Why I might not ever need to buy soup again

I made this soup recipe for lunch today: It was only three ingredients, and it was awesome! (Well, okay, four if you count the dollop of ff sour cream I threw on top of it). I didn't have any fat-free refried beans, so I used Goya low-sodium black beans instead. I used chipotle salsa, so it was seriously spicy. And seriously yummy! I also threw in some crinkle-cut carrots for some extra veggie love... okay, fine, so it was five ingredients. But so ridiculously easy to make, buying canned soup might be a thing of the past for a while! Plus, lots of leftovers! So it's cheaper than a can of soup too. Happiness all around.

And I did one of my all-time faves for dinner tonight:

A baked sweet potato with reduced-fat cheddar cheese, a Boca vegan burger crumbled into pieces, and frozen broccoli florets, with a little bit of crushed red pepper and black pepper. Wegmans was out of the Boca crumbles, so I substituted a veggie burger in its place, and it was just as tasty, if not tastier! On the side I made up a little dip consisting of chipotle salsa, fat-free sour cream, and chili pepper sauce. I am the proud owner of a happy and satisfied tummy.  :-)

Is anyone else being driven to the brink of insanity by that Target commercial with the kids dressed as elves, singing, "There's no place like Target at Christmas to save!". I swear, they are following me from channel to channel, taunting me!

I actually have to work a half-day tomorrow... it's my first and only day in the office this week... I'm going to have to force myself to go to bed in a little while! I'm a night owl by nature and can stay up until 2 a.m. easily... and I have been doing so for the past few nights. Perhaps I should have tried to go to bed a little earlier last night in preparation for tomorrow... oh well. It's not like there's going to be any real work going on tomorrow anyway. Last year I brought a book and read at my desk.   :-D

OMG!!!! THE TARGET KIDS ARE ON TV NOW!!! I SWEAR, THEY'RE STALKING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!   :-D   Make them go away!!!!!! 

How an episode of Family Ties brought me to tears today...

I have a random local access channel on my cable lineup that will sporadically show episodes of Family Ties during the day. Not all the time, but every now and then. I loved this show as a kid, and so when I see it's on, I watch it. I have no pride or shame when it comes to admitting my love for the 1980s. You should see what's in my Netflix queue. Pretty much everything that Nick-at-Nite USED to show before they got lazy and decided to show crap like Home Improvement and The George Lopez Show 24/7. But thanks to Netflix, I have insta-access to all my favorite cheesy TV shows. What shows did you all watch in the 80s? Some of my faves were The Facts of Life, The Cosby Show, 227, My Two Dads, Small Wonder, Gimme a Break, Alf, Silver Spoons, Growing Pains, Perfect Strangers, Who's the Boss, Head of the Class....I could just go on and on. Haha. The 70s had some decent shows too- WKRP in Cincinnati, Taxi, Too Close for Comfort, Knots Landing,Three's Company...wow, I watched a lot of TV as a kid.

Anyway, today's particular episode focused on a visiting family member (played by the lovely and talented Barbara Barrie), a great-aunt of Elyse's (this is how much I <3 the 80s... I even know that Elyse Keaton spelled her name with a "y" and not an "i"...), and she was becoming incredibly forgetful throughout the episode, and the Keatons take her to the doctor and she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At the end of the episode, Elyse and her aunt have a heart-to-heart about the diagnosis. Elyse is having difficulty coming to terms with the situation, and she says to her aunt, "I wish I could just put you in my arms and hold onto you tight and never let you go so this can't get to you," or something to that effect (I am paraphrasing here, clearly). But that line hit home for me, because I had the exact same thought just last night while I was writing in my journal (I keep a handwritten journal in addition to my blog). I was writing about my grandmother, and I wrote about how I wish I could just hug her and hold on and never let her go, and then she would never let me go either. I know that can't happen. I know I can't stop what's happening to her. But God, if only it were that simple... you know?

In the end they recited a family story together, and that's what eventually drove me to tears. The aunt was considered the "gatekeeper" of stories in her family, and I'd say that my grandmother is the gatekeeper of stories in ours. The one with all the pictures, the one with all the family stories. I think that takes an already difficult situation and elevates it to heartbreaking. It just breaks my heart to think that one day she's not going to remember any of it. Any of us. But I really am trying to keep that thought in the back of my mind, because if I don't live for the moment, and be with her now, in the present, and I'm always wondering and worrying about what's going to happen when she starts getting worse, then I'm losing precious time with her, I'm not truly appreciating the time that I have with her now. And if I do that, I'll feel an immense regret for the rest of my life. So I'm trying really hard not to do that. I think it was just that particular line in the show that got me, because I'd just thought the same exact thought myself just last night.

Those damn Keatons... they really know how to tug at my heartstrings.  :-)

Ah, the cold- literally and figuratively

It's official... I have a cold. :-( Nothing too intense- just your typical sore throat/feeling kind of cold and achy feeling. I don't have a thermometer, so I'm not sure if I have a fever or not. I just have that overall blech icky feeling going on. Eh, I'll survive. It gave me a great excuse to curl up on the couch with sugar cookie herbal tea, finish Songs Without Words, watch the season 1 DVDs of 30 Rock that I got from Netflix, and watch Ellen. It was a rerun that I hadn't seen, and she had on soon-to-be First Lady Michelle Obama, and I learned three things about her today:

1. She is TALL!!!

2. She can bust a move.

3. She's pretty funny!

It was cool to watch an interview of Michelle Obama just being so fun and cool and down-to-earth, talking about her daughters, the Tooth Fairy, etc. Also, the Jonas Brothers were on the show, and all these teenyboppers and women just started shrieking and jumping up and down like crazy. Can someone please explain the fascination with them if you are over the age of 17? There were women screaming and yelling in the audience that were my age or clearly older! They're cute kids and all, and they played some catchy songs, but still. I sound like an old lady, LOL.

It was so BRUTALLY COLD outside today. It SUCKED! It was so windy and chilly. Since I didn't start feeling crappy until this afternoon, I actually did hit the gym this morning, but I took it easy to be safe- I just rode the stationary bike on a light level while watching Rachael Ray. Then I stopped and ran a few quick errands on the way home- I picked up more cold medicine and some oranges (I need me some Vitamin C!), and then I found an exciting new realization at Trader Joe's! So they have my favorite cereal there- Barbara's Shredded Spoonfuls- but I've never bought it there, because it costs a little more there than at Wegmans and other supermarkets I frequent. Not astronomically more, mind you, just twenty or thirty cents, but I'm cheap, LOL, and if I can get a product for cheaper somewhere else, then I will. But I needed more cereal, and the supermarket was OUT of it! Boo-hiss! Since my TJs is only a few minutes away from my apartment, I figured that I could suck up the twenty-cent markup if I meant I could have my cereal, haha. So I went to TJs, bought it, took it home, and put it in the cupboard next to the almost-empty box... and saw it was quite bigger! So I compared the sizes, and the one I've been buying is 15 oz., and the one I got at TJs is 24 oz. So all this time, I've actually been paying MORE for it, because I could be buying more of it for LESS! This is exactly why I am not an accountant. I can't believe I misjudged TJs so badly. I am ashamed. Haha. Needless to say, from now on I'll be getting my cereal there!

So I finished Songs Without Words today. It was a good book, but I am not so sure that I liked the ending, for any of the characters. But overall, I thought that the book was extremely well-written and engaging. I was hooked until the ending, and then I read the last few pages, closed it, and thought to myself, "Huh." Sometimes I get really pissed when I feel like a book was really great until the ending, and then the ending is awful. But I wouldn't call the ending awful... the story just didn't wrap up the way I expected it to. Still a good book.

Here's my new randomly picked book!

ANOTHER book I just bought a few book sales ago! I swear, I shake up the box before I pick, several times, in fact! Luck of the draw, I guess! Anyway, it's called The Second Stage, by Betty Friedan. Here's a quick overview from goodreads:

"The Second Stage is eerily prescient and timely, a reminder that much of what is called new thinking in feminism has been eloquently observed and argued before. Warning the women's movement against dissolving into factionalism, male-bashing, and preoccupation with sexual and identity politics rather than bottom-line political and economic inequalities, Friedan argues that once past the initial phases of describing and working against political and economic injustices, the women's movement should focus on working with men to remake private and public arrangements that work against full lives with children for women and men both. Friedan's agenda to preserve families is far more radical than it appears, for she argues that a truly equitable preservation of marriage and family may require a reorganization of many aspects of conventional middle-class life, from the greater use of flex time and job-sharing, to company-sponsored daycare, to new home designs to permit communal housekeeping and cooking arrangements.

Called "utopian" fifteen years ago, when it seemed unbelievable that women had enough power in the workplace to make effective demands, or that men would join them, some of these visions are slowly but steadily coming to pass even now. The problem Friedan identifies is as real now as it was years ago: "how to live the equality we fought for," and continue to fight for, with "the family as new feminist frontier." She writes not only for women's liberation but for human liberation."

Ah, who doesn't love a good book on women's rights and injustices. The perfect holiday present for everyone on your list, LOL. All kidding aside, I'm looking forward to reading it. Clearly there will be quite a bit of outdated information, seeing as the book is the same age as I am, but it will be interesting to read about women of the 1980s thought about their rights and equalities during that time.

All right, it's time for some dinner and TV and another rendezvous with my cough and cold medicine. And lots and lots of blog reads to catch up on! ;-)

A fun-filled, festive weekend!

Hello fellow bloggies!!! How was everyone's weekend? I hope they were as merry and fun as mine! And I don't have to say that I'm sorry to see it end, because mine's still going!!! That's right- I'm on VACATION!!!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!! I'm off until Wednesday, and we only have a half-day that day, and then I'm off for a whole solid week, and then I have to be back in the office for New Year's Eve (but it's another half-day), and then I'm off until the following Monday!!! Needless to say, excitement doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now, LOL. I feel like a kid on Christmas Break. Why can't adults have Christmas breaks too? We have it MUCH harder than kids do! :-)

Unfortunately, I think I'll be spending the first day of my vacation with a cold. I've felt kind of icky all day. I started getting a sore throat this afternoon, and now I'm just feeling a little achy and tired and blah. My roommate was sick a week or two ago, and one of my coworkers came into work all last week sick as a dog because she was out of vacation days, so I have a feeling that whatever going's around is headed my way. I took the last of my cold/cough medicine tonight, so I'll have to get more tomorrow morning. Oh well. Most of my break entailed R&R, so if I end up catching a cold, it's not the end of the world. I'll just heat up some chicken noodle soup and watch me some Ellen.

Anyway, so here's a quick recap of my fabulous weekend. On Friday night, my awesome roommate treated me to the PA Ballet performing The Nutcracker at the Academy of Music as part of my Christmas gift! It was absolutely beautiful. It was especially touching to go this year because The Nutcracker brings back all sort of nostalgic memories for me. My grandmother and aunt used to take me and my cousins to see it every year when we were little. They'd also take us to see the Wanamaker window display, and the lights and trees at Longwood Gardens, and all sorts of fun stuff like that this time of year. They really did a lot to make this time of year feel special and magical for us when we were kids, as opposed to just taking us to the mall and letting us sit in Santa's lap. So in light of my grandmother's diagnosis this year, it felt especially heartwarming to see it again for the first time in about 15-20 years. I told my grandmother that I saw it, and she was thrilled. So thanks again to my AWESOME ROOMMATE for such a great gift that brought me back to a wonderful time in my childhood. And she didn't even know the importance/significance of it to me. She just gave me a ticket! But even with all the fond childhood memories aside, it's really just a beautiful show. I'm thinking of being a Sugar Plum Fairy for Halloween. Their costumes are so pretty and sparkly and fun. Hahaha. :-)

So that was Friday night. Saturday night was my friends' annual holiday get-together/gift exchange party, which is always a guaranteed fun time. I brought a wafflemaker as a present, and the person who ended up with it was very happy (well, sure... who doesn't like waffles? LOL!). And check out what I got:

A little blender! How cute is that? I don't think it's big enough to make smoothies or anything like that, but I can use it for sauces, mashed potatoes, etc. Sweet! And more importantly, it was nice just spending time with friends. We're all so busy and spread out and always doing our own things, sometimes we don't get to see each other or keep in touch as often as we'd like to or should, but it seems like this holiday party is the one time of the year we can manage to get it together... my friend Alison was even in town from New Mexico! It was a blast catching up with people I hadn't seen in a long time. Ah, the magic of the holidays, good friends, and a lotta liquor. ;-D I took my cue to bow out gracefully and head home when the tequila shots started though!

At some point throughout the night, we got ice and some snow, because I woke up this morning and peeked out the window, and the cars and the parking lot were covered in ice and slush. Joy to the world. I hadn't been to the gym in a few days and I really wanted to go, plus my gym is just five minutes down the road anyway, so I braved the cold and ice to scrape off my car and go. Actually, the roads were fine, so I'm glad I didn't use the weather as a copout excuse not to get my butt to the gym, haha. Actually, I had a great workout, and it was a little therapeutic even, because I had some stuff on my mind, so I'm really glad I went and worked it out physically and mentally speaking. And I love working out in the morning because it seems to make the day seem longer (in a good way), plus I don't feel bad about lazy the rest of the day! But I was actually a productive little bee today- I ran the dishwasher, changed the cat litter, did a load of laundry, cleaned my room, etc. So much for being lazy!

Oh, and my roommate and I exchanged presents tonight! I gave her a silver-plated cat bookmark, a cat mug and picture frame (she's the cat lover in the apartment, and I'm the one with the cat- how funny is that?), an adjustable three-hole punch (inside joke, sorry!), and the DVD Wall-E. And she gave me a pink yoga mat and a yoga block (both of which I desperately needed!), and my favorite thing ever- BOOKS!!! Not one, not two, not THREE, but FIVE books!!!! Want to know what they are? Well, you're finding out anyway. ;-)

*Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man, by Norah Vincent. It's about a woman who goes undercover dressed and acting like a man for a year and a half and writes about the experience. I remember hearing about it on The Today Show. It sounds really interesting!*

*The Journals of Sylvia Plath, compiled by Ted Hughes (her husband). It is what it sounds like- her journals, from childhood on, all rolled into one big probably-sad-and-depressing-but-really-damn-good book! I'm really excited for this one!*

*Saturday, by Ian McEwan. It's about a neurosurgeon who gets involved in a minor fender-bender and the aftermath of the accident... it turns his life completely out of control. It sounds like that Ben Affleck/Samuel L. Jackson movie Changing Lanes, no? I'm sure the book is a million times better, since that's usually the case!*

*To Hell with All That- Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife, by Caitlin Flanagan. It's a collection of short stories/essays about weddings, marriages, motherhood, sex, nannies, etc... of those women's studies/sociological books you know I love so much. Looks awesome!*

*Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, by Ruth Reichl. Ruth Reichl is a food critic for The New York Times, and I actually just bought her other two books at the very last book sale I went to, so it's perfect timing to get this one as well! The book is about the author going "undercover" in different disguises and characters- from a harried soccer mom, to a Bohemian hippie, etc.- and writes about how she's treated at restaurants as a "regular" patron, and comparing it to her experiences because, as a recognized and renowned food critic, restaurant managers are always doing everything they can to accommodate her and kiss her ass, free meals, bribery for a better review, etc. So she writes about the contrasts of this life vs. being treated as "one of the regulars". Ah, the scandalous world of NYC restaurants. ;-)

They all sound like excellent books and I'm so happy to add them to my collection. My roommate definitely knows that the way to my heart is through a good book! :-)

Okay, I'm beat. I need to rest and fight this SOB cold. Time to curl up in bed with my book and my flannel sheets. Goodnight! :-)

All-around great day

Why today was awesome:

*I had my year-end review, which went very, very well. And I'm happy with my raise too, which isn't nearly as great as it had been last year (thanks, economic recession!), but was higher than the department average, or so I was told. But you know what? I don't care if that's true or not. I'm just happy to have a job in general with the way the economy is right now, let alone a raise! I feel very lucky.

*I wore a new shirt and received many, many compliments.

*I had a kickass workout at the gym today.

*I am LOVING my new book.

*Our office holiday party is tomorrow. Meaning hardly any work will get done. I'm on the Party Planning Committee (just like The Office, haha!), so I'll be getting there early to help set everything up, and afterwards, everyone will be too hyped up on sugar and excitement and presents to get any real work done.

*TWO DAYS left of work until my (almost) two-week vacation!!!!

*Good TV on tonight- the season finale of Stylista and a new episode of Top Chef.

Yes, indeed, a very good day. I hope you all had good days too. :-)

Good reviews... and not-so-good reviews!

So I tried to read Nip n' Tuck on my lunch break today, and it was just awful. Dreadful. It didn't make any sense, it wasn't funny, and I didn't understand most of it. The author was trying too hard to be funny and witty, and I left my Irish-slang-to-American-humor translator at home. I had said yesterday the author was British, but she is in fact actually Irish. I normally don't have a problem reading Irish fiction- I love Cathy Kelly and Maeve Binchy. But I couldn't understand one word this lady was writing, and she wasn't funny! Argh! I finally gave up and put it back in my bag and spent the rest of my lunch break catching up on my favorite food blogs.

So into the Box o'Titles I dug for a new book to read... I was hoping to pull a good title, and I have been craving some fiction, and lo and behold!

<insert jazz hands here>

Songs Without Words, by Ann Packer. I just bought this at one of the more recent book sales I frequented in the fall... interesting how my random picks have all been recent acquisitions! But I always give the box several good shakes and get the Post-its all mixed up and jumbly, so I assure you, it's all random coincidence!

Anywho, so here's a quickie synopsis of the summary, which I was not clever enough to paraphrase... this is a direct lift from Goodreads.com: When her mom committed suicide 30 years ago, Sarabeth moved in with Liz, finding a safe haven with Liz's warm and nurturing family. But now it's Liz who is in need of comfort, following the suicide attempt of her depressed 15-year-old daughter, Lauren. For Sarabeth, however, the traumatic incident triggers old memories and "distant music, familiar and sad. A song without words." She doesn't call or visit for days afterward, and Liz feels shut out and let down. All of their dissimilarities emerge: Liz is the staid stay-at-home suburban mom, while Sarabeth is the artsy, single urbanite. Meanwhile, Liz's husband, Brody, and son, Joe, deal with Lauren's illness in totally different ways, leading to a rift in the marriage and the family.

Ooh... intense drama fiction! Just in time for the holidays! I can't wait to get started on my new book tonight!

Now on to the promised good reviews. The first:

I found a Peanut Butter Blisscrisp Jamfrakas Bar (what's up with the name??? I don't get it!) at my local TJs and had to buy it. There's also a Chocolate Chip one waiting to be taste-tested, but I was feeling the pb love today.

My first impression when I opened it was hmmm.... it's awfully small. I know it's for kids, but I was still a little skeptical of its potential to fuel my afternoon workout (not like that was particularly labor-intensive today... it's all sleety and snowy out, so I skipped the gym and did my Abs for Dummies tape at home!), and hold me over until dinner.

Well, first and foremost, let me just say that I underestimated the staying power of this little bar. I ate it at about 4:45, and not only did it get me through 45 minutes of abs and crunches, it's also gotten me through a load of laundry, a shower, and taking out the trash. It's almost 7:30 and I'm just starting to get a little hungry.

But let's move on to the taste. It tasted AWESOME! You know what it reminded me of? Remember those Girl Scout cookies Do-Si-Dos? The peanut butter sandwich ones? I thought it tasted just like that! A repeat purchase for sure! The perfect little snack to stash in your purse or for little core-focused workouts like Pilates or Yoga, where I like a little something in my tummy but nothing too heavy. I love finding tasty new bars! :-)

And now for the best review of the day... ME!!!! I got my year-end review at work today, and it was positively glowing! Apparently I rocked the casbah at work this year. Not that I thought I'd done a bad job or anything throughout the year, but I've had a rough year personally, and although I've tried extremely hard to keep my personal life out of the office, I know there were days where I came in a little stressed and upset. That was actually pointed out in my review; however, it was the ONLY negative feedback that I got, and that wasn't even that bad- just that I seemed a little "withdrawn" and "quiet" at sometimes. But the rest of my review was amazing! Colleagues complimented me on my skills, my work ethics, my ability to meet deadlines, they said I went above and beyond, had a great attitude and a great sense of humor, was a pleasure to work with, etc... it went on so much, I actually got a little teary-eyed from happiness! My official review is tomorrow- that's when I find out how much of a raise I'm getting. But we get our reviews in hard-copy format in advance so we have time to review them before we meet with our managers. Anyway, that just made my day! (Finding out about the raise will make my year, LOL)

Okay, time to make a quick dinner (salmon burger and steamed veggies for me tonight- quick, easy, and healthy!) and watch the season finale of The Biggest Loser.... GO MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Hope you all had as great a day as I did! :-)

Whirlwind weekend

Wow, did this weekend just FLY by! But I successfully tackled everything on my "to-do" list, so it's all good. Plus, I don't really have much room to complain about the weekend going by too fast, because as of this Friday at 4:30 PM, I will be on vacation for TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!! Well, sort of. I'll be in the office on Christmas Eve, but the office is closing at 1 PM, and I also will be working New Year's Eve, but we usually get out early that day too. But other than that, I will be on vacation from this Friday until January 5!!! I am so excited!!! And I'm going to start off my vacation by going to see the Pennsylvania Ballet performing The Nutcracker with my roommate in the city on Friday evening... my grandmother used to take me and my cousins to see it when we were little, and I always loved it. I haven't seen it in years, so it'll be nice to see it again, especially this year when I got such devastating news about my grandmother. She'll be really happy to hear that I'm going... and maybe even a little jealous! ;-)

I had such a great day today. I can't remember the last really good day I had. It was just one of those days where everything went smoothly, you know what I mean? I slept really well last night, I had a good day at work, a great workout, an awesome dinner (simple, but delicious- grilled chicken sandwich with a Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb cheese wedge on a toasted Arnold's 100-Calorie Whole Wheat Thin and sauteed mushrooms, along with some steamed carrots and broccoli with light balsamic vinaigrette... yum!) my Cosmo actually came early for once... happiness all around.

I finished Life's Work today on my lunch break... I read it in just four days! And I had not been so busy this weekend and committed more time to it, I probably could have finished it in even less time. It was a very fast read- 218 pages- and it was great! The author was (is? not sure if she still is) a columnist for The New York Times, and the book seemed to be pretty much a compilation of her columns. Each "chapter" was only a page or two long, which is probably another reason why it was such a fast, easy-breezy read. Anyway, it was very cute and quirky, and I liked it a lot. In one chapter/column, she quoted a playwright that I'd never heard of before, Ionesco, regarding the concept of time, and I think it was my favorite sentence in the whole book, and I most definitely related to it: "We haven't the time to take the time." Ah, so true! We get so busy with work, with school, with functions and parties and obligations and commitments, that we often don't have the luxury of time itself. There are definitely days where I feel that way! I try to savor and appreciate the little things in life, as I'm sure a lot of us try to do, but some days, life seems to just get in the way of what should be a simple pleasure, and a necessity for our personal sanity! Think how much happier we'd all be if we just had the time to take our time. Let's all try it tomorrow, even just for a few minutes, and see what happens. :-)

I'm tired, so that's about as deep as my thoughts are going to go for the evening, and that's admittedly not even all that deep, LOL. Anyway, I enjoyed the book very much and recommend it if you're looking for a quick read about the day-to-day struggles of the daily grind!

Here's the new book I picked out of the box!

Like the Powerpuff Girls fleece blanket chilling on my bed? Haha. What can I say... I never grew up! In fact, if you look really closely, you can partially see one of my Care Bear slippers peeking out in the back righthand corner of the picture.

Anyway, the new book pick is called Nip n' Tuck, by Kathy Lette. I didn't buy this; a friend of mine gave it to me, literally, about seven years ago, and I've never cracked it open. It's a British chick lit book, the typical story of a plucky woman who's hit 40 and her husband has left her for a hottie half her age, and she contemplates getting plastic surgery in an effort to get him back, and she relies on friends and family to get her through the troubled times. A familiar story! I thumbed through it and am a little leery of it, it doesn't look really all that interesting or funny, but I'll give it a fair try- a day- and if I'm still not feeling it by tomorrow, then I'll pick another book. Life's too short to read books you're just not that into!

Hope you all have fabulous weekends! I'm beat, so I'm off to go watch TV and read... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I sleep as well tonight as I did last night! I can't remember the last time I slept that soundly! Then again, I had no coffee at all yesterday, and four cups this morning at work, so I need to prepare myself for the fact that it might not happen. But here's hoping it does! :-)