Showing posts with label 2 on Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 on Tuesday. Show all posts

January 30, 2012

Tuesdays At The Table/2 on Tuesday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

If you haven't noticed, I try to do two posts on Tuesdays - our usual recipe link up, and Andrea's 2 on Tuesday (the topic for that changes every week).  As it would happen, this week's topic is food!!  We're being asked what our two "go-to" recipes are.
2 on Tuesday


I am a sucker for orange chicken, and the crock-pot version is so easy and absolutely delicious!  I posted the recipe almost a year ago, and you can find it here.

Another recent favorite is Mexican egg rolls.  It's a yummy meal that can be altered to accommodate even the pickiest of kids, and it's fun for them to help assemble too! The recipe from a few months ago is here.

Because I can't follow rules - I'm going to share my favorite dessert too.  If I get invited to a cook-out and don't have much time to prepare, these suckers are going with me.  (Fine.  I bring them even if I have tons of time to prepare.  But people love them, I swear!)  Recipe here!

Photobucket

This week's recipe is a soup that a small group of my friends ask for every time I see them. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

6 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half & half
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half and half until smooth.  Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the brother mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  Discard the bay leaves.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender.  Add the cheese and whisk over medium heat until melted.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

 

January 23, 2012

2 on Tuesday: Music For All Moods

It's music week on 2 on Tuesday!  One of my favorite subjects, dontcha know?! (Sorry... a bit of my Newfoundland heritage leaking out.) The best way for me to tackle the song choices is via youtube.  That works, right? Right!
2 on Tuesday


What is the song you play when you want to get pumped up?

LMFAO is fun and upbeat!

What is the song you play when you want/need to cry?

Amazing Grace makes me cry like a baby. And so do bagpipes. I come from a large Scottish family...so it only makes sense. :-)


What is the song you play when you’re cleaning?

I love, love, love Florence and The Machine. This song gets a lot of play in my house, car, etc. :-)

What is the song you play when you’re exercising?

My excercising these days is mostly walks around the neighborhood with the pups. I love 80's pop and Crowded House plays the Isle of Wight Festival every few years (it's on my dream concert list, for you music junkies!) which inevitable ends up on BBC or Paladium for me to watch.

Now go link up with Andrea!

January 16, 2012

2 on Tuesdays: Red Carpet Fashion

The adorable Andrea is back in action with her "2 on Tuesdays" linky!  She picked a good one this week.... Red carpet fashion.  :-)
What celebrities do you think have the best red carpet fashion? What celeb’s closet would you like to raid?


2 on Tuesday


I lurved Reese Witherspoon's dress.  Strapless can be risky...but she does it oh so well.  The color is fabulous too.

REESE WITHERSPOON
 photo | Reese Witherspoon
{Picture taken from people.com}

Emma Stone looked so beautiful.  Bless her for having the courage to wear that deep of a "V" neckline.  I could never do that...but she does, and does it well!

EMMA STONE photo | Emma Stone
{Picture taken from people.com}


I think Jessica Alba could wear a potato sack and look glamorous!  I wish she had worn a slightly less neutral color...but that dress looks like it was made to compliment her shape and features.

JESSICA ALBA   photo | Jessica Alba
{Picture taken from people.com}

Who's closet would I like to raid?  Well, I think that the ones who carried it off best on the Golden Globes are some that have a sense of style that I like...

Jessica Alba
Reese Witherspoon
Jennifer Garner
Kate Winslet

Now, head on over and link up with Andrea!


November 28, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Christmas Traditions

2 on Tuesday


As you can see, between my linky party and Andrea's, Tuesday is a busy day on ye olde blog.  :-)  This week, Andrea is asking:
What are your Christmas traditions?

For organizational sake - I'm going to break this into two parts.  You're going to notice some total overlap!

1. Traditions growing up...
  • A new ornament each year. Typically, my brother and I got to pick ours out the first weekend in December.  Then, I had the job (sometimes with, but usually without) of decorating the tree. 
  • Putting up the Christmas tree.  Always live!  Always had some sort of mishap.  Remind me sometime to tell you the story of the year we had a tree that was sprayed by a moose.
  • Drives to see Christmas lights.  Some of the communities around here go ALL OUT!!!  There are neighborhoods that charge admission and blare music as you drive through. 
  • Putting up the nativity scene. I loved putting up my mom's nativity scene!  It was 70's cheesy...but it's a part of me.
  • New shoes! Growing up, I always got a new pair of shoes for Christmas. I'm sure it was a practical gift...but it was always one that I looked forward to.
  • Advent calendars.  Growing up they were those awesome chocolate-a-day calendars.  It sure worked to get me excited!
  • Passing out the gifts.  As a kid, it was always my job to pass out the presents.  As my mom put it - "You've always been really organized and diplomatic".
  • Christmas morning pictures.  I inherited my shutterbug gene from my dad.  He was forever harassing us with the camera! As you can tell... I was occasionally less than amused!
  • Christmas breakfast. Dad always made waffles and cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast.  It's one of my fondest memories.
  • Christmas movies.  Our play list included How The Grinch Stole Christmas, It's Christmas Charlie Brown, A Christmas Story & National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
  • Midnight Church.  I have wonderful memories from high school of this.  Why?  Because I was in the church choir and singing in the dark via candlelight to the congregation almost always moved me to tears. Tears of joy; tears of nervousness (Hey, give a clumsy girl a candle while she's in a choir robe and y'all better start PRAYING I don't burn the church down!); tears for all the people I so desperately miss.
  • Christmas morning pictures.  I inherited my shutterbug gene from my dad.  He was forever harassing us with the camera! As you can tell... I was occasionally less than amused!



2. Traditions now...
  • A new ornament each year. Due to "budgetary cutbacks", I won't have my own tree this year (which is fine...it's just me in the house, really).  But, I sure as heck will be getting a new ornament!
  • Putting the tree up.  This year, I'll only deal with my parents tree...which is now artificial. And much, much smaller than the trees of growing up.  When I have kids, I'll make sure they get the same huge, live trees that I did.
  • Drives to see Christmas lights.  See above.
  • Putting up the nativity scene.  When my dad's mom passed away, the nativity scene my mom had made her found its way back east.  I cry when I put it up.  But it's good tears.
  • New shoes! It's one of my few treats to myself, but I always buy a new pair of shoes for Christmas.  :-)
  • Advent calendars.  These days, I use the Jacquie Lawson computer advent calendar.  This year the theme is "London".  I'm in love!
  • Passing out gifts.  Still my job, gang!  I know that at some point I'll get married and the logistics of Christmas day will change...but until then, I'm enjoying being the keeper of the gifts.
  • Christmas morning pictures.  These days, I'm usually the one holding the camera & the pictures are mostly of the pups ripping into their gifts and showing off new toys/outfits.
  • Christmas breakfast. If you guessed that I'm the one making Christmas breakfast the past few years, you'd be right.  :-)  But you all know how much I love to cook!! Typically, I hold true to the waffles of yester-year.  I think I might like to mix it up this year.  Maybe cinnamon roll waffles?  Maybe french toast casserole?
  • Christmas movies.  Movies from my childhood are still on heavy rotation.  I've also added Love Actually (one of my FAVORITE movies, period), the new version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, Serendipity & Elf.
  • Church. I still go...but I'm not in the choir.  For years, I had a job that prohibited my attendance at rehearsals.  Maybe I'll find my way back to the choir. Maybe!
What are your Christmas traditions?


November 21, 2011

2 on Tuesday - A Thankful Blogger

I have a whole post ready for Thanksgiving morning of things that I'm thankful for.  But, I love Andrea, and I think that being thankful for blogging is totally worth a post all its own.  :-)



2 on Tuesday



Her question this week is: Why are you thankful for blogging?


For me, this is both an easy and a hard question.  I'm so thankful for blogging because I've found a whole bunch of people that I can relate to.  Lovely ladies from across the country and internationally.  Sweethearts who are new moms, fur-moms, proud aunts or maybe grandmas.  Amazing and joyful people who are SAHMs, doctors, lawyers, teachers or stuck in an office all day. People that supported me through my brother's deployment, through buying my house & through leaving my job.  You all made it ok to admit that sometimes, It's not OK; that you got royally screwed over; that taking a few minutes to let out the tears doesn't make you weak. That sounds simple right?

Well, the question is hard for me because it's difficult to quantify the value of this!!  You just can't put a value on the friendship and support you've received. 

For a while, I wanted to tell the "outside world" about my blog.  But, ultimately, I decided against it.  Non-bloggers just don't understand how close you can get to other bloggers.  I LURVE YOU ALL!!!  I'm not hiding my blog.  I've let a close circle of friends know that it exists, where it is, and encouraged them to blog as well.  However, I just can't put up a status update on FB when I've made a blog post.  Some of the things I share here just aren't for general consumption.  I'm a pretty private person...  I don't need a guy that I liked in 7th grade knowing what health problems my parent's are having, the drunk dialing incident of late or many other things that I freely share with you all.  Quite frankly - I trust all of you with my thoughts and feelings.  Knowing that you'll encourage me rather than leave a nasty comment or get snarky.

So, that's why I'm thankful for blogging.  YOU!!!!  Each and every one of you!  I hope I can support each of you the way you've supported me.

November 14, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Pet Peeves

Howdy!!!  I'm linking up with the super Andrea again for 2 on Tuesday.  This week, she's asking:
What are your two pet peeves?



2 on Tuesday



That's an easy one...I think!

1. Rude people.  You know the type of people that I'm talking about.  They ask you a question, then talk over you.  They forget you exist until they need something from you.  They wear an oppressive amount of perfume, then wonder why you're wheezing....  I like to believe that I'm considerate of others as much as humanly possible.  Is it bad to hope others would act the same way?!




2. Bad drivers.  Accidents happen.  It's part of life... But if you're getting in an accident so often that your Insurance Agent asks "What did you do this time?", chances are, it's not that the curb jumped out and bit your tire...you're a BAD driver!  So use your turn signal, obey the traffic laws (at least, most of them) and hopefully keep from paying an accident deductible so often!

Drop by and share your pet peeves with the group!


November 07, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Dear Santa

It's time for another round of 2 on Tuesday with the awesome Andrea!!  This week, she's asking us...
What’s on your Christmas wish list? What do you want to receive from Santa?



2 on Tuesday


I wish I could limit my list to two items.  But, if you're going to ask Santa for presents - GO BIG!!

I only got my Kindle last Christmas...but I REALLY want the Kindle Fire! 


 I think I'm the only woman in the world without a Clarisonic Mia.  And I waaant one!

I definitely need a new pair of black flats. I like these Coach ones...but really, as long as they are cute, I'm not picky!

Right now, I only have my sectional in the living room.  I'd like a big fluffy chair too. :-)

I adore my Coach tote. It's almost time for a new one.

You just can't go wrong with a cashmere cardigan in a fun color!

The new OPI line of Muppet colors are adorable.  I'd happily model any of them on my little fingers!

And...a boy in a big red bow.  Adam Levine, perhaps?!

What's on your letter to Santa?

October 17, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Favorite Restaurants

It's that time again!  Time for Andrea's 2 on Tuesday.  This week our effervescent host is asking us: What are your two favorite restaurants?



2 on Tuesday



Hmm...
1. Friendly's.  Yeah, it's a chain.  Yep, you often hear a screaming child or two.  But I'm in love with their BBQ chicken sandwiches and peanut butter cup sundaes.  Plus they have waitresses who actually pay attention to whether you need another drink.  You just can't say enough about good customer service.  I'm a good tipper when you treat me well.  :-)



2. The Cheesecake Factory.  Another chain restaurant.  Is that kinda pathetic? But we all know that it would take you a year to eat through the menu, right?! I think I could eat their orange chicken every day for a month.  Here's where I get some incredulous stares....I don't like cheesecake.  I do, however, covet their "Linda's chocolate cake".  They have the ONLY chocolate cake that I'll eat. (Huh, this makes me sound like a really picky eater...)


Go visit Andrea and tell us about your two favorite restaurants!

October 10, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Fashion Faux Pas

The lovely Andrea has posed a really good topic this week.  Tell me your two biggest fashion mistakes.



2 on Tuesday



Oh, lordy.  I think we all make some questionable fashion mistakes.  If you didn't....I'm really envious.  Or you're lying.  {No judging}While I'm not willing to show you pictures of my biggest fashion mistakes (sorry!), I will definitely share them with you.

The first one was perming my hair.  I always had nice, shiny hair. But it's stick straight and baby fine. So, my mom's hairdresser convinced me to perm my hair in 6th grade.  At first I loved it. It was new and different. I had the ringlets I'd coveted for years.  My mistake was letting that hairdresser keep perming my hair for 3 years! By the end, I was just a mop of frizzy grossness.  I felt a little like this...



My second ongoing faux pas was indulging in the leggings crazy of the mid 90's.  I'm a chubby girl...and hindsight is 20/20.  Though, I always kept everything covered up. Now that the leggings/jeggings craze is passing through again, I have some very strong feelings on them.
  • No one above a single digit size should EVER been seen in public (this excludes the gym, where it's socially acceptable) wearing leggings/jeggings.
  • If you must wear them - always make sure you're wearing a top that covers your private parts.  Camel toe isn't pretty, and it's sooo much more than I need to know if you happen to be wearing leggings.
  • If they're so thin that you can see through them - you aren't wearing leggings.  You're wearing footless tights.  Go put on some pants, Princess!
  • No stilettos.  Just, no. And no socks unless you're wearing boots so you won't see them.
They should look like this...




Not this...




October 03, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Childhood Toys

I love Andrea's linky party.  Almost as much as I love mine! :-) And she is such an amazing friend!!!  She's hosting a giveaway of one of hats this week!  Go visit her!

 This week, the brilliant and adorable Andrea is asking:

What were your two favorite childhood toys?




Sit N' Spin.  Fun toy!!!  When else is it funny to get your small child dizzy? (Just kidding.  Kinda.) Really, I think that this toy was the beginning of my love of roller coasters.  The exhilirated, slightly fuzzy feeling is still fun today.  :-)



Sweetheart Barbie.  Marketed for Valentine's Day...but oddly enough, I got this Barbie for my birthday when I was seven.  Yes, my memory is that good!  She has the traditional flowing blonde Barbie hair, super pretty dress and she made kissy noises. 



And now...I'm going to show you one of my favorite playmates.  This is Munchkin.  Her real name is Miscotobe - a completely made up name that originated as Misty, Scottie and Toby; the three boy dogs that family members had recently added.  I'd show you my other favorite playmate, Misty...but I can't find a picture of him at the moment.
Anyway...BEST playmates EVER!!!! They let me dress them up, do horsy rides when I was really little and they would actually go down the slide of my swing set with me.  As you can see, I've ALWAYS been a dog person.  Hahahaha!

September 26, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Shows I Miss

Happy Tuesday!!!  I'm linking up with Andrea for 2 on Tuesday again.  You know I must love her if I willingly break my rule against posting twice in one day!


2 on Tuesday


This week, Andrea is asking What two shows that have gone off the air do you miss the most?

Such an easy one!!


1. West Wing!  My favorite show ever.  I love politics - so the witty banter, policy issues and current events were right up my alley.  Plus, Aaron Sorkin does the whole "walk and talk" banter better than any show I've ever seen.  I wish they'd do a reunion show or movie.  I really want to know if Josh ended up in politics after being Chief of Staff, if Josh and Donna had kids, how Toby is doing, and if President Bartlett succumbs to MS.  Don't you?!?!



2. The Muppet Show.  The old school, singing, dancing, guest stars MUPPET SHOW!  I'll always be a child at heart and have the Muppet versions of The Banana Boat Song, Lime In The Coconut and 12 Days of Christmas on my iPod.

I'd also like to mention that the super sweet Andrea will be giving away a hat from my *NEW ETSY STORE*!!  Go visit her and enter.  :-) *NOTE: The giveaway hasn't started yet, so I'm directing you to Andrea's main site instead of a specific post.*

September 19, 2011

2 on Tuesday - Fall Shows

This week, the uber-cute Andrea is asking us "What two shows are you most looking forward to?".  Seeing as I'm just giddy with the excitement of a new TV season, I think that this is an AWESOME question!


2 on Tuesday



We all know that I can't stick to the requested two shows, but I'll try to keep the list short (or maybe I'll revisit this topic again in a few weeks!).


New Girl.  Zooey Deschanel is so adorable.  I just love that Fox has both Deschanel girls in series this year!  Now, I guess I should admit that I've cheated.  My cable provider has the premier episode onDemand already - so, I just had to watch it a time or two already.  FABULOUS!!  So funny! 



DWTS. Generally, I don't enjoy reality TV (yes, I know I'm weird!).  This show just sucks me in.  The stars are pretty much lower-tiered, but it is amazing watching them learn to dance.  So much fun!  Plus, there's Maks.  And this year..his brother Val too!




NCIS. I am a sucker for crime shows.  I think that this is NCIS' 8th season, and every year, they come up with great new material.  It never gets old!  Does anyone else want Ziva and Tony to end up together as much as I do? And...while I'm talking about NCIS, shout out to NCIS:LA too.  A vastly different show, but absolutely of the same quality and caliper.  They better save Hetty, or I'm going to be one cranky girl!


Glee.  Little secret - I was one of the music geeks in high school.  Band, marching band, chorus, theatre, etc.  This show is awesome, and it reminds me that despite the teenage angst, high school was actually fun (kinda)!  I just wish that I was as talented as these people!!

*Bones is high on my list too.  But..it doesn't come back for a few months, so I'll talk about it then!*

 
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