All About Me And A Bag Of Chips!

End of the week wrap up!!

Woot, I made it! It's finally Friday! Gosh this week just seemed to draaaaaag...lol  There really isn't a whole lot to report today, both kids are doing well. My daughter has one more week of school then she has a week off for winter break. I am hoping we can squeeze in something fun during that week, but DH has to work, so we will see. In other news I started drinking this yogurt drink, ACTIMEL last Saturday, it is suppose to be good for your stomach and it does seem to be making me feel better, I seem to have more energy and whatnot, so who knows. It tastes good, so why not give it a try?! lol

In scrapping news I have a couple new LO's to show off today! The first is with Kawoette's new kit LOUISE....



The second is with Cre Bisontine's new very cool kit RAINY SPRING!



And that brings me to this weeks menu plan! A pretty simple menu plan this week with a couple new recipes I am trying out. :)

• Sat- 5 Spice chicken legs- Sweettater fries-Roasted broccoli.
• Sun- Breakfast For Dinner.
• Mon- Pasta with Spinach, Walnut and Sage Pesto.
• Tues- Frozen Pizza.
• Wed- Chicken Parmesan - Macaroni - Spinach.
• Thurs- Baked Quinoa With Spinach and Cheese.
• Fri- Take Out.

So that will wrap things up for another week here. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and until next time..TATA!!

I have a yummy recipe recomendation!

Lamb Kofta With Tomato-Yogurt Curry

Makes 6 servings

Serve with rice for a light meal.

Ingredients

Meatballs

• ½ large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon peeled, chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 small green chile, stems, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 pounds ground lamb (80 percent lean)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ to 1 cup water

Tomato-yogurt curry

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garam masala, plus more for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

To make meatballs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro and chile in food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Place mixture in a large bowl. Add the lamb, cumin, coriander, garam masala, cayenne, salt, panko and egg. Mix lightly but thoroughly with clean hands or a rubber spatula until combined. Slowly mix in about ½ cup water, or enough to make the mixture smooth with a loose consistency.

Divide the mixture into 24 1½- to 2-ounce portions and roll each into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until their internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Meanwhile, make the curry sauce.

To make tomato-yogurt curry: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves. Sauté the whole spices for about 1 minute to toast them and flavor the oil. Remove the spices and discard. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until beginning to brown.

Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, turmeric and pepper. Sauté until mixture takes on a reddish-brown color. Add the tomatoes and simmer, covered, for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the oil begins to separate.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to incorporate after each addition. Add the water and place the pan over medium-low heat. Slowly bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the garam masala. (For a smoother sauce, blend the sauce in a food processor or blender.) Add the meatballs to the curry and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve garnished with some chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of garam masala.

I just have to say that this recipe was SO incredibly good, everyone LOVED it, including the kids! It's a bit "labor intensive" but I was thinking that you could easily make up the meatballs a head of time, cook them off, freeze them and then just thaw them when you wanted to make the dish, cutting the time down, or maybe toss the thawed meatballs in a crockpot with all the sauce ingredients, I wonder if that would work??

I served it with basmati rice that I cooked up, while the rice was cooking I fried some onions in ghee and added a little garam masala and turmeric. When the rice was finished I drained it off and tossed it in the pan with the onions, so good! I am really lucky because my best friend here is from Afghanistan and he knows all the good middle eastern run kiosks and gets me great deals of this awesome long grained basmati rice straight from Pakistan. I get a 10lb bag for a steal and it is so much better then anything you can get at the supermarket!!

The only other note I will add is I think this would be really great with some spinach added in to it or some of those, oh what the heck are they called, ladyfingers, they are called something else in the states...OKRA, that is it! I think they would be fabulous added to this dish!!

That will wrap things up for another day here, I hope you have a fabulous one and until next time...TATA!!

I've been tagged!!

• Go to your photos folder in your computer.
• Go to the 6th folder of photos.
• Go to the sixth picture in that folder.
• Put the picture on your blog and description of it.
• Invite six friends to join the challenge.
• Link them in your blog and let them know they have been challenged

This was a fun tag, ok so here is the 6th photo, from my 6th folder in my photo folder!



This was taken a couple years ago on a walk around the neighborhood, isn't she adorable!! ;)

Ok, so who to tag now.....

Melanie
Jen
Teresa
Barb
Lena
Melissa

OK, short and sweet today! I'll be back tomorrow with a recipe review, so until next time..TATA!!!

Chinese Horoscope

(Photo by ems van goth, Stock.xchng)

I seen a post about this over on the Sweet Shoppe Designs and though it would be cool to post here on my little bloggy!

Wikipedia has a fabulous overview of what Chinese astrology is and what it is about. It is an interesting read, so stop by HERE and check it out!!

I was born in 1972, so I a cute fuzzy RAT. LOL I am also married to a RAT (sorry honey lol) and raising a horse (that is so funny cause my daughter just LOVES horses) and a monkey!

Anyways, just click on this LINK, punch in your data, and leave me a little howdy telling me what your Chinese zodiac sign is!!

Here is my RAT horoscope for 2009!!

Rat Overview

The Rat may likely begin the year with a lot of momentum from the year of the Rat. Take an inventory for the next twelve months. Then, with some plans in mind, no matter what area of life, work purposefully towards obtaining those objectives. One pitfall to avoid in the year of the Ox is over-committing to engaging in too many activities at the same time. Self-discipline, careful planning, and applied effort are three wise methods that will lead to a successful year in 2009. For the persistent and conscientious Rat, the rewards of the year can prove substantial.

Rat Rating

56% (5 favorable, 5 neutral and 2 unfavorable months)

Rat Career

The Rat can make particularly good progress, as there will be positive repercussions from the previous year (namesake year). The winds of change may not be felt immediately, so it is important for the Rat to be assertive and follow any leads towards openings or opportunities that may reveal themselves. Promote any new ideas that are innovative or will enhance progress, as they will be received favorably. Dissatisfaction in the workplace may be a sign for a career change, as the best times to seek this are in September and October.

Rat Relationships

The closing stages of the Rat year will be a favorable time for the Rat both socially and domestically. Parties and functions may bring new acquaintances. If any problems or uncertainties that should arise in your relationship, do not hesitate to seek the advice of others. You have many acquaintances and close friends that are willing to assist you on your path. Romance is favored later in the year, around November and December. This is a good time to plan a wedding or make a proposal.

Rat Health

It may be a good idea for the Rat to integrate a regimen of physical activity, as this may have been neglected in the recent past. Even if it is a minor activity, such as walking it will be beneficial. Areas of interest may be cycling or swimming. Failure to do so may reveal certain health issues later in the year that could hinder your activities for a long time.

Rat Wealth

Financially, the beginning of the year may be a favorable time to invest, but it is a good idea to remain conservative in speculations. If you lose discipline during the mid-months, you may deplete your savings on a whim. Be sure to set aside a certain amount for emergency situations or the holidays. You may surprise yourself at how well you are able to accumulate a large amount.

That will wrap things up for today! I have a lot of errands to run, I noticed that I was tagged yesterday, so I will try and remember to get to that tomorrow!! Have a great day and until next time..TATA!!

Movie Review Monday!!

Good Monday morning peeps! I have a few movie reviews for you today, it was a pretty laid back weekend here, so we were able to see three outstanding movies. As some of you know from reading my blog regularly, I have this "thing" about seeing all the Oscar nominated "best picture" films before the actual telecast. I came thisclose to seeing all of them last year, just did not get to see Micheal Clayton in time, turns out I didn't like it very much after I saw it anyways, so c'est la vie! LOL This year I am going to try and be a bit more ambitious and try to not only see all the best picture nominees, but all the best actor/actress and maybe the supporting ones also.

Anyways, this weekend I saw three very good films, two that have Oscar nominations and one that appeared to have been snubbed by the Academy, and they should be ashamed of themselves, you here me snotty Academy peeps, shame on you!! LOL

Friday we saw GRAN TORINO

"Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino."

This was the film that appears to have been left out in the cold when it came to Oscar nods and a shame it was because this one one of the most amazing movies I have seen in a long time. Now I am not really a Clint Eastwood fan, so I actually passed on seeing it a bit ago, but friends kept telling me how good it was, how I HAD to see it etc. They were SOOO right. Clint Eastwood gives the performance of his LIFE in my opinion! The story was sad, inspiring, upsetting. I really don't know what else to say, just an outstanding film that everyone should see!

Saturday we saw DOUBT

"Set in 1964, Doubt centers on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him abusing a black student. He denies the charges, and much of the play's quick-fire dialog tackles themes of religion, morality and authority."

This was another OUTSTANDING film! Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep both getting Oscar nods for their performances and both well deserved. In fact the whole cast was amazing. If I am not mistaken I believe this was actually a play that they made into a movie and it transitioned well to the big screen. A sign of a really good movie to me is if I am still thinking back on said movie days after seeing it, and I am still thinking about it, still mulling it over, still talking about it, still having my "doubts" ;)

Finally last night we saw THE READER

"Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Burk re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial."

What can I say, this was another powerful and outstanding film! An amazing performance by Kate Winslet, whom I might add is becoming one of my favorite actresses. The character she portrays in this film (Hanna Schmitz) is difficult for me to get my thoughts and feelings around. On one hand I feel for her, feel her embarrassment over certain "deficiencies" on the other hand the atrocities she had committed and never outwardly shows any remorse for, make it difficult for me to feel those feelings. Gosh, ya this was just a really powerful, thinking movie. Difficult to watch in certain places, but definitely should be on your "must see" list!!

Well that will wrap things up for today. I hope you all have a fabulous Monday and until next time...TATA!!

End of the week wrap up!!

How excited am I that it is finally Friday! This week seemed to drag on a bit with DH sick (he is doing better now, thanks for the well wishes!!) and both kids having colds, BUT, a miracle happened last night, we actually got a FULL nights sleep, no one woke up coughing and saying they couldn't sleep, no one called us in at 3 am to tell us about their dreams, not a peep was heard the whole night! I honestly can't remember the last time that happened, so not only is it the end of the week, but I am well rested also. LOL

Ok, on to other matters. I wanted to show you a website I discovered yesterday. I spent about an hour blog hopping, and came across the following site HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS. Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I am a total Martha wannabe, so you can imagine my excitement at discovering the aforementioned site. There is a TON of great info on the site from party ideas, recipes, they even have their own blog and how YUMMY is the whole look of the site?? When I grow up I want a site just like them. LOL

I also have a recipe share for you today. After my daughters party last week I had a bunch of frosting leftover and I didn't want to just throw it out. I thought since it was a cream cheese frosting it would partner well with a carrot cake. I searched the web high and low and finally found one I thought sounded yummy, turns out I was indeed right, it WAS yummy and the cake got eaten up in three days. LOL

CARROT CAKE (Recipe and Photo from BBC Good Foods.)



Ingredients

300g plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
250ml oil
1 orange , zested
1 lemon , zested
200g carrots , finely grated
150g walnuts , chopped
227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

125g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese

Serves 12
Prep 40 mins
Cook min 1 hr 20 mins
plus cooling time

Method

1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool.

2. For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it's thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake.

Lastly for the day I will post my menu for the upcoming week. It's a bit of a mish mash of new recipes and old standbys, with some Domino's pizza thrown in for a treat! ;)

•  Sat- Grilled cheese - Tomato Soup.
• Sun- Lamb Kofta With Tomato-Yogurt Curry.
• Mon- Domino's
• Tue- Leftovers From Sunday.
• Wed- Pasta alla vodka - Salad.
• Thur- Chili - topped with tortilla chips, Cheddar cheese and sour cream.
• Fri- Leftovers.

So that will wrap things up for another week! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back Monday with hopefully a few new movie reviews!! Until next time..TATA!!

Vegetarian Times

I want to spotlight a magazine that I just LOVE today. Now I am not a vegetarian by any means, but I do try and keep meat down to 3-4 times a week. What I love about this particular magazine is that is always packed full of great information whether you live the vegetarian life or not. The magazine is nicely laid out with a nice combo of both short and long articles. The graphics are bright and eye catching. I particularly like the letters people send in and the product reviews. There are quite a few product ADS, but I don't find them distracting, they seem to "blend in" if you will and I often catch myself reading an AD thinking it is another great article!! lol My real love of this magazine though comes from the yummy recipes! I always seem to make at least one or two from every issue I read and they are always top notch and yummy! I also like the fact that so many of them don't call for hard to find items. Since I live in Europe and the magazine is from the US, sometimes it can be difficult for me to find some ingredients. I haven't had that problem with any of the recipes I have tried from this magazine.

On top of the magazine itself, they also have a FABULOUS web site! VEGETARIANTIMES.COM is packed with a ton of great information. There is videos, recipes, contests, articles galore. Again, like the magazine, the site is well laid out, easy to navigate, colorful and eye pleasing. They also have a small store that sells vegetarian themed books and newsletters you can sign up for! I LOVE the MY VEGETARIAN TIMES one. It has some great articles this week on tea and it's health benefits, how to cook with it etc. You can take a peek at it HERE, but it really is worth signing up for! :)

If you are thinking of subscribing I'd really like to urge you to check out ZINIO.com I have blogged about it before and I JUST love it!! You can read my previous blog post about it HERE. I especially love it being here in Europe because it saves me so much money and I am helping to save some trees in the process! ;) In any case, you can get a subscription through Zinio and have the issue downloaded directly to you zinio reader, which is free!

Ok, well that will wrap things up for today. I hope you have a fabulous Thursday and until next time..TATA!!

Middle of the week ramblings....

Wow, so how did you guys enjoy the big party yesterday? I thought it was very cool. President Obama's speech was very good, I had tears in my ears and I am not ever American!! His girls are just the cutest too, are they not? I wasn't to sold on the prayers, mostly because I don't think religion has any place in politics, but I was more disturbed by the ginormous bow that was trying to eat Aretha Franklin's head. What the H double hockey sticks was up with that??!! LOL LOVED pretty much all the outfits, Cindy McCain, that's her name right? She kind of freaks me out, not sure why, something about her and when they wheeled Dick Chaney out I swear dude looked like a human version of Mr Burns from The Simpson's. LOL

On to other things, DH is home today sick, poor guy. This winter is really hitting us hard with sicknesses. I am blaming Sophia, since this is her first year in school she is bringing home pretty much every germ known to man! She herself has a cold again, runny nose, cough. I am SOOOO ready for the Spring!

Whilst I was watching CNN International's coverage yesterday I actually made up..wait for it...8 weeks of menus! I just love being organized. LOL BTW if anyone knows an online program where I can make lists, keep appointments and other stuff I would be greatly appreciative if you would share it with me. I use DO ORGANIZER here on my PC and LOVE it, but I need something I can access when I am on my Macbook also.

Lastly, in scrapping news I have a new LO to show off. I used the new template pack "Round We Go" and the Lizzie May kit both by Chrissy W!



I guess that will wrap things up for this Wednesday. Enjoy your day and until next time..TATA!!

An historic day!!

I am very excited today, as I am sure most of my American friends are, and dare I say it, most of the world is, to see Barack Obama sworn in as the new US president! I am excited to see what this young charismatic new president can do. Can he mend international fences that have taken such a beating in the past eight years of the Bush presidency? Can he help mend the US economy, the ripples of which stretch across oceans? Is there to much hope being placed on this mans shoulders? Some seem to think so, but what is a world without hope? An historic day indeed, I will be watching for sure...will you?? Until next time..TATA!!

Party Of The Century!!

Ok, so maybe not the century, but everyone seems to have fun. There were a couple hiccups, which I think are best left unsaid on here because you never know WHO might be reading. LOL I think next year though I will only have the party two hours long. The girls whipped through eating, opening gifts, the craft and eating cupcakes in an hour an a half. We struggled to keep them engaged for the last hour, but we whipped out Twister and that killed some time! Oh and one other thing, they didn't like my cupcakes!! Can you believe that?? The cupcakes I broke my back making!! Ok, maybe I didn't break my back. lol They all seemed to be enjoying them fine, then one girl said "I don't like the frosting, it has to much sugar" I was like "to much sugar?" Since when do kids complain about that??!! Anyways, after that it was like opening a flood gate and they all started piping up saying they didn't like it either..sigh..whatever, more leftover for ME!! LOL

Ok, with that I will show you a few photos from the day!













and lastly, my crazy son who LOVED being surrounded by the girls...for about an hour, then he kept asking when they were going home because they were making WAY to much noise! LOL



So that will wrap things up for this Monday, I hope you have a great day and until next time..TATA!!