1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
3/4 lb ground beef
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c dill pickle relish
1/2 c crumbled cooked bacon
5 eggs
1 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c 2% milk
2 t prepared mustard
1 t hot pepper sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional garnishes: mayonnaise, additional pickle relish, crumbled cooked bacon, and chopped onion and tomato
1. Unroll pastry into a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; flute edges and set aside. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, relish and bacon. Transfer to prepared pastry.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, mustard, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses.
3. Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with optional ingredients if desired.
Yield: 8 servings
Notes: I didn't use the pie pastry. I substituted 1-1/2 c milk for the cream/milk combo, which made this pretty liquidy, so I need to remember to use less milk next time (especially since I only use fat-free milk). I didn't use the Parmesan cheese, because I think that's a migraine trigger for me.
31 March 2011
30 March 2011
Something is not quite right
So, I'm watching tv earlier today, and one of those "if you took this medication and now your head is falling off," commercials came on begging people to join a class-action lawsuit. It caught my attention because it happened to be a medication and an issue that was discussed only yesterday in my doctor's appointment.
But when THIS screen came on my tv, I did a double-take. I did such a double-take, I'm surprised I don't have whiplash, actually. Then I had to pause the television so I could take a picture and send it to some friends who I knew would appreciate it.
Then I decided it needed a larger audience.
Enjoy!
But when THIS screen came on my tv, I did a double-take. I did such a double-take, I'm surprised I don't have whiplash, actually. Then I had to pause the television so I could take a picture and send it to some friends who I knew would appreciate it.
Then I decided it needed a larger audience.
Enjoy!
29 March 2011
Today was an interesting day
(from Merriam-Webster) in•ter•est•ing (adj): holding the attention
Today was an interesting day, an a few different fronts.
That is all.
Today was an interesting day, an a few different fronts.
That is all.
28 March 2011
My Exciting Week
Plans for this week
Today: I had my pulmonary function test. Apparently, I have lungs and a small nose.
Tomorrow: I get to visit my gyn to get checked for a hernia. This is basically like the regular internal exam, except no Pap. I go back next month for that. I can't get it done in one visit because my insurance will yell if I get the Pap done before a certain date. Med Student pointed out that her mechanic gives her a discount if she gets her oil changed BEFORE the date on the sticker. I said I'd call IBC and see what I could work out.
Wednesday: Errand running, groceries, must remember to put Mom's birthday present in the mail.
Saturday: Med Student comes over. We're trying two new recipes. A revision of a recipe I posted earlier and a recipe from Julie. If that recipe works, I'll be posting it here later. Med Student coming over means that I need to get the house cleaned.
Since this place is still recovering from being Pertussis Palace from mid-January to mid-March, this will take all of Thursday and Friday. Yay.
Today: I had my pulmonary function test. Apparently, I have lungs and a small nose.
Tomorrow: I get to visit my gyn to get checked for a hernia. This is basically like the regular internal exam, except no Pap. I go back next month for that. I can't get it done in one visit because my insurance will yell if I get the Pap done before a certain date. Med Student pointed out that her mechanic gives her a discount if she gets her oil changed BEFORE the date on the sticker. I said I'd call IBC and see what I could work out.
Wednesday: Errand running, groceries, must remember to put Mom's birthday present in the mail.
Saturday: Med Student comes over. We're trying two new recipes. A revision of a recipe I posted earlier and a recipe from Julie. If that recipe works, I'll be posting it here later. Med Student coming over means that I need to get the house cleaned.
Since this place is still recovering from being Pertussis Palace from mid-January to mid-March, this will take all of Thursday and Friday. Yay.
27 March 2011
Doin' the ChaCha
About a month and a half ago, I started a VERY part-time gig (technically working as an independent contractor) for ChaCha, which is a mobile search engine. People text in questions to us (the number is 242242 - it spells out "ChaCha"), and we answer them (with varying degrees of success depending on which guide answers your question, of course - just like any other customer service job).
The pay isn't awesome (we're paid per question answered), but the perks are these: I can literally work any hours I want, including only during commercials when the race is on; I am highly entertained by the questions that come in; I learn something every night; although the pay isn't great, it's certainly better than nothing; they have contests and bonuses a LOT that are on top of the regular pay we receive; and they have forums, including a "Frugal Living" forum that include coupons, give-aways, and discounts that everyone posts when we come across them. I've already saved some money thanks to some tips and tricks!
When I first started, I did a Google search that said that ChaCha is a scam and I shouldn't do it, but they were all regular blog posts, nothing associated with state AG offices or Better Business Bureaus. So I figured I would do it for one month and see if I got paid (you have to "bank" a certain amount of money each month to get paid). If I didn't get paid, I figured I'd have only wasted one month, plus I had the entertainment and educational value. But they actually put a fair amount of time and energy into the training (I had to pass an initial test, then get trained, then pass a second test), plus they do QC ratings (on several levels) every week. So that seemed like an awful lot to go through for a scam.
I'm happy to say that a couple of weeks ago, I got my first pay. Yay!
So, at least until I get a Real Job (TM), I'll be doing the ChaCha. And after then, I'll probably keep doing it, because it IS fun, and it's a great way to score extra funds. (Anyone who's interested, let me know and I can hook you up.)
The pay isn't awesome (we're paid per question answered), but the perks are these: I can literally work any hours I want, including only during commercials when the race is on; I am highly entertained by the questions that come in; I learn something every night; although the pay isn't great, it's certainly better than nothing; they have contests and bonuses a LOT that are on top of the regular pay we receive; and they have forums, including a "Frugal Living" forum that include coupons, give-aways, and discounts that everyone posts when we come across them. I've already saved some money thanks to some tips and tricks!
When I first started, I did a Google search that said that ChaCha is a scam and I shouldn't do it, but they were all regular blog posts, nothing associated with state AG offices or Better Business Bureaus. So I figured I would do it for one month and see if I got paid (you have to "bank" a certain amount of money each month to get paid). If I didn't get paid, I figured I'd have only wasted one month, plus I had the entertainment and educational value. But they actually put a fair amount of time and energy into the training (I had to pass an initial test, then get trained, then pass a second test), plus they do QC ratings (on several levels) every week. So that seemed like an awful lot to go through for a scam.
I'm happy to say that a couple of weeks ago, I got my first pay. Yay!
So, at least until I get a Real Job (TM), I'll be doing the ChaCha. And after then, I'll probably keep doing it, because it IS fun, and it's a great way to score extra funds. (Anyone who's interested, let me know and I can hook you up.)
26 March 2011
You Know You're From Missouri When
Something today on a forum I participated in made me think of this, so I thought I'd post it.
1. Everyone you know has been on a "Float Trip,"
2. "Vacation" means driving to Silver Dollar City, Worlds of Fun or Six Flags.
3. You measure distance in minutes rather than miles. For example, "Well, Webb City's only 20 minutes away."
4. The phrase "I'm going to the Lake this weekend"only means one thing.
5. You know several people who have hit a deer.
6. You know what "Party Cove" is.
7. Your school classes were cancelled because of cold.
8. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
9. You instinctively ask some one you've just met, "What high school did you go to?"
10. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
11. You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
12. You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
13. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.
14. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of day.
15. You know in your heart that Mizzou can beat Nebraska in football.
16. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
17. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable or grain.
18. You install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked.
19. You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
20. You carry jumper cables in your car and know that everyone else should.
21. You went to skating parties as a kid.
22. You only own three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.
23. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
24. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires six pages for sports.
25. You'll pay for your kids to go to college unless they want to go to KU.
26. You think that "deer season" is a National Holiday.
27. You know that Concordia is halfway between Kansas City and Columbia, and Columbia is halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, and the Warrenton Outlet Mall is halfway between Columbia and St. Louis.
28. You can't think of anything better than sitting on the porch in the middle of the summer during a thunderstorm.
29. You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
30. You've said, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."
31. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer and Football.
32. You know if another Missourian is from the Boot-heel, Ozarks, Eastern, Middle or Western Missouri soon as they open their mouth.
33. You know that Harry S Truman, Walt Disney and Mark Twain are all from Missouri.
34. You failed World Geography in school because you thought Cuba, Versailles, California, Nevada, Houston, Cabool, Louisiana, Springfield, and Mexico were cities in Missouri. (And they are! AND you know the correct way to pronounce "Versailles" and "Nevada.")
35. You know what "HOME OF THE THROWED ROLL" means.
1. Everyone you know has been on a "Float Trip,"
2. "Vacation" means driving to Silver Dollar City, Worlds of Fun or Six Flags.
3. You measure distance in minutes rather than miles. For example, "Well, Webb City's only 20 minutes away."
4. The phrase "I'm going to the Lake this weekend"only means one thing.
5. You know several people who have hit a deer.
6. You know what "Party Cove" is.
7. Your school classes were cancelled because of cold.
8. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
9. You instinctively ask some one you've just met, "What high school did you go to?"
10. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
11. You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
12. You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
13. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.
14. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of day.
15. You know in your heart that Mizzou can beat Nebraska in football.
16. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
17. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable or grain.
18. You install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked.
19. You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
20. You carry jumper cables in your car and know that everyone else should.
21. You went to skating parties as a kid.
22. You only own three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.
23. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
24. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires six pages for sports.
25. You'll pay for your kids to go to college unless they want to go to KU.
26. You think that "deer season" is a National Holiday.
27. You know that Concordia is halfway between Kansas City and Columbia, and Columbia is halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, and the Warrenton Outlet Mall is halfway between Columbia and St. Louis.
28. You can't think of anything better than sitting on the porch in the middle of the summer during a thunderstorm.
29. You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
30. You've said, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."
31. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer and Football.
32. You know if another Missourian is from the Boot-heel, Ozarks, Eastern, Middle or Western Missouri soon as they open their mouth.
33. You know that Harry S Truman, Walt Disney and Mark Twain are all from Missouri.
34. You failed World Geography in school because you thought Cuba, Versailles, California, Nevada, Houston, Cabool, Louisiana, Springfield, and Mexico were cities in Missouri. (And they are! AND you know the correct way to pronounce "Versailles" and "Nevada.")
35. You know what "HOME OF THE THROWED ROLL" means.
25 March 2011
List #2: Authors
Authors I adore (in no particular order, and not so much a list, really):
1. Brad Meltzer (I believe I've prattled on about him enough that you've got the idea by now, yes?)
2. Lisa Scottline: Let's hear it for Philly authors! She's got a wicked sense of humour, and while got her law degree from that OTHER law school in Philly (I'm a Temple Law School drop-out and her J.D. is from Penn; Drexel's law school wasn't yet started when I started law school, so it was a two-way rivalry in my day), I still love her. Her characters are multi-dimensional, and she writes strong, intelligent, sassy, female characters. No wussy, co-dependent, needy women here! These aren't the typical legal thrillers, either. If you're looking for John Grisham in a skirt, keep going.
3. Jennifer Weiner: Let's keep the Philly-author love going. She tends to get pigeon-holed as a "chick-lit" author, which just isn't fair. Why can't women write about relationships without it being "chick lit"? I dare say she could write the exact same thing, you could slap a male's name on the book and no one would call it "chick lit." Her books are thoughtful, moving, witty, and insightful.
4. Marian Keyes: I honestly couldn't tell you which Keyes book I read first, but I was instantly hooked, and I've read all of her books since. Anyone who can make a hysterically funny book about a young woman's stint in drug rehab is a winner with me (Rachel's Holiday - the title alone tells you how deep the denial goes). Some of her books are part of a series (she has books on almost every sister in the Walsh family), and some are stand-alones. But anyone who likes either fun, funny books about Irish families or just a serving of light lit to get you through should check these out.
5. Jane Green: Brit chick lit at it's finest. Although Ms. Green lives in Connecticut now, I started reading her when she lived across the pond, and a great deal of her characters either live in England or are British imports (of some kind). Mostly I adore her narrative style. She has a tendency to write as if just the two of you are huddled together in a corner spying on the characters in the novel and she's doing the play-by-play. "Now we observe so-and-so. See how confident she seems? That's because..." I love it.
6. Michael Connelly: I LOVE this man. Before I was laid off last year, I used to be able to say I owned all of his books. Thanks to the library, I can at least still say that I've read all of his books. Most of his books are from the Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch series. Harry is an LAPD detective, and what I love about his is that he's completely flawed. Connelly has masterfully created an entire world throughout his series within which Bosch has made mistakes, conquered demons, and discovered much about himself in the process (including solving of his own mother's murder).
7. John Lescroart: This is another author whose books I used to own all of before my lay-off. Most of his books involve attorney Hardy Dismas and, to a lesser degree, police lieutenant Abe Glitsky. At the beginning of the series, Dismas is a bartender, who then goes back to practising law. He and his friend Glitsky are often on the opposite sides of the same case, until one of them convinces the other he's wrong. Since the two are friends and call on each other for advice, this doesn't require as much suspension of disbelief as it seems. Lescroart writes the court scenes and manoeuvres the legal intricacies quite well for someone without a legal background. Also, my sister got to meet him once (in her work at Barnes & Noble and said he was extremely nice and down-to-earth).
1. Brad Meltzer (I believe I've prattled on about him enough that you've got the idea by now, yes?)
2. Lisa Scottline: Let's hear it for Philly authors! She's got a wicked sense of humour, and while got her law degree from that OTHER law school in Philly (I'm a Temple Law School drop-out and her J.D. is from Penn; Drexel's law school wasn't yet started when I started law school, so it was a two-way rivalry in my day), I still love her. Her characters are multi-dimensional, and she writes strong, intelligent, sassy, female characters. No wussy, co-dependent, needy women here! These aren't the typical legal thrillers, either. If you're looking for John Grisham in a skirt, keep going.
3. Jennifer Weiner: Let's keep the Philly-author love going. She tends to get pigeon-holed as a "chick-lit" author, which just isn't fair. Why can't women write about relationships without it being "chick lit"? I dare say she could write the exact same thing, you could slap a male's name on the book and no one would call it "chick lit." Her books are thoughtful, moving, witty, and insightful.
4. Marian Keyes: I honestly couldn't tell you which Keyes book I read first, but I was instantly hooked, and I've read all of her books since. Anyone who can make a hysterically funny book about a young woman's stint in drug rehab is a winner with me (Rachel's Holiday - the title alone tells you how deep the denial goes). Some of her books are part of a series (she has books on almost every sister in the Walsh family), and some are stand-alones. But anyone who likes either fun, funny books about Irish families or just a serving of light lit to get you through should check these out.
5. Jane Green: Brit chick lit at it's finest. Although Ms. Green lives in Connecticut now, I started reading her when she lived across the pond, and a great deal of her characters either live in England or are British imports (of some kind). Mostly I adore her narrative style. She has a tendency to write as if just the two of you are huddled together in a corner spying on the characters in the novel and she's doing the play-by-play. "Now we observe so-and-so. See how confident she seems? That's because..." I love it.
6. Michael Connelly: I LOVE this man. Before I was laid off last year, I used to be able to say I owned all of his books. Thanks to the library, I can at least still say that I've read all of his books. Most of his books are from the Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch series. Harry is an LAPD detective, and what I love about his is that he's completely flawed. Connelly has masterfully created an entire world throughout his series within which Bosch has made mistakes, conquered demons, and discovered much about himself in the process (including solving of his own mother's murder).
7. John Lescroart: This is another author whose books I used to own all of before my lay-off. Most of his books involve attorney Hardy Dismas and, to a lesser degree, police lieutenant Abe Glitsky. At the beginning of the series, Dismas is a bartender, who then goes back to practising law. He and his friend Glitsky are often on the opposite sides of the same case, until one of them convinces the other he's wrong. Since the two are friends and call on each other for advice, this doesn't require as much suspension of disbelief as it seems. Lescroart writes the court scenes and manoeuvres the legal intricacies quite well for someone without a legal background. Also, my sister got to meet him once (in her work at Barnes & Noble and said he was extremely nice and down-to-earth).
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