: A mom. Sometimes a rock singer like Chrissy Hynde or Pat Benatar
* What country would you most like to visit: England, because Chris and his family lived there for several years due to his dad's job, and plus I'd like to do a Beatles-themed tour

LAYER 7: Now tell...
* Name a person you could trust with my life: Chris
* Name a favorite CD that you own: Beatles Revolver (just one of MANY favorites)
* Number of piercings: Two; one in each ear
* Number of tattoos: Three
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Not sure, but never for anything unsavory
* Name a past experience that you regret: Getting married at 20 instead of just moving out and getting my own place

Another Thanksgiving over. Whew! We have two dinners, the noon meal at my in-laws and the dinnertime meal at my mom's. The food was delicious as always, and I had my much-anticipated Day-After-Turkey-Sandwich today (turkey, stuffing and cranberries on whole wheat potato bread). I'm glad weigh-in isn't until NEXT Friday. There was a little bit of family disharmony going on, so I'm actually glad the day is over.

The day-after-Thanksgiving is a lazy day for us. The girls stay in their jammies all day, and I usually sleep in later than usual, then plant myself in my recliner for the day. Chris games up in his office. It's just a nice, relaxing day before the insanity of Christmas revs up.

Last week I didn't get to the FFOF because I was so tired from Book Fair, so now I'm getting back on track.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!


#1. What’s your favorite carbonated beverage?

Diet Coke - I'm completely addicted!


#2. What’s your favorite spicy food?

Chili, either homemade or Quizno's. Not extremely spicy, but a good kick.


#3. How do you handle hot dishes? Oven mitt, pot holder, towel?

Not very well, apparently.


#4. Ice cream. How do you like yours?

Coffee, with some chocolate syrup on top.

Man, I am so tired. Next week is Scholastic Book Fair week at the elementary school, and my friend Kim and I spent yesterday and today getting it set up, previewing the books for students, holding a staff preview and lots of odds and ends stuff. I was at the school from 8:45 this morning until 6:00 tonight. It's like going to work, but I don't get paid! But it's fun, even if it's tiring and a lot of work, and the kids at the school get so excited.

The Fall book fair is my big thing during the school year, and once it's done, it's only a few days until Thanksgiving. Which is a long-winded way of getting to the Four Foods on Friday for this week, since it's all about the turkey holiday.

#1. Stuffing. Boxed or from scratch?

From scratch, definitely. My mother-in-law makes a stuffing with fresh sausage that is TO DIE FOR.

#2. If you were served the perfect Thanksgiving dinner what would it be?

I have it served every year! Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, peas, mashed potatoes, rolls - I even like the rutabega! I guess the only thing I would add would be my friend Kelli's amazing sweet potato casserole.

#3. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving leftover?

The day-after sandwich: turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce on Martin's whole wheat potato bread. I only have it after Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I really look forward to it.

#4. Share a recipe using turkey.

Turkey Black Bean Wraps


Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa
3 cups shredded turkey Breast, thawed if frozen
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon lime juice
¼ to ½ teaspoons ground cumin
8 flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter), warmed
1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Directions:

Mix salsa, turkey, beans, lime juice and cumin in saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Spread turkey mixture on tortillas. Top with cheese, roll up.

Yay, it's Friday! Tomorrow I'll be doing some Christmas shopping (I know, right?) and Sunday will be my sweats and ponytail day as well as make my grocery list day.

Here is this week's FFOF:


#1. Name a food you like that uses a red sauce or anything red in it.

I like sauteeing shrimp in olive oil and garlic and throwing them in spaghetti sauce on penne pasta.

#2. Name a food you like with whipped cream in it or on it.

I don't like whipped cream.

#3. Name a food you like with blueberry in it.

Pancakes, pie, muffins, crumb bars...

#4. Share a recipe for pasta or dessert or a beverage.

I made this a couple weeks ago:

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
* ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.) Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. 8 to 10 servings.


ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Dutch Processed Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Anybody who knows me knows that I am a music FREAK. I need it just as much as I need air. Chris teases me about it, saying that I really only listen to the same 100 songs. That is SO untrue! However, I am mostly stuck in the past when it comes to music. The best music was made in the 50s, 60s and 70s, with some great stuff in the 80s as well. And I'll concede there are some songs and artists out there now that I actually like a lot. The new Fallout Boy song "I Don't Care" is awesome, and I really like Pink.

But I don't love everything from those decades! My Thursday Thirteen for this week is thirteen songs that I would love to never hear again, no matter what decade they're from. This is just a very short list, there are lots more that I will always change the station whenever they're on!



1. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown
2. Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp
3. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
4. Take My Breath Away - Berlin
5. Yeah - Usher
6. White Wedding - Billy Idol
7. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
8. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
9. We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions - Queen
10. Louie, Louie - The Kingsmen
11. YMCA - Village People
12. Blinded By the Light - Manfredd Mann
13. Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger

Wanted to get this in before it's too late. But there will be Halloween pictures sometime over the weekend! It was a fun day, although a little bittersweet because it was Becca's last school Halloween party (they don't have them in the middle and high schools). And it was probably Lauren's last time trick-or-treating.

This week's questions:

#1. What kind of pretzels are your favorite?

Rold Gold mini pretzels (perfectly salty!).

#2. What’s your favorite way to eat pancakes?

Lots of butter and syrup. I don't go to IHOP very often because they're ridiculously expensive for what you get, but they have a butter pecan syrup on the table that's TO DIE FOR.

#3. Do you make garlic bread from scratch or buy frozen?

Both. I really like the soft garlic breadsticks made by New York. Sometimes I will make my own using rolls that are just a little past their prime (like sub rolls). I just spread them with butter and sprinkle garlic powder generously, then bake them until golden and crispy. This is also great for sandwiches.

#4. Share a recipe that calls for mozzarella cheese.

I'm going to cheat and link to my post on Spaghetti Salad.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

I can't believe it's Halloween already tomorrow! Becca's excited - the 5th grade, instead of having individual classroom parties like the rest of the school, will be having a huge party together in the cafeteria. One of the staff members will be DJing (he DJs on the side and has the equipment, so he gets roped into these things to have fun, too). I have some goodies to make, so I need to get this written and get into the kitchen.

Oh, but we can't call it a Halloween party, though, even though the kids dress up in their costumes. No, the county says it's a FALL FESTIVAL. Whatever.

In honor of the holiday, my Thursday Thirteen this week is 13 of my favorite horror authors (there are a lot more).



1. Stephen King (He lost me for a while, but has recently been redeeming himself.)
2. Robert Bloch (Psycho)
3. William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist)
4. Brian Keene
5. Dean Koontz
6. Jack Ketchum
7. Simon Clark
8. John Bellairs (The House with a Clock in its Walls - CREEPY)
9. Richard Laymon
10. Bentley Little
11. F. Paul Wilson (his short stories ROCK)
12. Robert R. McCammon (Swan Song)
13. Joe R. Lansdale

Man, I'm tired. Tonight Lauren's 8th grade band class got to perform with the high school marching band at the high school football game tonight. It was COLD. Miserably cold. And we were there from 6:30 to almost 10. Brrrrrrrrr. But Lauren had a blast, and she can't wait to join the marching band next year.

Before I go crash, here is this week's Four Foods on Friday.


#1. Name something you use cream cheese in/on.

Cheesecake! And bagels or quick bread.

#2. Do you use yogurt in any recipes?

Sometimes in a quick bread recipe. I like mixing vanilla yogurt with raisins and chopped apples and some cinnamon. Also, fresh orange slices dipped in vanilla yogurt tastes like a Creamsicle!

#3. Macaroni salad. What do you like/put in yours?

I don't make macaroni salad, but you can see my pasta salad recipe here.

#4. Share a recipe that you use sour cream in.

I don't really use sour cream that often. I mostly mix it with ranch dressing powder for a dip to serve with veggies.

I'm practically falling asleep at my computer, so it's time for bed!

I'm dangerous tonight. Well, to myself, anyway. Tonight for dinner I made a pork tenderloin. The recipe called for searing it in a frying pan, then putting the pan into a 400-degree oven to finish cooking. No big deal. When it was time, I pulled it out of the oven with my trusty oven mitt and put it on the stove so I could finish the side dishes. Then, NOT FIVE SECONDS LATER, I completely forgot the pan had been in the oven, and wrapped my hand around the METAL handle so I could move the pan back a bit.

I am proud of myself for not swearing (kids were nearby). I am proud of myself that I didn't drop the pan on the floor. But HOLY CRAP did that hurt. It's calmed down some, but it's still stinging a bit, and I have a couple of blisters popping up. This is not the first stupid injury I've inflicted upon myself, and I know it won't be the last. I think it ranks as one of the worst, though.

In honor of my clumsiness, my Thursday Thirteen is a list of Stupid Injuries Throughout my Life.

1. As a toddler, I vaguely remember falling forward and ramming my chin into our TV set. This was waaaaaaaay back in the 60s, so it was a big honking console. I think my mom had to run me to the emergency room.

2. Second or third grade, somehow I smashed my chin into a telephone pole while riding my bike. No emergency room this time, but I had a disgusting meaty hole in my chin and had to have a big band-aid on for a couple weeks.

3. Around the same age, I slammed my thumb in the car door. I had locked it before shutting it, so I was screaming for my mom to open the door. My nail turned black and blue and eventually fell off a few weeks later.

4. Around 11 or 12 years old, I thought I'd surprise my mom by making coffee for her. Instead of pouring the boiling water into her mug, it ended up all over my arm.

5. When I was 14, I was supposed to wash the dishes (by hand) when I got home from school. On this day, it was almost the end of the school year, and I liked to go to the pool when I got home, especially because I liked one of the lifeguards. I was in such a hurry to get to the pool that I broke a glass in the sink and it sliced into my thumb.

6. Moving ahead into my adult years, I woke up at my cousin's house after a big party to find my left hand massively cut up and covered in blood. I had gotten pretty hammered (never do Flaming Dr Pepper shooters - TRUST ME ON THIS), and to this day have no idea what I did. Hurt pretty bad for a few weeks.

7. I smelled burning plastic during a dishwasher drying cycle, and saw a baby bottle piece on the heating element. I burned my hand pretty good retrieving the plastic.

8. While pushing the trash down with my hand, a jagged cat food can lid sliced my thumb. I had to go to the emergency room for a couple stitches and a tetanus shot. Plus I was pregnant. We only feed dry food now.

9. I tripped over Sandy and I think I broke my big toe. My foot swelled up to twice its size, plus it turned black, blue and other interesting colors. Couldn't get a sneaker on that foot for weeks. I actually had to wear flip-flops to a wake. Not too tacky.

10. Tripped over the cat on the stairs in the dark. Sprained my arm when I fell on it and it twisted around.

11. Forgot where the curb was in the dark and stepped/landed weird. Sprained ankle.

12. Slipped on a grape at the grocery store and landed on my arm. Just sore and bruised this time.

13. Stood up and whacked my head on an open cabinet - too freaking many times to count.

Maybe I should just stay in bed tomorrow...

This week's Four Foods on Friday is on a subject I really like - cupcakes! I do love cupcakes, and would love to visit a cupcake bakery, which seems to be all the rage now. Here are the questions:

#1. I passed Costco and saw gas at $2.84 and have had Costco on the brain since. Share a cupcake, muffin or cookie recipe.

Here's a confession - usually when I make cupcakes, it's for kids. I've made them for my kids' birthday parties, classrooms and Girl Scouts. So most of the time, I use a mix for them, because kids can't tell the difference and don't really care. My favorite mix is Duncan Hines French Vanilla. I add about a quarter teaspoon of almond extract into the batter. I do usually make a from-scratch buttercream - the recipe is on the box of Domino's Confectioner's sugar.

#2. Cupcakes, muffins and cookies require something to drink. What do you drink with them?

I'll usually have a Diet Coke with a cupcake. You know, to cancel out the calories. It's coffee, juice or milk with a muffin.

#3. Which do you prefer, mini muffins and cupcakes or full sized ones?

I prefer regular-sized ones. It's too easy and tempting to eat a bunch of minis. They're like donut holes, too easy to just pop in your mouth.

#4. What type of muffin or cupcake pan do you use? Silicone, disposable, etc.

I just use a regular metal pan, but I always pop in foil or paper liners. Foil for muffins, festive paper ones for cupcakes.

Here's a cupcake I made sometime last year. It's a beachy cupcake, and the sprinkles are in the shape of fish.

Well, my journal, anyway! I was given the "I Love Your Blog" award by Charla at Healthy Home Blog today. I think that's so cool! Thank you so much.

This is a "pay-it-forward" type of award, so there are rules to accepting it. They are:

* Display your award.
* Link back to the person who gave you the award.
* Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
* Put links to those blogs on yours.
* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.
* Enjoy your award!

There are a LOT of blogs I check out on a daily basis, but I'm going to give this to some mom bloggers I've been enjoying a lot recently.

Manic Mommy at Manic Mommy
Kitty at Motherhood with Teenagers
Lucy at Lulu's Petals
Michelle at Mommy Confessions
Jill at Caffeine Court
Lisa at Adventures in JujuBoo
After Hours at Have Babies Will Blog

Just a quick 13 today. I've had a sinus headache for days and just can't think of a clever and awesome 13 this week. I like Fall, but it does play havoc with my sinuses every year.

Thirteen Small Things That Make Me Happy (other than my family, of course) 1. An icy-cold bottle of Diet Coke in my favorite glass with lots of ice. 2. When everything is done for the day and I can sit in my chair with my laptop guilt-free. 3. My Sirius radio. 4. Magic curled up against me when I read in bed. 5. Saving a bunch of money at the grocery store. 6. Completing a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. 7. Catalogs in the mail. 8. Favorite magazines in the mail. 9. When a new recipe turns out great. 10. A perfect iced coffee drink. 11. Taking a picture that comes out better than I thought it would. 12. Sleeping dog faces. 13. A day with nothing that needs to be done.

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Getting in under the wire again. Busy day; busy week. I'll be posting some pictures and recipes sometime this weekend, but I just wanted to do this before I head to bed.


#1. Pasta. How do you tell when it’s done? Do you cook on medium or high?

Chris likes firm pasta, so I always cook it the least amount of time called for on the box. Chris will taste it to see if it's perfect.

#2. Deep frying. What kind of oil do you use?

I never deep fry! I very occasionally eat fried foods when dining out (like fries or fried shrimp), but I always use either olive oil or cooking spray when I cook.

#3. Grilling. Do you grill on foil or directly on the grill?

We just cook directly on the grill. Potatoes and corn are wrapped in foil and cooked indirectly. There are a few roasts that I'll cook in a disposable foil pan.

#4. Share a recipe that involves cooking something two different ways.Example, for lasagna you might fry the meat and bake the whole dish.

No recipe really - if I cook a roast (beef or pork) in the crockpot, I'll sear it in a pan on the stove first, then transfer it to the crockpot. Sometimes I'll add a little water or cooking wine to deglaze the pan and pour it over the meat.