Workout Review: Women's Health Total Workout in Ten

I was totally prepared to hate this workout.  I added it to my Netflix and didn't really think to look at my queue when this one happened to arrive.  Honestly, I was a little bummed when I got it, thinking that I would hate it and it would be way too easy.

Boy, was I wrong!  I ended up absolutely loving this workout.  The entire workout lasts about 50 minutes if you do all segments (so the title is kind of a lie).  There are 10 minute upper body, lower body, cardio, warmup and cool down segments.  I ended up doing all of the segments together, and while it was challenging, it definitely wasn't too much or boring.

I also found myself really liking the trainer.  Normally fitness hosts get on my nerves and I end up muting them and just listening to music, but Amy Dixon is legit.  She seems pretty nice and is motivating without being annoying.

The only down side is that one of the "extra features" is for core work and you'll need a stability ball to do that.  I don't have a stability ball, so I couldn't do that segment.  Other than that, this is a great workout.

Menu Sunday

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week:

Mon:  Thai Peanut Noodles from last week.
           I was lazy and didn't cook....surprise, surprise.

Tues:  Baja Shrimp Tacos
         Shrimp was majorly on sale at the grocery store and I've been craving tacos.  I love fish and shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw.  This looks really easy, but delicious!

Wed: Gravy Pork Chops with Stuffing Biscuits
         KB loves pork chops and they just happened to be on sale.  The stuffing biscuits look a little weird and I'll probably end up adding some Parmesan cheese or something to them.  I also didn't buy store made gravy because it was expensive and I'm a tightwad.  I'll be making my own gravy from my 50 cent gravy packet.

Thurs: Lemon Pepper Shrimp
          I bought a lot of shrimp.  This recipe is made for the grill, but since it's still cold outside and we don't even have a grill, I'll be pan frying them.  I'll be serving this over brown rice and probably with some roasted veggies.

Fri: Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken with Yogurt and Ginger
      I'm not sure if I'll end up making this recipe this week, but everything in it looks like it will keep until next week.  I love everything curry and this looks awesome.  I don't have any Greek yogurt, so I'll probably end up leaving that out.

What goodies will you be eating this week?

Happy Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to one of my very favorite people....

KB!!!!!

Happy 24th Birthday to my better half!

Workout Review: Denise Austin Quick Cardio Burn

Overall I thought this was a pretty good workout.  The entire DVD consisted of a 10 minute warm up, two 20 minute workouts and a 5 minute cool down.  I did the entire DVD in about an hour and felt like I got a good total body workout.  There is a lot of jumping and pliometrics, so it may not be the best for someone that has sensitive knees or ankles.  One of the 20 minute workouts is a sculpting workout using weights.  This was really effective and did double duty, since most of the arm exercises involved some type of lunge or squat too.

I actually cheated and watched this on my computer while listening to my Lady Gaga Pandora station.  I turned off the volume completely, so I can't really say if Denise was annoying or not.  I did notice that her hair was down and DID NOT MOVE the entire time, even during jumping jacks.....get me some of her hairspray!

Recipe Review: Sausage and Kale Soup

I think this recipe has been my favorite of all the recipes I've reviewed so far.  This was seriously the easiest and best tasting soup that I've had in a while.

 I love leafy greens and the kale in this soup did not dissapoint.  It was really earthy tasting, but also very flavorful due to the stock and garlic.  This soup reminded me of a ham and turnip green soup that my mom would make for us growing up that I absolutely loved.  This recipe is also very healthy....so I didn't feel so bad having 2 or 3 bowls!

The recipe called for turkey sausage, but I used some cubed ham since that's what I had laying around in my fridge.  I also ended up using half chicken stock and half beef broth (plus a little water) since I didn't have the 6 cups of stock that the recipe called for.  I also left off the red pepper flakes since I didn't have any.

Overall, it's a winner dinner!

TV is for Me!

Here's what we (mostly I) have been watching lately:

I'm a sucker for an MTV show with a lot of teen angst....enter "I Used to Be Fat".  I actually like to watch this while I'm working out.  It motivates me in a weird "I don't want to be like that" way.  I also have really liked almost all of the trainers on this show.  Normally TV trainers act like they have to be super hard asses to make people respect them, but these trainers are actually nice and seem to care about the participants' futures, not just getting them to their goal weight.

In my own weird little world I would like to look like the ladies from "Jerseylicious" just one day.  For some reason seeing their fake extensions, nails that look like talons, and enough eye makeup to smother a horse puts me into some kind of trance like state.  I could watch this show for hours.....and I hate to admit it, but I DO!

Another weight loss show to keep me motivated.  I watch A&E's "Heavy" while I work out a lot too.  These people are actually sent to a ranch to work with fitness coaches, trainers, psychologists and dietitians.  It still amazes me though that a lot of people on this show end up totally going off "the plan" once they get back home.

I don't really think this is a TV show, but more of a documentary special.  VH1's "Let's Spend the Night Together" is based off of the book from Pamela des Barres.  This dame was apparently a pretty hot commodity in the late '70s.  The documentary was really cool and looked at groupies across all rock and roll eras from Elvis to Ray J.  It was kind of neat to see the older groupies all grown up.

What goodies have you been watching recently?

Guilty Pleasure

Just like the fun swinging couple below...I am an avid bird watcher.

My grandmother is a big bird watcher and I think this is probably where this habit came from.  She has always had tons of feeders and houses and all types of random bird paraphernalia.  While I just have one feeder, I still love to look out my office window and see what types of birds are around.  Birds are so neat.  They are so industrious and are so active.  I love watching the different species interact.....NERD ALERT.

This past weekend I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count.  I really hadn't put too much thought into the different species that are at my feeder until I filled out my GBBC checklist and it was really neat.....then I emailed my grandmother....to compare notes.

Menu Sunday

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week:

Mon: Southwestern Chicken Scalloppini from last week.
           I had a headache on Thursday night and didn't feel like cooking, so we'll be having this recipe tomorrow.

Tues:  Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket
        We had BBQ at my parent's house last night and it was super tasty.  I already had this meal planned before then, but I don't mind to eat it again.  I will be using a Boston Butt instead of a brisket though since they were on sale at the grocery store.

Wed:  Sausage and Kale Soup
           This soup looks like it should've cooked all day, but it really only needs about 30 minutes.  I'll be using smoked ham instead of sausage since I had some left over from another recipe.  I also found kale in our podunk grocery store...score!

Thurs:  Thai Peanut Noodles
           I had all of the ingredients on hand for this recipe and it looks pretty interesting.  This is our meat free meal this week, but I hope the richness of the peanut butter will make it pretty hefty.  I'm a little scared since the only peanut butter I have is organic and has no sugar.  I may have to add some honey to give it some flavor.

Fri:  Crescent Pizza Pockets
          Everything in this meal is leftover from another meal...yay for being cheap!  I had leftover crescent rolls, pepperonis and pizza sauce....done!

Next week get ready for super special recipe post with a recap of KB's birthday dinner.  Anyone have any good yellow cake recipes?  For his birthday cake he wants yellow cake with chocolate icing, but I'd like to dress it up a little bit.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Because I'm Glamorous....

Or so I like to think so!

The lovely DSS tagged me to do Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire.  I hate to say that I'm not a huge Vanity Fair reader, but I like to think I'm as glamorous as the famous people that get asked these questions!

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 
Being in a really warm, really snuggly, really comfy bed surrounded by good magazines, my puppies and KB of course.  For some reason a warm bed is the best feeling in the world to me.  It's so comforting and safe feeling.

What is your greatest fear?
Tragically losing someone that I love.  I've never really had to deal with the loss of a person that is really close to me.  I pretty much still have all of my close grandparents, my parents, my sisters, my extended family, my friends.  I'm not too sure how I would take losing someone really close to me and I think it would only be worse if I lost them unexpectedly.  I'm not too sure how I would handle it, because I've never had to.

Which figures do you most identify with?
I'm pretty nerdy, so I definitely identify with the nerd herd.  I always made good grades and being smart was (and still is) really important to me.  It always bothers me when I see women dumbing themselves down and I think nerdy girls are just ahead of the trend.  I'd like to think that I've grown up from a nerdy girl to a smart confident young woman (phmph yeah!).

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I'm terrible at getting back to people on a social level.  At work I am on top of emails, voicemails, memos, etc, but I can't return a call, Facebook post or email to save my life.  When I get home from work I just kinda check out.  I wish I could be better about putting the same vigor into my personal life that I do in my work life.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Not wanting to learn.  It frustrates me to no end when people have no desire to learn anything new or better.  I think this is the main reason why I would fail big time if I was ever a teacher.  It just makes me so mad when people don't care about learning new things that they should know.

What do you most value in your friends?
I value their differences the most.  To give an example, this weekend when I overdid it on the margaritas at dinner, one friend was yelling at me to shake it off and get ready for a crazy night out, while the other was playing with my hair and telling me that it was ok to not feel good and to not listen to the other one.  I love that they are all different and I wouldn't trade their differences for anything.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
BTW.  Peace out.  Jamming.

What is your favorite journey?
It sounds cheesy, but my favorite journeys always involve KB.  He always makes things like long car rides fun by doing weird things or playing weird games.  Don't get me wrong, I hate being lost and he actually likes it, so sometimes we do get into our little fights about it.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
I guess all virtues are good, but I guess the most overrated would be courage.  I, sadly, cannot say that I am very courageous, so maybe that's why I don't see the big deal about it.  I know that at some point someone has to be courageous, I just hope it doesn't have to be me.

What is your favorite occupation?
I like my occupation pretty good (project manager), but I'm not sure if it's my favorite.  I always thought my dad's occupation was pretty good (he's a dairy farmer).  I guess I haven't had too many occupations to know what my favorite is.

 What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I have very flabby arms.  No matter what exercise I do they remain flabby.  I know they really aren't that big of a deal, but for me that's pretty much all I see.

What is your greatest regret?
My greatest regret was taking a terrible terrible job right out of college just because it was a job.  It sounded really good, but ended up being terrible.  I wasted my time and wasted my skills in a job that was pretty much thankless, just so I could say I had a job.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My darling KB!  We first met in 7th grade math, were voted most studious in 9th grade, worked together in high school, were voted students of the week together and were basically the same person in high school.  I actually dated one of KB's friends in high school and we didn't start dating until college, but I always thought it was really sweet that KB remembered little things about me in high school like where I sat in classes, who I ate lunch with and what dresses I wore to prom.....even though he was just watching and waiting.

When and where were you happiest?
While I've had lots of happy happy days one of the most vivid was the first day I moved into my dorm my freshman year.  I had just broken up with my high school boyfriend, I was in a new place, I was on my own and I loved it.  It took forever for my parents to leave and that night I was so giddy I could hardly sleep.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to be more outgoing and sociable.  I'm generally a homebody and I don't really care to spend time alone or just stay at my house on a weekend.  When I do actually go out, I like it and think to myself that I need to do it more often.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting through school with no debt!  This probably shouldn't be my achievement (even though I did get quite a few scholarships) but really my parents.  It still amazes me how many people amass huge amounts of student loans and I am so thankful that my parents and myself did everything it took to get me through school without debt.  I guess all those breaks spend working while everyone else went on vacation were worth it! 

What is your most treasured possession?
Rosie and Pancho.  If my house got broken into they are the first things and the only things I would really care about if they were missing.  They are my children and I treat them better than some I'm sure.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
 I'm not even sure I know what this question means.  I'm going to pass on this one (I don't know if that's allowed in Vanity Fair).

Where would you like to live?
I like where I live now.  It's close to mine and KB's families.  It's moutainous.  It's got good weather (except when it snows a ton).  The people are nice.  WNC rocks!

What is your most marked characteristic?
Most people remember me because of my hair.  I used to have really long, really straight, really dark hair.  It's not quite so long anymore (even though I wish it would get back there). 

What is your greatest extravagance?
I don't have the many extravagances.  I like to get my nails done, which is pretty much a frivolous expense, but I like it!

What are the qualities you most like in a man?
Sense of humor, quiet, likes being outside, good with dogs and animals, tall.

Who are your favorite writers?
I like a lot of writers, but it's pretty hard to name a flat out favorite.  I like Tim O'Brien alot.  I'm not a big war story fan, but his stories are always really moving.  I'm also a pretty big Gabriel Garcia Marquez fan.  Everything he writes is so colorful and real.

 How would you like to die?
Peacefully after living a long happy life.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Once again, I have lots of favorite heroes of fiction, but it's hard to name a favorite.  I always though the Lorax was a really neat little guy.  He stood up for the Trufula trees when no one else would.

Who are your heroes in real life?
My heroes are people in my family.  They show me that you don't need much to be happy but each other.

What is your motto?
"If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one" - from the fabulous Dolly Parton (another one of my real life heroes)


I'm tagging some of my favorite followers:


Skinny
Reed
Diana
Mo'Betta

Thoughts on a Thursday

• I'm so ready for it to be Friday.  Being out of town last week has caused this week to drag....MAJORLY.  We're also not super busy at work like we normally are and the days are crawling by.
• I've always wanted to try cleaning my house one room at a time and this week I was able to.  I normally clean the whole house on Saturday morning, but I didn't get a chance to last weekend.  So far so good and I'm pretty impressed with myself for being able to stick with it.
• On that note, I have not stuck with my healthy eating habits this week.  I have eaten Mexican food 4 times.....4 TIMES.  I seriously need to get back on the fit wagon.
• I just changed the sheets on our bed and I am so looking forward to going to bed tonight.  Falling asleep on fresh clean sheets is one of the best feelings in the world.

What are your thoughts on this Thursday?  Link up with Carolyn and let me know!

Recipe Review: Lighter Shepherd's Pie

I'm normally not a huge Shepherd's Pie fan.  It takes forever to make, I don't really like having to essentially cook two meals, then put them together.  I get a recipe newsletter from Prevention every week and a lighter version of Shepherd's Pie happened to be included.  It didn't really catch me because it was light, but because it was easy and fast.  It only took me a few minutes and everything was very quick and easy. 

The recipe calls for ground beef, but ground chicken was on sale at the store this week so I decided to experiment with that.  Overall, the taste was a little different than what I expected, but it seemed to work out fine.  There is a lot of corn in this recipe, so if you're not a corn fan you may want to stay away.  Not only is there a can of mexican corn, there's also creamed corn.  The recipe also calls for premade mashed potatoes.  I'd never bought premashed potatoes before, so they looked a little weird and were very clumpy, but they thinned out once I baked them.  I also added on some mexican cheese to the top and broiled everything for about five minutes.
Overall it was a big batch of cheesy, crusty, poatoey, corny goodness!

Smelling Pretty

I didn't used to be really into perfume.  I would wear some lotion, maybe some body spray, but never full on perfume.  KB's mom is really into perfume and when she started buying gifts for me, most of the time that is what she got.  Last night I was looking around on my vanity and noticed that I have a ton of perfume.  I try to wear a different one every day of the week.  Here are a few of my favorites...

Juicy Couture's Go Couture Yourself is very fun and light.  I got this in a sampler pack of Juicy Couture fragrances and while I really like them all, this one is a little different than normal Juicy Couture perfumes.  It smells a lot cleaner and less sweet than they normally do.

Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue is one of my ultimate favorites.  It's very light and crisp and is perfect for summer.  It's always very fresh smelling and reminds me of the feeling you get when you first get out of the shower.

Juicy Couture's Peace, Love and Juicy Couture is a really interesting smelling scent.  It smells a little like soap, not really in a bad way, but it's definitely there.  I've also noticed that it seems to wear off rather quickly and by the time I head home, I can't really smell it anymore.

Stella McCartney's Stella is a lot warmer and darker than the scents I normally wear.  It's very wintry and is warm, but not too sweet smelling.  I like to wear this when I go out at night (not very often these days) or on days when I have something special going on.

Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy is one of my favorite perfumes of all time.  It's the perfect mix of clean and warm.  I have a full bottle of this and it's so fabulous!  I love all the crazy charms and ribbons.


What are some of your favorite perfumes?

Back in Action

We spent a lovely weekend in one of our favorite places...

KB and I both went to UNC-Chapel Hill and neither one of us had really been back since we graduated almost 2 years ago.  I met up with some of my friends that still live in CH and KB met up with some of his old fraternity buddies.

Needless to say, I think we both were amazed at how we couldn't hack it like we used to.  I went a little too hard on some margaritas and KB is cranky because he didn't get his normal 10-12 hours of sleep (ok maybe not that much).  We're definitely getting old!

Menu Sunday

We're baaacccckkkkk.......

Stay tuned for a post about our weekend travels, but for now, enjoy what the Browns will be eating this week.

Mon:  Honey-Soy Chicken Skillet
         I had most of the ingredients on hand for this, since I wasn't sure I'd get to the grocery store today due to weekend happenings.  I will be using just boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken.  I love honey in savory dishes, so I'm excited about this one.

Tues:  Lighter Shepherd's Pie
          I really like Shepherd's Pie, but I don't like to fix it on a weeknight because it takes forever.  You have to make the mashed potatoes, then make the pie.  This recipe uses premade mashed potatoes (I sucked it up and bought a convenience food) and only takes around 30 minutes to make.  I'll probably add some cheese to the mashed potato topping....that probably defeats the purpose of the "Lighter" in the title.

Wed:  Fettuccine with Two Cheeses
         I had some leftover dry pasta and bacon bits from a recipe last week, so in the spirit of not spending huge amounts of money in the grocery store, I looked for something to use it.  This recipe looks pretty easy and you can't really go wrong with pasta and cheese.

Thurs: Southwestern Chicken Scaloppine
          I also had most of the ingredients for this on hand (yay small grocery bills).  I will more than likely be omitting the red pepper sauce.  I couldn't find it in the grocery store and I'm not even too sure what it is. 

Fri: ??????
      One of KB's friends is coming into town so we may go out to eat.  I'll probably be cleaning our house like crazy!

Extras:Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
          These will be the Valentine's Day goodie for KB's work.  I'm planning on topping them with my chocolate dulce de leche instead of the caramel ice cream topping.

What goodies will you be eating this week???

Recipe Review: Pita Panini

 This sandwich was pretty delicious, but the recipe itself was a huge letdown.  I get a weekly recipe email from Woman's Day and this happened to be under the heading "10 Toasty Sandwiches".  I can't turn down a good toasty sandwich.  This sandwich is really easy to make and I feel like you really could put anything on it.  Overall, muy delicioso.

While the sandwich was good, I can't say the same for the actual recipe.  I went to go read the recipe last night and realized that in the directions it calls for pesto.  Not a problem, but pesto is mentioned NO WHERE on the ingredient list, so naturally I didn't put it on my grocery list.  I ended up using a some balsamic vinaigrette I had in the fridge as the base.  You may also notice that this is a recipe review for a pita panini, but I couldn't find them in my podunk grocery store.  I used an everything bagel thin and it was actually really good and toasty.  I also threw on a few random things like pepperonis and olives.

So basically this is a review of a recipe.....that I didn't follow!

(Not So) Thin Mints

I ordered 3 boxes today!  Thin mints for me and 2 boxes of Tag Alongs for KB.  Just thinking about eating probably almost the entire box in one sitting makes me almost as happy as the young scoutette rappelling dangerously through the air on the front of the Thin Mint box. Look mom...no hands!

Guilty Pleasure

One of my favorite things to do on a night when I'm not really busy (like last night) is to go to bed early.   Like really early.  Last night I went to bed around 9:00.  This is not the first time this has happened, in fact, it happens a lot.  Even when I was in college and supposed to be staying up until the wee hours of the morning to study, party, do whatever.....I was normally in bed by 9:30.  Once I eat, lay down, and get warm I can fall asleep in a matter of minutes.  Call me a grannie, but Rosie and I need our beauty rest!

Summer, Sweet Summer

This summer is shaping up to be jam packed with family vacation goodness.

First up, my family's summer vacation in NC.  We'll be spending a week here:

We'll be spending a week in early June basking in the glory that is the coast of NC (with a 2 year old and a 3 year old).  We have an ocean front house this year and it's a much smaller group of us going (possibly just the ladies), so it should be low stress and fun.  We normally don't really do anything and just lay out at the beach all day and ready trashy books or talk about people or look at weird people on the beach.  KB's not a big beach person, so he may come down for a few days and go fishing or something.

3 months later, KB and I will go on his family vacation and spend a week here:

We'll be in Riviera Maya Mexico.  KB's mom got a pretty good deal on the rooms because this will be her 4th time going there.  This trip has all the makings of one I'll never forget.  First up, my grandmother has me convinced that I will be kidnapped by a drug cartel and taken hostage.  I've decided to step my safety game up.  We have a private car taking us from the Cancun airport to the resort (it's about an hour ride).  This is where I'm thinking things will get iffy and I may need pepper spray.  KB thinks I'm crazy...maybe I am.  Second, KB's mom informed me that the beach is "topless friendly" and that if I would like to partake no judgment will be offered.  Let's hope the all inclusive food and alcohol doesn't get the best of me.  Third, I majored in Spanish in college, so I can hablo espanol.  KB's mom says this will come in handy in ordering drinks for us......or when I get kidnapped by the drug cartel. Lastly, KB is not a big beach person.  He's planning on going deep sea fishing or something with his stepdad and one of the other guys going.  This leaves me to hang out (maybe literally on the topless beach) with KB's mom and her friend.  This part is fine....the whining from KB with being sunburned and uncomfortable will be probably get the best of me say...Tuesday, Wednesday.

Let's get to losing those last 30 pounds so we can look smokin'!

Menu Sunday...

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week.  Stay tuned for a recipe review on one of these recipes later this week!

Mon: Lemon Chicken Recipe from last week
         I ended up working late (again) on Thursday, so I didn't fix anything.

Tues: Italian Lentil and Vegetable Stew
         I'm mainly making this to use up some marinara sauce I had to buy for a recipe last week, but it's also a slow cooker recipe and pretty healthy.  Lentils are a great source of fiber and vitamins and I think the butternut squash will be interesting.

Wed: Pita Panini
        I actually won't be using pitas, but everything bagel thins.  I couldn't find pitas in the podunk grocery store, but I think the bagels will work well too.

Thurs: Pizza
          I have a leftover pizza crust from a recipe I made a few weeks ago and a ton of mozzarella cheese (I'm not even sure where it all came from).  Pizzas are easy and KB will definitely eat them.

Fri: Food on the Road!
       We're going to visit some college friends in Chapel Hill this weekend, so we'll be on the road Friday night.  KB always wants to stop at Shake and Steak....but I'm a little weirded out.

Extras:  Hot Chocolate Cake
             I made this last night and it is really rich!  It was all I could do to eat just a little bit.  I ended up putting some peppermint extract into the batter and it gave a nice minty tingle.

Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels
          I'm making these today for KB's mom's Super Bowl party.  They look pretty easy and you can't really go wrong with crescent rolls and ranch dressing.

Recipe Review: Pesto Minestrone

This recipe came to me via A Year of Slow Cooking.  In my opinion, this is one of the best cooking blogs/websites around.  Stephanie almost always has great recipes that are easy and delicious.  I would highly recommend you check it out.

This soup was actually really delicious.  The pesto gave it the right amount of spice and flavor, but you also got a hint of the olive oil from the pesto.  As are all of Stephanie's recipes, this was a slow cooker recipe, so clean up and cooking was super easy.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it still turned out great.  I was out of spinach and potatoes, so I just stuck to the beans and veggies I had on hand, but I feel like you could put almost any combo of vegetables in here and it would still taste good.  I also only used half a jar of leftover pesto from a recipe I made last week.  Since KB is also weird about things being meat free, I added in some cubed ham and it gave the whole soup a nice smoky flavor.

Overall, it's a winner.

Game Day Snacks

KB's mom always throws a big family Super Bowl party and I'm always at a loss for what to bring.  She normally cooks lots of good finger foods and normally whatever I make (last year I did Chex Mix...woohoo) just ends up coming home with us untouched.

This year I'm on a mission to actually make something that won't get overshadowed by the large amounts of other food there.  I've got a couple of ideas....but suggestions are always welcome!

I think I've narrowed it down to either:

Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels

or....

Potato Chip-Chocolate Toffee

I'm thinking this one is going to be the winner!  It's definitely something weird....but not too weird.

Suggestions?  Hints?  Ideas?

Stylish Blogger Award

Desperately Seeking Seersucker  gave me the lovely Stylish Blogger Award.

Thanks so much DSS!

Now, here are the rules....

1. link to the blogger(s) who gave the award
2. share 7 facts about yourself
3. pass the award on to 15 ladies

1) KB and I first met in 7th grade math class.  We shared a table together and he liked to flip his retainer out onto our desk and would get spit everywhere.  I actually asked the teacher if I could move because it distracted me (what a nerd!), but she wouldn't let me.  Ahh...young love!

2) We adopted our first shelter dog this year.  Our darling little Pancho (the shelter called him Ziggy) came from an animal rescue organization near where we live.  They had received him just a few days before we adopted him from animal control.  Our little fabulous Panch was a hoardee.  We ended up seeing some photos from where he came from on the news.  Let's just say, he didn't have any feather boas to play in where he came from!

3) The first time I ever saw the college I went to was the first day of orientation.  I went to a pretty big, pretty scary school (rah rah Carolina).   It was a little intimidating knowing that almost every other person and their mom and grandma had either gone there or taken a tour.  Long story short....it worked out, but probably not a smart thing to do.

4) I grew up on a farm!  This is normally my weird fact when people ask about it.  My dad is a dairy farmer and cows have always been in the background of my life (even my wedding).  We got married in my parent's front yard....which is pretty much a cow pasture and it helped give me the name for my blog.

5)  I work in the pharmaceutical industry and am the biggest hypocondriac.  My co-workers make fun of me for thinking I have side effects to the drugs that I market.....but don't take.  Some of this stuff is really scary!

6)  Like most people it seems, I hate talking on the phone and checking my voicemail.  Pretty much the only person that leaves me a voicemail is my grandmother (I'm a dweeb), and I still don't check it.  Talking on the phone is one of the worst things.  I just can't stand it for some reason.

7) I love reality TV shows with a passion and the weirder the better.  If there is a TV show about baby beauty queens, Jersey brides, plastic surgery nightmares or bachelorettes in Alaska, I've seen it....probably multiple times.

Since almost everyone I know has gotten this award it seems, I won't tag anyone again, but check out all of my cool followers.  They're cool enough to like me (7 weird facts and all!).