Rollin with the homies!

Gearin' up for some much needed vaca with the ladies this weekend so see ya when I get back blog world! Hopefully I'll still know my last name when I get back!

Lighten Up!

Just finished reading Lighten Up - Survival Skills for People Under Pressure, by C.W. Metcalf and his wife Roma Felible.  Pretty much in the nick of time too since it's due back at the library tomorrow!  The book's copyright is 1992 but except for some early 90's statistics & a few references to people like Ronald Reagan, Bon Jovi, & Paula Abdul, one wouldn't really know the difference.  I had no special purpose for choosing this book, it began as a complete distraction to studying for the GRE!  I usually take notes as I read so I'll share below a few things I considered interesting enough to write down from my read:

For people coming out of a rough spot in their lives, recognizing the absurdities of prior behavior is essential for regarding that all - important sense of joy at being alive.

How we choose to view challenge and change dictates whether we cope or are crushed.

Take yourself lightly and your situation seriously.

It's better to look for what works before you focus on what's broken.

Those with a strong will to live consistently discipline themselves to nurture the positives life has to offer.

If we do not generate & practice reverence for the joys in life, then the miseries, wars, and backed-up septic tanks will pull us under.

Importance of a "Joy List" - Look for the moments of absurdity, laughter, and joy around you.

Being old isn't just bad or just good, it isn't just sad or just funny.  Truth is that being older is similar to the rest of your life; some of it is Heaven on earth, and then there's the plain ol' Mondays.

The author includes a lot of funny stories in delivering his techniques for lightening up!  It's a good read and an easy read for the "out of practice" so to speak (like me and pretty much the majority of the country).  It's refreshing to read something for enjoyment that isn't a textbook or a People mag!  Don't underestimate me though, People.com is always a click away!

Slack-meyster the blogger

HI-YA, HI-YA!  I have been such an absent blogger, this I know!  Just call me the slackster.  I've had so much to do, some of it business, some of it pleasure so I have been the ultimate slackerator!  I've been filling my time with a number of activities like applying to grad school, checking out and reading books from the library (shut up, this was an activity for me!), booking a gals trip to Vegas, attending numerous happy hours, taking care of my mom after her foot surgery (emphasis on the happy hours after this one!), working, & working out (or a weak ass attempt at working out).  

...did I mention the St. Patty's Day celebration down in the D?  
Here's my Irish partner in crime, LMO and her ultra celebratory hat!  This is how our afternoon started out and the rest is pretty much history..... 

LMO = "Where's the parade"?

C = "I dunno LMO, where IS the parade"?

LMO = "I don't see it but it's supposed to be RIGHT HERE!"

C = Uh, stay calm LMO but I think we're in the wrong spot."

LMO = "Screw it C, let's find a bar!"

C = "I'm pickin up what you're throwin down sister!"

Health is going so-so at the moment.  Officially went off the Entocort (steroids) on March 4th and sure enough began to have all of my classic Celiac symptoms again.  The joint pains pretty much blow so I'm contemplating my next move and keeping a close eye on everything else in the meanwhile.  I have this process of complete and utter frustration and pissed-off'ness (a word? maybe...) followed by some calmness and focus!  Keep on a truckin right?  

...off to enjoy the 1st weekend of spring!

Now that's my kind of mac & cheese!

Happy belated Valentine's Day to everyone!  I was studying all weekend for my big GRE exam yesterday.  On Sunday I needed something quick to make so I could get back to relearning all of the math I failed in high school & college.  Ahhh, Trader Joe's mac & cheese...I hope it tastes good....cross your fingers!

mmmmmmmm...............holy crap, this is amazing!  Very close to Kraft mac & cheese as a matter of fact!  I'm very impressed you delightful box of mac & cheese!  Celiac's if you miss Kraft I highly recommend you give the Trader Joe's brand a try.  And on the up side, the rice pasta is so much better for you than the enriched pasta!  Sold at all Trader Joe's stores so visit their website to see of there's a store near you.  One box only set me back $1.99.  How cool is that?

***Be careful because it's made on equipment shared with peanuts, tree nuts, and soy.  I am fairly sensitive to soy but I took a small risk and I was fine.  Only you know you so you be the judge.

I hope to someday take my best shot at a homemade GF mac & cheese but until then I am happy to explore and find my "from the box" favorites!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Saz's BBQ Sauce

I would certainly be doing a disservice to the world, especially my fellow Celiac's and allergy prone peeps if I didn't share with you this great product and deal! A few weeks ago, while down & out in a, "good Lord I cannot possibly eat another piece if plain baked chicken" rut, I decided to try out my skills at making homemade chicken nuggets. I used my Gluten Free corn tortilla bread crumbs (as mentioned in a previous post) and I've been hooked ever since! I had in the fridge some Saz's BBQ sauce that someone bought for me FOREVER ago and I just never gave the stuff a fair shot. I'm chalking it up to me just being stubborn and assumptive, as I was back in the day...ok, I may still be a tiny bit stubborn...depends on who you ask! Silly rabbit. Saz's BBQ sauce created the perfect marriage to my crispy homemade chicken nuggies!

I recently ran out and haven't been able to find it anymore at my local grocery store. I found Saz's BBQ products online and low & behold they had a super deal. The "Saz's Sauce Trio" for $10! That's 3, 28oz bottles, one of each of Saz's signature flavors for $10 (S&H was free!). I ordered 2 of the trio's and the shipment arrived within about 24 hours. Amazing! I haven't tasted the Vidalia Onion or the Sassy yet but all three flavors are Gluten Free, Fat Free and also do NOT contain any Soy, Milk, Egg, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Fish, or Shellfish. My body is not a fan of soy and do you know how hard it is to find a BBQ Sauce, or ANY type of sauce for that matter, withOUT soy in it? Go order yours so you're ready for all of the big summer BBQ's coming up and a much deserved Thank you to Saz's for this delish product!

Holla at'cha suga! Suga COOKIES!

This sugar cookie mix has been burning a hole in my brain for a good 6 days now.  I found myself gazing out the window thinking about cookies, then sugar, then the little man standing on the pile of cookies on the box.  Yes, it got a little out of control but that's all over because they are now a reality!  The Cherrybrook Kitchen sugar cookie mix was on sale for about 4 bucks at my local health food store (worked out to be about $2 a dozen). The actual mix is Gluten Free, Peanut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, & Nut Free...and they DON'T taste like crap!  How wonderful is that?  If you or anyone you know has any or all of these types of food allergies this mix is 100% recommended!  OR if you're on a diet: 1 cookie w/o the frosting is 0g fat and about 15g-18g of total carbs depending on how big you make them!  Not bad!  The back of the box calls for rice milk to keep it dairy free but I sub'd Fat Free Organic Milk because I'm good with dairy consumed in moderation.   

The store bought frosting scares me.  Way too many "unknown" ingredients so I made my own cream cheese vanilla frosting using butter, cream cheese, organic GF vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Someday I'll make them from scratch, but not today!!  I'd like to think of this as my Sandra Lee semi-homemade experiment.  Tiz the shizzy if I must say!  

As promised...

Our January Dinning Divas theme was "Italian night" so I decided to try making something new. I decided on a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis for herb stuffed tomatoes. I watched Giada make them on her Food Network show Everyday Italian. On the show she made them with italian gorgonzola cheese but I did a trial run before "Italian night" and come to find out, gorgonzola cheese is nasty, or at least the one I bought was. This same recipe posted by Susie D on Recipezaar is essentially the same thing but with pictures, which being an amateur I definitely prefer!

They turned out great! I'm pretty sure the girls liked them, and if they didn't they weren't telling! I sampled only one because I'm not a huge tomato lover and it was da bomb! I mixed the grated provolone with some shredded parmesan then sprinkled it very lightly with colby jack right at the end. It was a special occasion so I cheesed it up but if you wanted to just keep it simple with the provolone it would still be awesome. I of course substituted Gluten Free bread crumbs for regular bread crumbs. I have to say that the Southern Homestyle GF Bread Crumbs are one of my new favorite things. I make homemade chicken nuggets with them and they always turn out so crispy & crunchy, just like nuggie should be! Delish. I rate this dish super easy to make if you're thinking of entertaining a few people or just feeling like trying something new!