The Sewing Mom

It’s late and we’re off to bed. My daughter and I both love to read a good book in bed before turning out the light. I think it’s an amazing way to unwind and tune out everything that’s going on in our minds. It helps me relax and I typically sleep much better after I’ve spent some time reading.

I’m currently reading “The Spyderwick Chronicles”. I wanted to read them before we go see the movie, it allows me to use my imagination instead of simply envisioning what the move producers want me to see. I’m enjoying the books, they’re a pretty quick read and very creative. I just finished reading the third book tonight.

I didn’t want to start a new book so late at night, so I decided to head over to check out the Weekly Shorts at Before I Am Famous for a quick nightcap of reading.

Her latest short story, The President of the United States, is very creative, although, it does sound a little too much like “Men In Black”. I think I would have enjoyed it even more had it been a bit more of her own ideas, more original. I know Jen is a very creative thinker and writer and I do enjoy her blog very much. The site sponsors a Weekly Shorts meme which allows readers to leave a comment with any character or theme idea they have and Jen will write a short story using that information. It’s really a fun way to be involved in the creative side of writing. As a bonus, if your idea is used in a short story, she will give you a link back. What blogger can’t use one of those?

When she’s not authoring short stories, she also writes poetry on her blog. She has quite a few short stories and poems to be read on her site.  They cover a why range of interests, something for everyone.  I for one, visit her site several times each week and find it to be quite entertaining. So, if you’re looking for a good read, be sure to check it out.

Tags: meme, poetry, short stories, writing

This has been a busy week, culminated by a very busy morning this morning. I finally have a moment to sit down and so wanted to get my favorite meme done, Four Foods on Friday and you should feel free to join in. Simply stop by and give Valmg a visit and let her know you’re participating!

#1. Steak. Plain, steak sauce, hot sauce, ketchup or something else? I love steak, wish we could have it more often! If it’s a really tender, well cooked piece of meat, I’ll eat it plain. If it’s lacking in flavor, I’ll use A-1 on it. If it’s prime rib, I have to have my horseradish.

#2. Water. Flavored, plain, carbonated. How do you like it? Here at home we’re drinking bottled water because I’ve been unable to get my ice maker connected and I have to have my water cold. I can’t drink it out of the tap. If I’m at a restaurant, I drink ice water with a slice of lemon.

#3. What’s your favorite kind of waffle? I like a simple, plain Belgian waffle with butter and maple syrup. Occasionally I enjoy having blueberries in the waffle.

#4. If you could have any one new small appliance for your kitchen what would it be and why? Considering I have a cupboard full of unused small appliances, this is difficult. I wouldn’t mind having a new ice tea maker since I seem to have lost parts to mine. I’m also beginning to think I would enjoy having one of those robotic floor sweeps/vacuums to keep my hardwood floors free from dog hair.

Tags: foods, meme

TGIF!! I started the week off well getting things done around the house. The middle of the week pretty much sucked for me as I’ve been suffering from a migraine and haven’t been functioning too well. After babying my head most of yesterday and last night, including using a lavender cold pack on my eyes that was a gift from my sister, I am feeling somewhat better today and am making an attempt to end the week the way it started, productively.

I just finished cleaning the kitchen and was attempting to do some online banking, but my bank’s website is currently down, so I thought I would come over here and post my Four Foods on Friday, my favorite meme. If you’re interested in joining in, please head over to Valmg’s site and leave her a comment after creating your post.

This week’s questions:

#1. What’s your favorite potato chip? If I’m just eating chips by themselves, I’d have to go with Doritoes. If I’m dipping, I’d go with Ruffles, but when I’m out at a restaurant, I can’t get enough of tortilla chips and salsa!

#2. Do you use butter, margarine, both or neither? I tend to use both, it really depends on what I’m doing. For spreading on toast and bread, I use Country Crock spread with calcium. For cooking, I tend to use real butter.

#3. What’s your favorite mixed alcoholic (or virgin) drink? I enjoy a frozen margarita or daiquiri, but I was recently introduced to the mojito which I found quite tasty!

#4. What’s your favorite vegetable and how do you prepare it? I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I love the taste of potatoes when they’ve been cooked with a roast or in beef stew.

Happy Friday!!

Tags: food, Four Foods on Friday, meme

This is my first Thursday Thirteen, but I really liked the Valentine’s theme for today. I want to tell you 13 things I enjoy about Valentine’s Day.

1. Little stuffed animals made especially for Valentine’s Day
2. The fact that my daughter still does the Valentine card exchange at school (she’s in 6th grade)
3. The cute little Twisted Whiskers Valentine’s cards my daughter chose to give her class mates
4. Seeing all the younger kids walking in to school with their cute little Valentine boxes
5. Sneaking a Valentine’s surprise into my daughter’s back pack this morning
6. Waking up this morning to my husband telling me to have a Happy Valentine’s Day
7. Having husband ask me to go out to dinner tonight (I like that he thought of it before he left the house!)
8. Receiving all of the cute Valentine emails I get from my sisters
9. All of the chocolate wrapped in pink and red foil
10. Pink and red M&M’s
11. Watching a romantic movie on tv this evening (I don’t know yet which one)
12. Waiting anxiously for my daughter to come home and tell me about the surprise she found in her back pack
13. The feeling of love that is everywhere on Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! :-

Tags: meme, Thursday Thirteen

It’s 4:20 a.m. and I can’t sleep. I’ve been awake for a couple of hours so decided to get out of bed and do something. What better thing to do than Four Foods on Friday, my favorite meme?! I enjoy this meme, because it’s simple, fun and I happen to like Valmg, the author.

So, here we go, this weeks questions.

#1. What is your favorite kind of juice to drink? I really don’t drink too much juice, but I do like Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry. I like both the regular and light versions. Whenever I’m sick, that is what I drink to stay hydrated.

#2. Pizza. What’s your favorite? We recently discovered a little Italian restaurant that makes excellent pizza. We usually get at least one pineapple and Canadian bacon and the other varies, but I really like pepperoni, sausage and mushroom. Sort of just depends on what we’re in the mood for. We also found a little pizza joint that does specialty crusts. I like their buttered garlic cheese crust. It tastes a lot like eating a pretzel.

#3. Mustard. Yellow, brown, depends. Neither, I don’t care for mustard. I always have yellow in the fridge though for my husband. There are a few recipes I use it in also.

#4. Share a side dish recipe that uses rice or pasta. A side dish huh? Could be the time of morning, but I can’t think of anything except pasta salad. Most dishes I make with rice or pasta are main dishes, not sides. Although, I love regular white rice served with beef stew. That’s my comfort food.

If you’re interested in joining this weekly meme, create your own post and then head on over and leave Valmg a comment. She gives deep links to those who participate and even puts you on her blogroll once you’ve joined in a minimum of six times!

Tags: Four Foods on Friday, meme, recipes

Yay! It’s Friday and time for my favorite meme, Four Foods on Friday by Valmg. If you’d like to participate, create a post answering these four questions and then head on over to Val’s blog and leave her a comment letting her know you’re taking part. She’d appreciate it!

This weeks questions and my answers are:

#1. What is your favorite kind of cheese for snacking? I really enjoy snacking on mild or medium cheddar. I can eat it by itself or on crackers.

#2. What is your favorite kind of jelly? Yumm, I love strawberry jam and jelly. My absolute favorite was the jam my grandmother would make. Sometimes she also had raspberry which was just as delicious.

#3. Yogurt. Regular or custard style? I don’t eat too much yogurt, but when I do, I prefer regular. Once in awhile I like a Yoplait whipped yogurt. I probably should eat more for the calcium.

#4. Share a recipe for a stew or soup. One of my favorites is a tortellini soup that my sister Karen actually gave me the recipe for a few years ago.

1 large container chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 c. chopped cabbage

Heat above ingredients to boiling and simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer an additional 10 minutes until tortellini is cooked.

1 large zucchini, sliced
1 package sausage links, cooked and sliced
1 package frozen tortellini

Serve in bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Tags: meme, recipes

I was tagged by Laura of Laura’s Daily Life to do this interesting alphabet meme.

Rule #1: Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate letter of the alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an “A,” you’d replace the link under that letter and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don’t forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.

1. A. acowboyswife.com

2. B. bloggingcents.com

3. C. caffeine-overload.com

4. D. DadThing.com

5. E. everythingandanythingblog.com

6. F. forumfinder.net

7. G. GeekMomMashup

8. H. happykeg.com

9. I. ipentimento.com

10. J. juliesjournal.com

11. K. kabalyero.com

12. L. ladylike4.com

13. M. mydailylifeasamom.com

14. N. notjustmama.net

15. O. originalmx5.net

16. P. peapodsquadstuff.com

17. Q. qweddings.com

18. R. rowdigrl.com

19. S. sewingmom.com

20. T. thesocalledme

21. U. utada-online.net

22. V. valmg

23. W. wiredfornoise.com

24. X. xaviermedia.com

25. Y. yimto.com

26. Z. zbudapest.com

Replaced link: shirleysdelight.com

Previous tagger: Laura’s Daily Life - Tag You’re It

Rule #2: You now have to “tag” at least five people and encourage them to participate so that this thing spreads like a virus.

1. Just Shooting the Breeze with Breezie

2. The Nykaza Family

3. The Things in My Head

4. Hoto’s Business Spot

5. Spreading My Wings

Tags: alphabet meme, meme

I’m so happy it’s Friday! We’re going to the Dallas Mavericks basketball game tonight and they’re playing the Lakers, should be quite fun!

Before I go I want to do my favorite meme, Four Foods on Friday hosted by Val. If you haven’t all ready joined in on this meme, for more incentive, Val is now creating a blogroll for those of us who participate on a regular basis. Thanks Val!

Here are this weeks questions:

#1. Bacon. Chewy, crispy or burnt? Personally, I don’t eat bacon. I do like chopped bacon bits on top of a baked potato, but that’s really about the only time I eat bacon.

#2. Mayonnaise or miracle whip? I prefer Mayo, but have been known to use Miracle Whip. I think MW tastes sweeter than mayo.

#3. What green vegetable is used in Italian Wedding soup? Oh, I love this soup, but I’ve never made it myself and haven’t eaten it in a long time. I’m thinking that maybe it’s spinach?

#4. Share a recipe that you use Italian sausage in. I know I have used Italian sausage in the past, I just can’t think of what recipe I used it in. Maybe I need to check with my sister and see what recipe she’s used because it’s probably the same one!

That’s how easy this meme is. Head on over and join in!

Tags: Four Foods on Friday, meme

I was tagged for the New Year’ meme by Loretta and so here it is! This meme is all about New Year’s traditions.

Rule: Copy the traditions all ready listed and their authors. Add your own tradition at the bottom of the list. It really helps to build community.*My mom used to collect some coins and when the new year comes she put the coins in a bowl and shake it to create sounds. She said its good luck for money throughout the year. And also wearing dotted dresses on new year don’t know why. CC/chalyza/keep

*My old folks always told us to avoid spending money on new years day. They said, once you spend on the first day of the year, you like to spend the rest of the year. Behind d Scenes of ME/ Retchel’s Pure Life/ A little bit of me

*I grew up believing that if you have some money on your pocket (whatever you’re wearing) come New Year’s eve it will ensure steady flow of income throughout the year. The other belief is that the main door of the house should be wide open come New Year’s eve so that good luck will be ushered in. Juliana of MY WORLD and JULIANA’S LAIR.

*I don’t know if what I am about to write is a new year’s tradition or not. In my place, most people will ‘jump’ into the sea or take a shower as soon as the clock strikes to 12 in New Year’s Eve to get rid of all the bad lucks in the previous year. ;D ~ CHOC MINT GIRL~

*Like most other East Tennesseans, I always have a side of blackeyed peas with my dinner on New Year’s Day. - Tish of The Kat House

*To be honest, I never even heard of people having good luck traditions on New Year’s. These all sound pretty neat to me (except for that blackeyed peas thing…). But growing up we definitely had a New Year’s tradition. We’d spend every New Year’s as a family with my mom’s college roommate and her family (she also had 2 kids just about our age). We’d alternate houses each year, and spend the night. The big traditions were always playing board games like Trivial Pursuit (adults and kids together) and then cooking some crazy fun or elaborate dinner (like paella, lobsters, fondue). On New Year’s Day itself, we’d watch some college football and usually drive around to see what stores, if any, were open. Andrew of Everybody Loves Coupons

*Pork and Sauerkraut. I’m Slovak, what can I say? Although, I suppose it’s also very Pittsburgh-ish …. hubby’s family had the same tradition and they are certainly not Slovak. The problem with this tradition is that I despise Sauerkraut. I hate cabbage. Loathe it. Can’t stand to be in the house if it’s cooking. It’s the most disgusting food in the world to me. I blame my heritage and my grandmother’s kitchen for this hatred of all things cabbage since there was always some main course cabbagey dish cooking, Halushki, Stuffed Cabbage, Ham and Cabbage, Pork and Sauerkraut, Hot dogs and Sauerkraut, just about anything plus cabbage several times a week. Yuck, cabbage. Loretta at Just Not Martha

*We don’t really have any New Year’s traditions either. We tend to go out to eat for a nice dinner on New Year’s Eve, and for the past 10 or so years I’ve made black-eyed peas for New Year’s day. It’s a quiet day for us, watching the Rose Parade and some football and we’re happy! Lynne at The Sewing Mom

Now comes the hard part ….. tagging five other bloggers to find out what they do for New Years.

I’ve done so many memes over the last few weeks that I feel like I’ve tagged everybody I know. Those I didn’t tag tend to not like being tagged! If you’re so inclined and would like to do the meme, feel free! Leave me a comment if you’re doing the meme so I can give you some link love.

Tags: meme, traditions

Thank goodness it’s Friday! This seems like it was such a long way, maybe because my husband was out of town and there were a lot of extracurricular activities here at home with my daughter. Anyway, it’s Friday now and I am looking forward to some downtime this weekend. Now, for my favorite meme and a great way to kick off the weekend, it’s time for Four Foods on Friday!

#1. Cold cuts. Prepackaged or sliced fresh at the deli counter? I used to only get them from the deli counter but I’ve discovered a few brands in the prepackaged that are located in the refrigerator aisle of the meat section and we’ve been buying those for the past 4 months or so.

#2. Which ingredient reduces acidity in red sauce? Corn syrup, molasses or brown sugar. Oh my, I really don’t know, but I’m going to guess it’s brown sugar? Val, are you giving the answer to this question?

#3. Whipped cream. Fresh, canned or frozen? I use frozen, but my daughter prefers canned. I think it might be the fun of squirting it out that she enjoys!

#4. How do you make pea soup? If you don’t, share a recipe that you use peas in. EEEWWWW, Peas!! I think the only thing I put peas in is tuna casserole, they’re not exactly my favorite veggie!

Tags: meme