3 on Thursday - Celebrity BFF

Programming note: my wordless Wednesday (aka "here, look at my fur-kids") post didn't go up as scheduled.  Darn you, Blogger!  Look for puppy cuteness on Friday instead. :-)
OK...now, where were we?  Are you having  fabulous week?!  I hope so!  I also hope you're visiting my lovely co-host, Andrea.  She's one of the sweetest people I've ever met and you should be reading her blog.  True story!

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Please remember that this is a “few rules” linky, so please post about the weekly topic in order to link up. Be sure to link to your specific blog post and not your blog. Any blogs linked just to get increased traffic (ie. totally off topic) will be deleted. Please don't make us do that! Finally - please do us a favor and visit some of the other ladies to see their answers!
This week' topic:
What three celebrities would you most like to be BFF’s with?

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Emma Stone. She seems so down to earth, has great style and I want the scoop on kissing Ryan Gosling!

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Piper Perabo. I love her on Covert Affairs, she seems so fun, and she actually answers when you send her a tweet. (Of course, she's new to twitter, so who knows how long she'll be able to keep up with people asking questions.) Love that!!!

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Reese Witherspoon. She is so pretty, fills every interview I've seen her on with Southern charm, and if what the gossip mags say is true - is one strict momma!  She totally seems like someone that I'd watch to hang out with on a regular basis.

Tuesdays At The Table - Vanilla Granola

Howdy!  It's Tuesday again.  I have no idea where the weekend went... It's been so hot that it probably went up in steam.  Heeheehee!  :-)  OK, I'll stop.  I know I'm not funny.

Anyway, I'm sharing my love of granola this week.  It seems to be costly in the store, but it's really economical to make yourself.

Vanilla Granola

6 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, toss oats, walnuts, coconut and sesame seeds. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook oil, honey, brown sugar, water and vanilla until well mixed. Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly. Pour into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pans. Bake at 275 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool, stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container.

Even though the recipe calls for coconut, I didn't use it (I'm allergic to coconut) and it still came out really well.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

3 on Thursday - Favorite Vacations

Before we start, please take minute and welcome back my lovely co-host, and one of my besties, Andrea!  She took a little break, but she's back and better than ever!
Did everone enjoy their little break from 3 on Thursday?  I did! Sometimes, we all need a little breather.  :-)  We have some great topics this month - I bet you'll love them!

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This week's topic:
Vacation Plans - tell us about your 3 best vacations, or the plans you have had/are planning for this summer!

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You all know how much I love Europe, right?! Well, I think I could probably move to the UK without a problem (you know, as long as I can bring my dogs and my family/friends).

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Disney!  I need to go every few years and act like a little kid!  I was lucky that my parents brought me every few years - my first trip was at 2 years old - and I think it's one of those places that ALL kids should go at least once by the time they leave elementary school.

The first time I went to Sedona, Arizona was on a business trip.  I've gone back a few times since and just love it there.  It has shops and artist communities and great food - all without compromising the natural beauty of the location.

Link up and tell us about your favorite trips!

Rumor Has It...

...it's my birthday.

I could deny it.  But I won't.  Some people love their birthday.  Some people hate it.  I'm kind of...wishy-washy.  Please tell me that I'm not the only one that feels that way!

However, I do have to thank my amazing friends Andrea and Jane!  They both surprised me with presents, and I adore them for it.  There's nothing like getting a package in the mail to make your day!  Especially when your crabby mailman has to get out of his little truck and walk it up to your front porch.  Heeheehee!

The awesome Andrea got me this:

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The fabulous Jane got me this:

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Aren't I such a lucky woman?!  My birthday lunch is at Wahlburgers.  It totally makes up for spending time at the DMV. :-)

Tuesdays At The Table - Avocado Ranch Dressing

Happy Tuesday!  Did all you lovely, recipe-laden ladies see that I gave you an award yesterday?  I did!
This week, I'm sharing one of my favorite dressings.  It goes well with most salads and on a hot night, I like to just dip carrots and celery in it instead of cooking.

Avocado Ranch Dressing

½ Avocado
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Cup Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Buttermilk
1½ tsp White Vinegar
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Dried Parsley
1/8 tsp Onion Powder
Dash Dill
Dash Garlic Powder
Dash Ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Tomato – Chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp Onion – Chopped (optional)

Place the avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork until it’s smooth. Some small lumps are OK.

Add in the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the chopped tomato and onion.  Stir until everything is mixed well.

Place in a small serving bowl and top with the chopped tomato and onion (optional).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Awards!

I've been lucky enough to get a few bloggerific awards lately.  I contend that I haven't been slacking in posting about them...just waiting until the right time.  You believe me, right?!

This one comes from Nola and her mom.  Nola looks very much like a young version of Meadow! Her fur-siblings minions are pretty darn cute too. Thanks, Nola and the momma!

The rules are pretty straight forward: Thank the blogger(s) who gave you the award and link back to them. Done. Share 7 things about yourself.

1. I have to renew my license this year...and visions of the DMV are already making me not like my birthday.
2. It may not seem like it - but I'm REALLY shy.
3. My cell phone ringtone is currently the minions from Despicable Me singing "Copa Cabana".
4. I'm happiest at home, on the couch, knitting with my pups cuddling me & watching a movie.
5. I'll be one of the first to offer you my help, but tell me what to do and all bets are off!  Oh...and I don't ask for help either. Someone needs to offer - and even then, I'll probably tell you that "I'm fine".
6. I'm probably a little more addicted to caffeine than I should be.  Pass the Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and MaryLou's News!
7. I can't imagine life without my dogs!  They are AWESOME!

Nominate 15 or fewer bloggers:
Lorenza
Mrs. Jones
Puddles
Kristine
Sara
Sara
Sonya
Jennifer
Jessica
Andrea
Celia
Nora B. Webster



The second award is from the lovely Kristine!  She shares a love of dachshunds and is overall a really cool lady!  Thanks, love!

Here are the rules of this award:

*Include the awards logo in a post or on your blog

*Share the love and link the person who awarded you

*Tell us 7 facts about yourself

*Nominate 7 other fabulous bloggers

*Link your nominees to your post and leave them a comment on their blog, letting them know they've won! (OK...I'm cheating on this one. I'll get to as many blogs as I can, but you may get a tweet from me instead!)

1. The summer is my least favorite season.  As a girl with asthma - humidity SUCKS!
2. I used to LOVE wind chimes.  Now I'm surrounded by neighbors that have them...and the love has worn off.
3. I could probably eat the BBQ steak pizza from the pizzeria by my house every night for a week.
4. I have a really hard time saying "no" to people.
5. I love airplanes and roller coasters...but am PETRIFIED of heights.
6. I keep a list of all the things I'd do & people I'd help if I won the lottery.
7. I have this weird obsession with flavored seltzer water.  It was the only way I could give up soda (yes, I still cheat out at restaurants).

Nominate 7 bloggers:
Nola
Mrs. Smith
Shelley
Preppy Girl Meets World
Michelle
Beach Bum & Baby
Brittany

The last award is from Jaimie!  She's one of the lovelies that links up her recipes for Tuesday at the Table.  Thank you, Jaimie!!!!

Because I've already shared a whole bunch of facts - I'm going to rebel and not share 7 more facts.  I'm also going to tag ALL my Tuesdays at the Table folks for this award.  :-)

 If your interested...I'll be blogging here from time to time too. I linked you to my first post. You all know I'd do anything for a dog, especially a dachshund!

Updates...

Because I'm a little scattered, I'm just going to give updates on a few things. Beware, out come the bullet points! Heeheehee :-)

• I passed my CNA state test!  Woohoo!  Hopefully I'll have a new job pretty quickly.
• If you didn't read it before, Andrea and I are skipping "3 on Thursday" this week.  We'll be back with fun new topics next week!
• I'm thrilled to announce that Mrs. Jones will now be co-hosting book club with me!  You all know and love her, right?! If you haven't met her yet, so visit her now! Because only two people (I think) read the June book, let's just use it for July.  Everyone OK with that?
• I will be moving to a .com website pretty soon.  I'll be planning it to coincide with my new blog name and design. I'm so excited!
• This is going to sound weird.  Especially for any of you that don't have dogs.  When I got bitten last week, all I could think about was my dogs. And...I knew right away that Brady, my foster boy, belongs in my home. I've asked the board to keep him and could use a few crossed fingers that I get a "yes".
• I'll be going to the plastic surgeon on Friday to get my stitches out.  My PCP doesn't feel comfortable taking them out, and this way I can get a consult at the same time. The swelling is going down, and my lip is fairly numb.  Hopefully that's temporary.  More news after the doctor's appointment!
• The worst part for me right now is that because of nightmares, the little sleep I get (as an insomniac, I get little sleep to begin with), is compromised.  If anyone has tips, hints, experience on dealing with nightmares - please let me know.
• Jack-Jack is still hanging in.  He's fighting a rough battle and we still don't know that the outcome will be.  His puncture wounds are healing well, but he has a broken snout.  Additionally, he's had four blood transfusions, been intubated (it's back out now), been given a feeding tube (coming out soon), has arrested twice, had four seizures and there's a possibility that he's had a stroke.  Prayers for Jack-Jack and his family are GREATLY appreciated.

I also want to thank each of you.  Somehow talking about my dog bite experience has garnered a few nasty emails and lost me a couple followers. That you all stuck by me means a whole lot! The tweets, texts, emails and blog comments have brightened my day and let me know that I really do have an online support network.  Please know that I'll be here for you too.  :-)

Lastly, if you made it through my updates without wanting to throttle me, congratulations!  Here, have a puppy picture!